The Adventures of Robin Hood

After years of neglect, the true class and longevity of Erich Wolfgang Korngold's film music is evident in its increased programming in film music concerts and the inclusion of his non-film work in amongst concerts featuring music by the other great composers of his day. The scores that appear most frequently are undoubtedly The Sea Hawk and The Adventures of Robin Hood; both are equally superb as classic film scores, but the enduring appeal of the latter gives it the edge in popularity, even though it was first released such a long time ago that few could recall seeing it at the cinema first time around. Its cheerful simplicity seems quite naive these days, as does the incredible technicolour cinematography which gives all the costumes an almost disturbing garishness and outdoor scenery that appears to have been applied with a few coats of Dulux. In many ways, Korngold's music has dated too; its florid and complex style isn't in vogue any more and even those that ape it tone it down, although I suspect that's because few Hollywood composers these days are capable of writing something so intricate, yet note perfect.

Almost every Korngold compilation features something from Robin Hood, but this represents the first recording of the complete score by the accomplished trio of conductor William Stromberg, musicologist John Morgan and the musicians of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra. As a film, Robin Hood has all a composer could want for a colourful, dynamic score and of course Korngold delivers beyond wildest expectations. There is scintillating action that mirrors the agility of the performers onscreen, but without ever becoming disjointed or unmusical. It is astonishing to think that Korngold composed music that has such a miraculous synergy with the action by simply playing the film repeatedly and improvising along to it on the piano. The music seems frighteningly difficult when shared between dozens of orchestral players, but seemingly impossible to make up as one went along on the piano; I guess that would be the genius part of Korngold. Of course, not every frame is breathless action and there are a myriad of equally lovely interludes, from the swaggering March of the Merry Men - ostensibly the film's main theme - to the velvety romance music for Robin and Marian. Each mood and action is captured so perfectly in music that it simply plays as a ballet based on the story, the film is almost redundant to its own score.

The only album containing more than a brief suite from the score is the Kojian album on Varese Sarabande with the Utah Symphony Orchestra, which was limited in length as the selections were chosen to fit on an LP, but lacked nothing in technical prowess or faithfulness. Compared to this latest disc, Kojian offers a more lithe performance and in a change from usual, the Varese disc has a much cleaner, more upfront acoustic. By contrast, the Marco Polo recording has a more weighty sound which gives it a more beefy and richer sound as opposed to the much more incisive Kojian. I never imagined I'd be able to compare the quality of performance for multiple re-recordings, but in this case it's am embarrassment of riches. Of course, no Korngold fan should go without either disc as they both offer equally superb, but different takes on the same always sublime music. Overall, I suppose Marco Polo win on points due to the longer release and the typically extensive and detailed liner notes covering the making of the film, the conception of the score and a track by track analysis. Essential.