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EDITOR’s CHOICE September
2001
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Bernard HERRMANN
The Snows of Kilimanjaro. 5 Fingers William Stromberg
conducts The Moscow Symphony Orchestra 
MARCO POLO 8.225168 [66:27]
This latest release in Marco Polo's Classical
Film Scores series is of considerable academic interest. Now that
might sound a strange opening for a review, particularly since
I have placed it as my Editor's Choice this month. Nobody would
argue that Herrmann's music works supremely well with on-screen
images and these two scores from 20th Century Fox opuses
dating back to 1952 are no exception but they are not the most
compelling or easiest of listening experiences. The score for
5 Fingers has never been recorded before and only a small
portion of The Snows of Kilimanjaro - i.e. only the most
accessible music contained in 'Memory Waltz' and little else has
been committed to disc. As John Morgan admits, "Much of the
music is static in nature and, typically of Herrmann, short musical
"cells" are repeated with only slight orchestral variations and
key changes." Yet as Morgan then goes on to qualify, "Bill
(Stromberg)…brought a subtle undercurrent of tension throughout,
and his sense of musical form and line always kept a forward propulsion
in the music ongoing." It is this dedication that makes this
album the success it is and there is much to reward the patient
listener who will discover more and more riches on repeated hearings.
'Memory Waltz' is given a most sympathetic and
sensitive reading here. (How well the Moscow Symphony Orchestra
now responds to the era and the special requirements of these
classic film scores.) I was struck, in this instance, more than
by any previous recording, by the way this cue represents a line
of development stemming back to The Magnificent Ambersons
music - bittersweet and nostalgic, redolent of regret and remorse.
There are few tuttis and these are usually short dramatic eruptions:
'The Fall', for instance, is the frantic outburst accompanying
Ava Gardener as she 'falls' downstairs thus terminating her pregnancy
when she senses that her lover Gregory Peck does not want to be
tied down; and the frightening aspect of the 'Witch Doctor'. Even
the romantic music for 'Helen' has either an enigmatic non-committal
air about it, 'Barcarolle' (for 'Frigid Liz', the Hildegard Neff
character) and a dejected aspect for the love of 'Helen' (Susan
Hayward) despite her obvious patience and devotion.
5 Fingers has a powerful 'Prelude' -
full of portent and intrigue. Again much of the music has that
static quality as it accompanies James Mason, the nonchalant Cicero,
as man with no loyalties, except to money, goes about his quiet,
furtive way, with unruffled nerve photographing secret documents
(brilliantly suggested in 'Alone' and 'The Film') to sell to the
Nazis. That is not to say that this score has no thrills; 'Departure'
and 'The Pursuit' have plenty of tension especially as Cicero
is followed through the streets of Ankara by the British Military
Police. Once more we have romantic music of disillusion for Herrmann
soon makes it clear that Cicero's accomplice (Danielle Darrieaux)
will inevitably betray the betrayer. 'The Old Street' exotically
orchestrated is very atmospheric too.
One of the chief interests in the 5 Fingers
score is that it pre-echoes so much of Herrmann's work for future
Hitchcock thrillers especially Psycho and Vertigo
and North by Northwest
Lesser-known scores from Herrmann requiring
some work from the listener but the rewards are well worth it.
Snows of Kilimanjaro 
5 Fingers 
Ian Lace
