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Newman: The Diary of Anne Frank

For film music, 1959 was a spectacular year. Four Oscar nominations for music went to scores that must be included with their famous composers’ greatest works—Miklós Rózsa’s Ben Hur, Franz Waxman’s The Nun’s Story, Ernest Gold’s On the Beach, and Alfred Newman’s The Diary of Anne Frank. The original Anne Frank soundtrack was 38 minutes. The complete score recorded here includes about 81 minutes of Newman’s masterful music, plus the original album and alternates. The Overture opens with a horn call followed by a surprisingly triumphant brass theme, then Anne’s theme with its octave leaps emphasizing Newman’s highly acclaimed string sound. Newman finds a way to blend the overwhelming tragedy with a feeling of optimism. This is best illustrated in the two principal cues: “The Captives—Spring is Coming,” and “The Dearness of You, Peter.” Both build to massive climaxes that demonstrate the Fox Orchestra’s equally great brass section. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of Newman’s most thematically rich and varied dramatic scores. This 1959 recording is certainly not audiophile, but it is good and easily listenable in every way. This should be required listening for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Film Music. 

The post Newman: The Diary of Anne Frank appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

Newman: The Diary of Anne Frank

For film music, 1959 was a spectacular year. Four Oscar nominations for music went to scores that must be included with their famous composers’ greatest works—Miklós Rózsa’s Ben Hur, Franz Waxman’s The Nun’s Story, Ernest Gold’s On the Beach, and Alfred Newman’s The Diary of Anne Frank. The original Anne Frank soundtrack was 38 minutes. The complete score recorded here includes about 81 minutes of Newman’s masterful music, plus the original album and alternates. The Overture opens with a horn call followed by a surprisingly triumphant brass theme, then Anne’s theme with its octave leaps emphasizing Newman’s highly acclaimed string sound. Newman finds a way to blend the overwhelming tragedy with a feeling of optimism. This is best illustrated in the two principal cues: “The Captives—Spring is Coming,” and “The Dearness of You, Peter.” Both build to massive climaxes that demonstrate the Fox Orchestra’s equally great brass section. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of Newman’s most thematically rich and varied dramatic scores. This 1959 recording is certainly not audiophile, but it is good and easily listenable in every way. This should be required listening for anyone interested in the Golden Age of Film Music. 

The post Newman: The Diary of Anne Frank appeared first on The Absolute Sound.

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