The Black Stallion / The Black Stallion Returns


Prometheus Records (5400211001516)
Prometheus Records (5400211002513)
Movie | Released: 1979 | Format: CD
 

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# Track Artist/Composer Duration
The Black Stallion - Carmine Coppola
1.Theme from The Black Stallion Shirley Walker, Nyle Steiner, Bill Douglass2:33
2.The Island3:26
3.Cobra Death1:50
4.First Feeding Shirley Walker & Nyle Steiner2:13
5.The Black Stallion Shirley Walker & Nyle Steiner0:46
6.Playing Tag & Magnificent Horse Kenneth Nash & George Marsh2:36
7.The Legend1:15
8.Campfire1:03
9.The Ride Shirley Walker2:33
10.The Rescue Shirley Walker & Nyle Steiner3:55
11.Dad's Glove and Watch2:41
12.Chase Through Town2:21
13.In Training Dick Rosmini1:57
14.Henry1:52
15.Flash Back & Winner's Circle1:33
16.Reprise: Theme from The Black Stallion2:37
 
The Black Stallion Returns - Georges Delerue
17.Alec and the Black Stallion3:13
18.Stowaway on the Clipper2:11
19.Raj Comes Home3:36
20.Meslar: Desert Hero2:38
21.Race and Escape3:05
22.Together Again4:17
23.Shetahn to Casablanca1:31
24.Oasis Attack1:44
25.Finale: The Black Stallion Returns8:06
 65:31
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The Black Stallion / The Black Stallion Returns - 08/10 - Review of Tom Daish, submitted at (English)
Carmine Coppola is perhaps mostly associated with his music for The Godfather films, or rather the fact that he was brought in by his son (Francis Ford) to co-compose with the considerably more gifted Nino Rota. In fairness, Coppola's Snr's contributions weren't bad and his extra music for the second sequel (made after Rota had passed away) was often very good, even if none of it reached the iconic status of Rota's main themes. Evidently, the scoring for The Black Stallion was a rocky one where the director fell out with the original composer, Coppola scored the picture with help from Shirley Walker, but then some re-scoring was done, hence the complicated credits in the track listing.
Coppola's wistful main theme is, naturally enough, introduced in the first track, but makes only scant appearances after that. In fact, the album is quite divergent in style and thematic material. The earlier tracks are often minimalist percussion and woodwind that are less music and more atmosphere, even then, The Island (credited to four composers) honestly sounds more improvised than composed. The somewhat uninspiring tracks do give way to some more joyful orchestral cues such as the fairly bombastic The Ride with brass fanfares that seem a little over the top given the more subtle nature pervading much of the music. Even The Rescue doesn't exactly set the pulse racing and is more a background tension builder than action. A definite bright spot is the jaunty Chase Through Town, a perky scherzo for piano (performed by Shirley Walker) and orchestra, but even that changes tack at the end with a short John Barry style harmonica riff.

In Training which is performed by the composer for the track, Dick Rosmini, is another change in direction, containing solos for banjo and then a very pleasing acoustic guitar solo. Unfortunately, these abrupt changes in style diminish the overall impact of the score and while many individual tracks do generally leave a favourable impression, there's almost no unity and it often sounds as though it's been pulled from several different sources. Evidently the director felt that a particular style for a particular scene was more important than an overall musical direction.

The notes for The Black Stallion Returns are by the director, Robert Dulva and suggest a considerably more enjoyable collaboration - despite the problems of communicating - with much missed composer par excellence Georges Delerue. Delerue's music is, as you'd expect, considerably more expansive in style, the main theme is a good, if not classic melody for strings highlighted with a trumpet descant that does seem just a fraction ostentatious. Again, unlike the original, Delerue's action is much more sweeping and dramatic, Stowaway on the Clipper is a striking and dare I say it, stormy cue which turns heroic with a horn fanfare midway through. Delerue doesn't miss an opportunity to go a little melodramatic and the portentous brass chorale fanfare of Race and Escape do seem a little much for a family film, but the return of the gentle main theme on oboe midway through does give it the soul that Coppola and co-composers' effort generally seems to lack. The final rendition of the main theme at the end of the Finale is positively thrilling.

While The Black Stallion receives top billing by default, it is almost certainly Delerue's classy score for the sequel to which I will return more often. Had Coppola been allowed to compose the entire score, or at least in association with some of the other composers, it might have turned out a more appealing result. However, as it stands, it is definitely one that generally probably works better in context than on CD. Delerue's is delightful and no fan of his music will be disappointed with a generally sublime effort. The notes are informative and those from director Robert Dulva about Georges Delerue quite touching.


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