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Intrada announces Bernard Herrmann's North By Northwest new full restoration


Jay

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INTRADA Announces:

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NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Composed and Conducted by BERNARD HERRMANN

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 207

The 1958 Alfred Hitchock film North by Northwest features one of the most famous Bernard Herrmann scores from the Hitchcock/Herrmann collaboration. The score is no stranger to being on record, with highlights recorded and even two full album rerecordings available. Even the original tracks had been previously released in 1995. What separates this release from the pack is the dramatically superior sound quality, making this the definitive release of the original soundtrack. It's the final word on a world-class, colorful score in a release featuring classic artwork from the film's original campaign.

As collectors know from the 1995 Rhino CD of North by Northwest, the cues containing Bernard Herrmann’s magnificent “Overture—Main Title” and related action pieces suffered some deterioration. In 1999, the 35mm masters were retransferred by Chace Productions Inc.for a Warner Home Video DVD restoration, yielding significantly better audio results than the previous transfer done in the early 90s. This provided Intrada with access to much better sources to reassemble and present the score in it's best form yet.

North By Northwest was the fifth feature film collaboration between Alfred Hitchcock and Bernard Herrmann. The score can be broken down into three broad areas: the main title and its reprises during action sequences; the slowly evolving love theme which seems to stall in neutral throughout much of the picture; and numerous suspense cues which keep the audience guessing about the direction the story is taking. The “Overture—Main Title” is one of Herrmann’s most engrossing main titles. Singularly lacking a melody, it derives its power from the conflict created by the juxtaposition of three simple ideas: a whirling, arpeggiated 6/8 figure; a hammering, insistent motif in 3/4 time; and a two-measure figure treated sequentially. The tension between the changing meters and the two key centers (about as far apart, harmonically speaking, as one can get) keeps the listener disoriented throughout and provides an unforgettable anchor to the score.

In the film, Cary Grant plays Roger Thornhill, a self-absorbed, shallow Madison Avenue executive caught up in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse, relentlessly pursued from New York to South Dakota by foreign operatives who have mistaken him for a (non-existent) U.S. agent.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 207

Retail Price: $19.99

Available Now

For track listing and sound samples, please visit

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7688/.f

NORTH BY NORTHWEST

Label: Intrada Special Collection Volume 207

Date: 1959

Tracks: 28

Time = 69:17

At long last! Oft-recorded Bernard Herrmann masterpiece finally gets complete release in dynamic stereo from new masters! Previous release on Rhino label was spectacular album, albeit several major set pieces (including main title & climactic Mount Rushmore sequence) were transferred from damaged elements, all that was then available. Thanks to Warner Bros., new stereo mixes have been made available for first time ever, revealing spectacular sonics (for 1959) and illuminating new details of magnificent score never before captured. While score has also been digitally re-recorded twice under different conductors, neither version can match crisp, exciting performance of MGM Studio musicians under baton of Herrmann himself. Hear harp arpeggios, castenets, wood blocks, snare drums like never before. Get entire climax with punch of bass trombone, thrilling trumpets amidst swirling variety of tempos that keep tension, excitement of Hitchcock's incredible action set-piece moving at fierce pace. Alfred Hitchcock's brilliant film stars Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint, James Mason, young Martin Landau and is regarded as one of director's greatest achievements. Crop-dusting scene, Mount Rushmore climax are movie icons. Romance between Grant, Saint is heartfelt, all the more so with Herrmann's tender love theme for strings. Composer is also major part of excitement, suspense of wild tale. Under loving guidance of Neil Bulk & Lukas Kendall, Herrmann's score comes home at last not only with best sound possible but also with first-ever reproduction of original MGM artwork campaign, color stills, informative notes by Frank De Walk, complete cue assembly details plus musician's list. The final word on North By Northwest! Bernard Herrmann conducts. Intrada Special Collection release available while quantities and interest remains.

01. Overture/Main Title 2:19

02. The Streets 1:07

03. Kidnapped 2:18

04. The Door/Cheers 1:26

05. The Wild Ride/Car Crash 3:14

06. The Return/Two Dollars 1:15

07. The Elevator 0:49

08. The U.N./Information Desk 1:55

09. The Knife 0:51

10. Interlude 1:18

11. Detectives/Conversation Piece/Duo 4:42

12. The Station/The Phone Booth/Farewell 2:55

13. The Crash/Hotel Lobby 3:15

14. The Reunion/Goodbye/The Question 2:34

15. The Pad & Pencil/The Auction/The Police 2:35

16. The Airport 1:02

17. The Cafeteria/The Shooting 2:24

18. The Forest 1:25

19. The Flight/The Ledge 1:30

20. The House 3:14

21. The Balcony/The Match Box 2:45

22. The Message/The T.V./The Airplane 2:39

23. The Gates/The Stone Faces/The Ridge/On the Rocks/The Cliff/Finale 8:57

The Album Total Time: 56:38

The Extras

24. It's a Most Unusual Day (source) 1:17

25. Rosalie (source) 1:36

26. In the Still of the Night (source) 2:26

27. Fashion Show (source) 5:23

28. The Crash 1:53

The Extras Total Time: 12:29

CD Total Time: 69:17

Bernard Herrmann

Due 08/09/12 (Out of Stock)

Price: $19.99

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Whoa, that's a cool release. I've got the Rhino album and was about to buy re-recording. Maybe I'll change my mind. But one thing has me wondering. The whole finale on the Rhino release was a film version, not music as written. I wonder if the new release restores of whole score as it should be...? Or am I confusing things here? Can't tell anymore.

Either way, a brilliant score and film.

Karol

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Whoa, that's a cool release. I've got the Rhino album and was about to buy re-recording. Maybe I'll change my mind. But one thing has me wondering. The whole finale on the Rhino release was a film version, not music as written. I wonder if the new release restores of whole score as it should be...? Or am I confusing things here? Can't tell anymore.

Either way, a brilliant score and film.

Karol

Taking into account the Plane Crash cue being in the 'extras' section, my rip of the OST is 52 mins, and this new one is 56 mins. Difference isn't in the final sequence.

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Well this is great news! I do have the Rhino version but am tempted to get this one.

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  • 8 years later...

It was announced, less than nine years ago! Then, the exact same program remastering was re-released by WaterTower on CD around 2015. So I'd say you've had plenty of possibilities to get it... ;) 

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