The 3 Worlds of Gulliver


Colosseum (4005939616229)
Varèse Sarabande (0030206616224)
Movie | Release date: 03/01/2001 | Film release: 1960 | Format: CD, Download
 

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# Track   Duration
1.Overture1:56
2.Minuetto1:39
3.The Lovers0:48
4.Trio Refrain0:26
5.The Old House0:55
6.The Ship0:48
7.The Storm0:45
8.The Lilliputians1:38
9.The Duel1:17
10.The King's March1:32
11.The Clouds0:37
12.The Trees1:36
13.A Hatful of Fish1:10
14.The Oath0:57
15.The Castle0:47
16.The Tightrope2:40
17.The Prison1:02
18.The Fight0:44
19.War March1:05
20.Naval Battle1:29
21.The Fire1:38
22.Escape0:44
23.The Beach1:15
24.The Shadow1:53
25.Reunion1:27
26.Duo2:21
27.The Wedding0:19
28.Nocturne1:18
29.The Woodland1:13
30.The Squirrel1:48
31.The Chess Game1:59
32.Alchemy1:29
33.The Girls0:43
34.The Crocodile1:53
35.Pursuit4:49
36.Happiness0:41
37.Finale0:51
 50:12
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The 3 Worlds of Gulliver - 08/10 - Review of Tom Daish, submitted at
In contrast to the more bizarre orchestral setups Herrmann employed for his other Harryhausen efforts, 3 Worlds of Gulliver is fairly standard, although the music is often far from typical Herrmann. Bernard Herrmann had a great interest in the music of the 18th century, but rarely used the idiom in any of his film scores. However, here he is able to create minuets, trios and other classical dance standards. The Overture is a bristling British march that sounds (to me) like super charged Handel on a grand scale, but with enough wit to avoid it becoming too pompous.

The first half of the album amounts to a charming selection of little dances; balletic scherzos and toy marches all perfect for the diminutive Lilliputians. The tone is light (aside from the more ominous tones of The Ship and The Storm), witty and very inventive. Several are based on the Overture melody, or derivations thereof, but Herrmann comes up with many interrelated melodies so each track has its own strong identity, even if it lasts for less than a minute (as many of the tracks do). However the alchemy of his composition means that although differing in styles, the album doesn't feel too disjointed.

The latter half of the score is considerably more typical and somewhat less appealing. After the lightness of Escape, The Beach is a sombre, albeit brief elegy which is followed by much lower orchestral textures, obviously done in complete contrast to the music for the Lilliputians. The tempo slows considerably with tracks such as The Shadow being more of a dirge than anything else. On the other hand there are some more romantic and beautiful moments such as the gorgeous Duo, Nocturne and The Woodland. The cheerful Happiness and a brief reprise of the Overture march close out the score, although after the darker tones of Pursuit, it all seems a fraction on the abrupt side.

Once again, Herrmann's ability to craft scores with more imagination than would likely be produced today is abundant. The wealth of invention Herrmann conjured up gives his scores is considerable and something unfortunately all but absent so often these days. The only precedent I can think of for the earlier tracks is his Currier and Ives suite; Herrmann rarely wrote anything too light hearted, but evidently Harryhausen struck a chord with his lighter side in this case. Joel McNeely conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in a typically splendid performance.

Other releases of The 3 Worlds of Gulliver (1960):

3 Worlds of Gulliver, The (1981)
Mysterious Film World of Bernard Herrmann, The (1975)
3 Worlds of Gulliver, The (1993)
3 Worlds of Gulliver, The (1985)
3 Worlds of Gulliver, The (2011)
Mysterious Film World Of Bernard Herrmann, The (1976)
Musiques de Films de Bernard Herrmann, Les (1984)
3 Worlds Of Gulliver, The (1961)


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