That's one of the things I always liked about this, my favourite movie of all time. The musical score is so appropriate and beautiful, mixing the exotic with the epic.
It's also clear, since I've been laid up sick and watching movies, that Legrand's score for the 1973/3 Three/Four Musketeers (also with Heston!) was influenced by this movie's score.
shareYeah, the music is great. This is only one of two Frank Cordell scores I've heard. The other is his oscar nominated score to "Cromwell" in 1970 which I don't understand at all how that got a nomination. Cordell should have recieved an oscar nomination for this score. But that's just me.
It is a great score though to a great movie.
This score is available on CD along with Cordell's score to Mosquito Squadron at Screen Archives Entertainment.
http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=3806
I, to, agree that the score is well-suited to the action and majestic sweep of the film. Surprising that the name Frank Cordell is not particularly well-known in the field of film score composers.
shareFrank Cordell was under used as a film composer. He only wrote a handful but they are all different and very interesting musically. I purchased years ago a cd of the soundtrack of Khartoum as well as my own particular favorite, the suite from the film Ring Of Bright Water which I always find inspirational. He was indeed a very gifted composer.
shareIt's a tragedy when true artists are under-appreciated but reading the Wiki page on him makes me wonder if the 'Cordell' surname is really a pseudonym or stage name.
shareAn awful lot of COrdell's approach and orchestration in this score reappears in John Williams score for Star Wars including the throne room music and the Tatooine music...
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I saw the movie when I was a kid, and it was showing in a "road show" screening, the way they used to do with big epics: reserved seating; intermission; a souvenir booklet with stills, cast biographies, making-of info, etc. When I saw in the darkened theater and heard the overture, I was wowed. I had to have the soundtrack LP for Christmas, and played it over and over. I was just starting to appreciate classical music, and saw the soundtrack as a great symphony. Since then, my musical tastes have gotten a little more savvy and sophisticated (I think) but yesterday I saw the movie on tv for the first time in decades, and maybe it was a sentimental reaction, but hearing the score again was thrilling.
shareAgreed & when I first saw the movie was taken by my mother, who bought me the booklet they used to sell with all epics. I kept them all for many years.
The score is ideal, and reminds me of Elgar, in parts, probably very much intentional.
This was a period of history when the British Empire was at its zenith.
Says something about this island people that we produced great men like Gordon, & a few others.
None similar around these days, worse luck.