The each time more interesting contribution of the label Marco Polo to the recovery of part of the musical legacy of Hollywood's Golden Age begins to reach bench marks of interest that deserves, without a doubt, greater lauds and publicity than which receives. This new delivery, dedicated in their entirety to the figure of the brilliant Alfred Newman (probably the biggest composer of North American origin in the period), is centered in the splendid and a little bit controverted score for The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1939), William Dieterle's brilliant version of Victor Hugo's classic, for which Newman composed one of its more opulent and colorists works, full of excellent themes and details. Next to it the very interesting music of Beau Geste (1939) that so wisely accompanies and supplements the superb William A. Wellman film, as well as a brief suite of the brief score of All About Eve (1950), surprisingly adventurous in style and sound, and carrier of a captivating main theme. As usual, special mention deserves John Morgan and William Stromberg's excellent musicological job, although the last one weakens lightly in its role as conductor of the orchestra, as well as Bill Whitaker's complete and very informative notes that deepen enough in the history and flow of the included works. M.A.F.

ALL ABOUT EVE: Suite (1950) - 4:39
BEAU GESTE (1939) - 20:10
THE HUNCHBACK OF NOTRE DAME (1939) - 38:46
Arrangements and Reconstruction: William Stromberg and John Morgan
Moscow Symphony Orchestra - Conductor: William Stromberg
MARCO POLO 8.223750 / 64'

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