Hocus Pocus & The Miracle

2 New Intrada releases

Intrada has released two new titles. The first is John Debney's complete score to the Disney fantasy film Hocus Pocus and the second one is Elmer Berstein's score to the Miracle.

Composer James Horner was originally hired to score Hocus Pocus, writing “Garden of Magic” before production, since Sarah Jessica Parker needed to sing it on camera, but Horner couldn’t stay on to write the whole score. The sessions at Todd-AO studios were already booked, and composer John Debney had a mere two weeks to write the entire score before taking the podium. He conducted a 92-piece orchestra and a female choir during the first week of June 1993. The result is a colorful romp that soundtrack collectors have been seeking for 20 years. For the witches, Debney knew it had to be a triplet feeling...'I guess because I was influenced by Witches of Eastwick. I wanted it to be in a minor key, and I knew it would be fun to be a little Elfmanesque. ‘The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’ is in there too...' He also wrote a budding love theme for Max and Allison and a brother/sister theme.

For this release, Intrada was given access to the original 48-track digital scoring session elements vaulted at the Disney studios.

HOCUS POCUS

01. Main Title 1:29
02. Garden Of Magic/Thackery Follows Emily 2:25
03. Witches' Lair 5:41
04. To The Stake 0:25
05. Death To The Witches 1:10
06. Meeting Allison 2:02
07. Max Loses Shoes 0:35
08. Hallowe'en 1:10
09. Max And Dani 1:20
10. Divertimento #17 In D, K. 334 (Mozart) 3:42
11. To The Witches' House We Go 2:23
12. The Black Candle 2:22
13. Witches On A Rampage 4:24
14. Graveyard Attack 3:54
15. The Calming Circle 3:00
16. The Master 0:15
17. Fingers 1:08
18. Springing The Trap 4:37
19. Winnie's Lament 3:05
20. Witches Flight 3:15
21. Sarah's Theme 2:08
22. Max Fools The Witches 2:57
23. Winnie Catches Up 0:47
24. Billy Speaks 1:30
25. Witches Capture Dani 4:52
26. Witches Demise/Resurrection 4:50
27. End Credits 3:10 Hear This Track

The Extras

28. Witches' Lair Pt. 3 (Original Version) 0:29
29. Witches Take Dani (Alternate) 1:33
30. Winnie Catches Up (Alternate) 0:37
31. String Tremolo 0:19
32. End Credits (Alternate) 1:50

The Miracle was one of the most ambitious and significant scores of Bernstein’s early career. The composer acknowledged its importance when, responding to numerous fan requests, he chose it as the first of his own scores to re-record for his pioneering Film Music Collection in 1974. That LP featured about 27 minutes of the score. But until now, the original tracks from Bernstein's score have never been available. In an article for his Film Music Notebook, Bernstein explained: “The score for The Miracle was composed in the late fifties and represents the conclusion of the lessons learned during my apprenticeship with C.B. DeMille on the religious spectacular. In fact, The Miracle represents the last score I did in this particular style as it is the last film I scored with a religious theme.”

The early 19th-century setting and the Spanish locale provided new opportunities for Bernstein. “The style of the music is somewhat reminiscent of The Ten Commandments,” he wrote. “The sound is ‘big’ in the old sense. The [musical] ‘mise-en-scène’ is romantic-symphonic. The score differs from The Ten Commandments in that The Miracle is considerably more romantic and the fact that the period is early 19th century provides a freedom of expression one does not enjoy in a biblical context.” This will hit the listener right way, when the principal theme is introduced during the main title in a lush, romantic setting.

This premiere release of Bernstein’s score on this 2-CD set for The Miracle was mixed and mastered from monaural dubs of the orchestral and vocal tracks archived at Warner Bros. originally on ¼˝ tapes, transferred to 2˝ as part of a preservation project in the 1990s.

The Miracle started in the Middle Ages with a 13th-century Spanish legend: a nun leaves the convent to pursue earthly temptations while a statue of the Virgin Mary comes to life and takes her place until she— transformed into a sorrowful penitent—returns.

THE MIRACLE

CD 1

01. Main Title 2:19
02. At First Sight 2:34
03. Aftermath 1:29
04. Infirmary 3:02
05. Un Momento 2:46
06. Convalescence 1:52
07. Stolen Fruit 1:35
08. Departure/Decision/Flight/French Attack 12:09
09. Musical Watch/Death News 1:12
10. Christian Gypsy/Proposal 2:41
11. A Woman for Carlitos/Michael’s Return 0:48
12. Betrayal/Guido Dead 4:41

CD 1 Total Time: 37:32

CD 2

01. Madrid 2:18
02. With Your Permission/The Painting 1:02
03. Casimir Exits 0:59
04. Teresa and Cordoba 1:53
05. Hail the Matador/The Bull 0:52
06. Cordoba’s Death 1:58
07. La Morena Gitana 0:58
08. Reunion 3:14
09. Toast to Victory/Waltz 3:30
10. Forgotten Vows 3:19
11. Bugles/Action 1:12
12. Waterloo/Teresa Departs/The Journey/Arrival at Convent/Madonna Returns 11:35
13. Gratitude 0:55
14. Ave Verum Corpus (Mozart, arr. Bernstein)/End Title 2:47

The Extras

15. French Attack (alternate) 3:11
16. A Woman for Carlitos/Michael’s Return (Film Version, No Vocal) 0:48
17. Gratitude (alternate) 0:57
18. Oh Maria, Madre Mia (Traditional, arr. Bernstein) 3:05
19. Salve Virgen Pura (Unknown, arr. Bernstein) 2:28
20. British Grenadiers (Unknown, arr. Bernstein) 0:57
21. Auld Lang Syne (Traditional, arr. Bernstein) 1:09
22. La Boca de Pepita (Unknown, arr. Bernstein) 2:03
23. Cancion de Maja (Unknown, arr. Bernstein) 2:09
24. Muineira (Unknown, arr. Bernstein) 0:49
25. Adoramus Te (Palestrina, arr. Bernstein) 2:07

CD 2 Total Time: 57:17
Total Time: 94:49

More info at: www.intrada.com