Funeral in Berlin & Mandingo/Plaza Suite

New releases Intrada

Intrada has released this week 2 new soundtracks with scores written by Konrad Elfers and Maurice Jarre. The first score is Funeral in Berlin from composer Konrad Elfers. Expanded original soundtrack by Konrad Elfers for second Harry Palmer film begun with The Ipcress File, again starring Michael Caine, this time directed by Guy Hamilton of Goldfinger fame. Palmer becomes snarled in espionage tale set in cold war Berlin, with questionable motives of Russian colonel, Israeli agent with questionable motives of her own, pursuit of operative using funeral services as cover for defections from Soviet Union through Berlin, other intrigues all ripe for dramatic musical underlining. German pianist/composer Konrad Elfers supplies sometimes intense, sometimes brooding score which anchors with memorable funeral march heard in many guises: brass-led, robust, subtle, dissonant, imposing. In contrast, beautiful love theme plays courtesy piano, strings, solo sax. Action has its say with brassy figures, percussion riffs, distinctive piano chords. Entire score melds classical, jazz, modernistic technique into superb 1960's spy-flavored work of art. All tracks of original 1966 RCA stereo soundtrack album appear, newly mixed from 1/2' three-channel masters. Exciting, previously unreleased original pre-title sequence ('Berlin'), second version of 'Tension Among Mortuary Men - Reprise') amongst cool extras. Original album opening track ('Theme From Funeral In Berlin') performed by The Puppets starts CD as well. Insightful liner notes by Jeff Bond, flipper cover design by Joe Sikoryak featuring original RCA cover art plus new art round out neat package. Konrad Elfers conducts. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!

Track list

1. Theme From Funeral in Berlin (1:53)
2. Funeral in Berlin (Main Theme) (2:43)
3. Palmer and Jane (1:46)
4. Checkpoint Charlie/Palmer Arrested (3:33)
5. Palmer Meets Samantha (2:19)
6. Skating Rendezvous at the Europa Centre (1:33)
7. Samantha, The Truce (0:59)
8. Tension Among Mortuary Men (1:41)
9. The Berlin Scene (1:20)
10. The Funeral (2:31)
11. Fate of Two Pawns (2:14)
12. Two Sides of the Wall (2:11)
13. Love in the Western Sector (2:59)
14. Hallam and Vulkan, Violence in the Western Sector (2:31)
15. Palmer Finds the Late Aaron (2:15)
16. Violence in the Eastern Sector (2:24)
17. Funeral in Berlin (Main Theme), Reprise (1:11)

The Extras
18. Berlin (0:38)
19. Tension Among Mortuary Men, Reprise (2:17)
20. Landing/The Widow/The Documents (1:21)
21. Berlin Hilton (1:38)

The second release are 2 scores by Maurice Jarre, Mandingo and Plaza Suite.Two previously unreleased Paramount film soundtracks on one CD! Anchoring is 44-minute score from Mandingo, vivid adaptation of Kyle Onstott tale of Southern slavery, directed by Richard Fleischer, starring James Mason, Perry King, Ken Norton, Susan George. Dino Delaurentiis produces film after earlier attempts by others fail, then works with screenwriter Norman Wexler to ensure novel's potent violence, sex, sadism arrive intact on screen. Maurice Jarre tackles challenging assignment, brings melodic gifts to fore, then adds colors of banjo, dissonant strings, primitive percussion, other disturbing ideas to create unsettling feel for lurid plantation life. Contrasting styles provide considerable depth. Score also features Muddy Waters vocal ('Born In This Time'), used in film at Jarre's request, who draws upon melody/countermelody of song throughout his orchestral score. Presented from 2' 16-track stereo session masters housed in Paramount vaults. Second score finds Jarre in still-melodic but now breezier, jazz-like mode for Neil Simon's Plaza Suite, directed by Arthur Hiller, featuring Walter Matthau, Maureen Stapleton, Lee Grant. Brief score melds both warm humor, light drama into one cohesive musical showcase of composer's tuneful talent. Lukas Kendall helms album assembly, John Takis provides detailed liner notes, Joe Sikoryak provides colorful graphic design. Maurice Jarre conducts both scores. Intrada Special Collection CD available while quantities and interest remain!

Mandingo
1. Born in This Time (Muddy Waters, vocal) (3:26)
2. The Dinner Table/Pearl’s Bath/Reading Lesson (5:28)
3. Meet Mr. Wallace (1:15)
4. Ellen’s Seduction (1:53)
5. First Meeting No. 1/First Meeting No. 2 (1:22)
6. Wedding Day (2:08)
7. Blanche Comes Home (2:33)
8. Display of Strength (2:23)
9. Blanche’s Problems (3:04)
10. Ellen Pleads (3:45)
11. After Cicero’s Hanging/Sickness (1:59)
12. The Fight (1:06)
13. The Earrings (0:48)
14. A Gift for Blanche (1:11)
15. To the Market (Muddy Waters, vocal) (1:27)
16. Prelude to the Love Scene (1:22)
17. Blanche and Mede (4:31)
18. Ellen Is Jealous (1:25)
19. Death Potion (1:18)
20. End Credits (Muddy Waters, vocal) (1:35)
21. Brothel Baby (2:20)
22. Pearl’s Bath (original version) (2:17)
23. Meet Mr. Wallace (original version) (0:56)

Plaza Suite
24. Main Title (Theme From Plaza Suite) (2:31)
25. Theme IV (Theme From Plaza Suite) (0:51)
26. Exit Sam—Enter Jesse (1:58)
27. Exit Jesse—Enter Hubley and Wedding March (2:25)
28. Baroque Room Waltz (1:19)
29. Finale & Bows (Theme From Plaza Suite) (2:43)