Hugo FRIEDHOFER
Between Heaven and Hell. Soldier of Fortune
OSTs
FILM SCORE MONTHLY Vol 4 . No. 9 [72:55]
[Available through the magazine, Film Score Monthly, or its website(www.filmscoremonthly.com)
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Nowadays Hugo Friedhofer is often overlooked
as a major force in the development of film music, but within
his orchestrations and melodies it's possible to hear the voices
of many modern day composers (Jerry Goldsmith in particular) who
have obviously been influenced by his ground breaking work.
Two scores are featured here, although due to
damage to the masters, the second Solider of Fortune (1955)
is not as well represented as everyone might have liked. However
Between Heaven and Hell (1956) appears in its entirety.
Opening with 'Sam and Jenny's Theme', this is
a surprisingly tender and lyrical piece, considering that this
is a war movie, but this motif serves to illustrate the leading
character's (played by Robert Wagner) past and in particular his
relationship with his wife. More typical, but just as distinctive
are the cues which support time spent in the heat of battle or
more usually the tension and near hysteria of the anticipation
of combat. From the 'Main Title' with its militaristic percussion,
incorporating that often used but always effective, doom-laden
piece 'Dies Irae', there are many excellent examples of psychological
suspense music, as in 'George Company', which is startlingly bleak
at times and the portentous 'Norzagaray'. To counter-balance all
of this oppressive gloom, Friedhofer returns to his 'Sam and Jenny's
Theme' in 'Retrospect No.1' and 'Retrospect No.2', although darkly
ominous chords tellingly bookend both cues.
Best of all are two really outstanding tracks.
The first, 'Strategic Sam/Scared' is a very distinctive, ahead
of its time dissonant piece which takes us on an extended journey
across the battlefield of both the mind and the body. But even
better is
'Don't Argue/Desperate Journey', where a snare
drum pounds away, becoming increasingly dramatic and concluding
with a powerful burst of 'Dies Irae'.
Between Heaven and Hell is an impressive,
moody score with a good deal of inventive intelligence and Friedhofer's
music should be admired all the more for standing the test of
time, still sounding fresh almost a half a century later.
Sadly, as the first-rate sleeve notes tell us,
the score for Solider of Fortune (1955) has been very badly
damaged and therefore only a loosely assembled collection of cues
were salvageable. However the twenty plus minutes of music available
gives us a good taste of this Asian flavoured, romanticised score.
Certainly in terms of quality, even allowing for the lack of material,
this is the lesser of the two works, although there are still
several moments where the composer's individualism shines through.
Although for me the central motif introduced
on 'Theme (piano)' is a typically romantic, very 'Hollywood' piece,
those who enjoy such things will find the more expansive, oriental
styled 'Main Title' particularly enjoyable. Of far greater value
though are 'Marine Patrol', with its rippling water effect, 'Inquisition',
a very restrained, sinister cue that sounds almost like the dripping
of a Chinese water torture and 'Lee in Action', a suspenseful,
almost John Barryesque, dynamic cue (although disappointingly
this was not used in the film itself). Of interest too is 'Search
Montage', a Chinese flavoured piece, full of intrigue, again with
that rippling effect, becoming almost like something out of Voyage
from the Bottom of the Sea at one point!
All in all, a notable release that will enhance
Hugo Friedhofer's reputation with modern film music fans ,while
simply bringing a big smile to the faces of his many long established
admirers.
Mark Hockley
Ian Lace adds -
Film Score Monthly seem to be ploughing a deep
furrow into 1950s and 1960s 20th Century Fox film music
nostalgia. (I do hope that, at length, they are going to visit
other studios especially the more dramatic departments of MGM.).
Now we have some more music from the neglected Hugo Friedhofer
- always an interesting talent. The scores here are of uneven
quality, Soldier of Fortune, the superior and more satisfying
listening experience. Between Heaven and Hell has the usual
gung-ho, staccato, battle music: snarling figures, brutal rhythms.
Yet he cleverly blends all this wth subtly oriental material in
evocatively wide perspectives and adds the Dies Irae à
la Liszt in Mephisto mode to potently underline the evils and
tragedy of war. In contrast calmer more elegiac tracks speak of
war's futility and tragic loss. The romantic cues are really sub-Steiner
(Friedhofer of course orchestrated much of Steiner's music at
Warner Bros.) This is not the case with the big long-spanned melody
that is the main theme of Soldier of Fortune for this is
one of Friedhofer's best melodies. Friedhofer captures the atmosphere
of the orient and Hong Kong very imaginatively throughout this
score with apt use of ethnic instruments and subtle harmonies
and colouring to heighten the atmosphere of intrigue and menace.
Such tracks as the glitteringly liquid 'Marine Patrol' have a
beautifully impressionistic gloss.
Between Heaven and Hell
Soldier of Fortune 
Ian Lace
