For 20 years (1940-60) Alfred Newman presided over the music division at Fox studios, enlisting the talents of a remarkable stable of composers and in the process winning nine Academy Awards himself. He wrote the 20th Century-Fox Fanfare, one of the most instantly recognizable musical logos ever, and was best known for his rich string writing. This is very evident in the selections included here, from Wuthering Heights to The Song of Bernadette and Anastasia. Yet Newman was equally at home in historical dramas such as Captain from Castile and The Robe, as well as the modern, urban soundscapes of Street Scene and (a personal favorite) Airport, his last score. As with previous releases in this series, the performances under Charles Gerhardt are aptly spectacular, the engineering as vivid as the music itself, and the selection wonderfully representative of the composer’s best work. Now available on-demand from Arkivmusic.com, this entire series is a “must” for film buffs and 20th century orchestral music fans alike. [6/23/2008]
