The River (Expanded)
Added on Tuesday, May 05, 2020 Posted by Philippe Mouchon
Intrada announces its latest collabration with Universal Studios and UMe with the release of John Williams' Oscar-nominated score to the 1984 film The River. The film marked Williams' fourth collaboration with director Mark Rydell, having previously worked together on The Reivers, The Cowboys, and Cinderella Liberty. Released on LP by MCA Records concurrent with the film's theatrical release, the album was a strong presentation of the score, feauturing selections that were recorded specifically for the album. Nearly half of the soundtrack features rearranged or expanded versions of their film counterparts. As with Intrada's release of Monsignor, this new CD opens with the original remastered MCA program followed by the entire film score, including alternates, and is produced by Mike Matessino.
Expanded release of long out-of-print John Williams classic! Mel Gibson, Sissy Spacek, Scott Glenn star, Vilmos Zsigmond photographs, John Williams composes Oscar-nominated Americana score for Mark Rydell’s dramatic farming crisis film from Universal.
Williams reunites with director Rydell, who successfully teamed on earlier pictures The Reivers, The Cowboys and Cinderella Liberty, each offering different musical takes on the subject of Americana. Williams provides beautifully languid yet sadly-toned main theme, typically featuring solo trumpet, to anchor tale of economic collapse of family farming industry in Tennessee during the early 1980’s that saw many farmers forced to seek employment in steel factories, pitting them in opposition to striking mill workers.
Williams keeps overall grim realism in focus but finds ample opportunity to fashion bright, energetic ideas encapsulating spirit of determination that Rydell spotlights through struggles to survive of Tom and Mae Garvey’s farming family, played by Gibson and Spacek.
Williams highlights several key sequences depicting the challenges portrayed but towering above all is surging, powerful “The Ancestral Home” sequence underlining and in many ways carrying climactic scene of desperate families uniting to fashion large dam built from sandbags to stem tide of rapidly rising flood waters of the titular river.
Here, Williams begins with major-key motif that gradually builds thematically into massive orchestral crescendo, much in mannerism of his legendary “Leaving Home” music from 1978’s Superman The Movie.
Hearing the epic peroration of this four-and-a-half minute piece, landing at its peak with Williams’ signature leading tone cadence, is a scoring highlight! MCA Records released a strong 37-minute album in 1984 of musical highlights featuring meld of original soundtrack recordings and newly recorded adaptations by Williams of his film cues.
Special Intrada presentation includes re-mastered release of that classic album, plus world premiere release of full original soundtrack recording, boasting some 20 minutes of previously unreleased material. Entire project, courtesy Universal Pictures and Geffen Records/UMG Recordings, was produced by Mike Matessino from pristine masters.
Matessino also contributes literate notes for dramatic booklet designed by Kay Marshall. Score recorded in August and September 1984 by Dan Wallin. John Williams composes, conducts.
THE RIVER
Music Composed and Conducted by JOHN WILLIAMS
Intrada Special Collection ISC 441
The River is a tribute to a vanishing America—the America of the
Independent Farm Family. -- Mark Rydell, director