A superb collection of some of the greatest tunes from Hollywood, composed during the
Golden Age of Cinema and affording nearly three hours of nostalgic indulgence.

The compilation focuses on key figures of the early film composer generation, among them
Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and Eric Korngold – child prodigies who has studied with or had
their works performed by the likes of Brahms and Mahler. Having come over to the USA to
make a better living and – in the case of Waxman and Korngold – to escape Nazi
persecution, they rejected the modernist music of Schoenberg and Stravinsky in favour of
the German Romantic tradition (as exemplified in Richard Strauss’s tone poems). The result
was a richly orchestrated, symphonic style of writing, soon to become known as the
‘Hollywood Sound’.

From the deeply lush harmonies of Gone with the Wind, to the Wagnerian forces employed to
evocative effect in The Bride of Frankenstein, these composers were masters of their art who
knew how to wield a good tune out of the dramatic developments on screen. A fantastic 3CD
set which is guaranteed to transport the listener instantly to film music heaven.