January 12, 2012

  • Best of 2011: Compilation Film Music Releases

    The realm of compilation releases continues to flourish, more so as downloaded albums than hard-copy discs as labels discover cheaper ways of delivering smaller amounts of music to fans.  Silva especially has managed to find many ways to revisit its extensive back catalogue and it has a yearbook compilation download that features highlights of the music for a given year.  Both their Film Music 2010 and Film Music 2011 appeared as downloads last year.  This particular category will be changed by the downloads reviewed here no doubt in the coming year.

     

    There were some fine releases though worth tracking down.  Chandos’ film music surveys brought to light the work of Brian Easdale (The Red Shoes) in yet another gorgeous display of recording and fine film music surveys of a singular composer.  From Oehms classics, there was a quirky chamber orchestra collection of film music, Cinema Concertante, that featured arrangements from the Kurpfalzisches Chamber Orchestra’s popular concerts of film music.  Carl Davis released a special set of musical suites from his film music on his own label, Heroines in Music.  And Delos continued its reissue of classic Shostakovich film music with a fine collection that included The Golden Age as well as a couple of animated scores by the composer.  Silva also put out a number of compilations that continue to surprise and feature a fine variety of music.  Their second Zimmer volume was a fine follow-up to an earlier collection.  The release of music from Steve Jablonsky’s work on the reboot of Transformers provides a fine overview of that music.  The really fun highlight was a new Michel Legrand release from his work with the Moscow Virtuosi that is filled with great music.

     

      Best Compilation Releases of 2011   

    The Film Music of Brian Easdale – Brian Easdale (Chandos)

    Cinema Concertante – Various composers (Oehms Classics)

    Film Music of Hans Zimmer, vol. 2 – Hans Zimmer (Silva)

    Heroines in Music – Carl Davis (Carl Davis Collection)

    Music from the films (Volume 5) THE GOLDEN AGE, THE SILLY LITTLE MOUSE, ADVENTURES OF KORZINKINA, and TALE OF THE PRIEST – Dmitri Shostakovich (Delos)

    The Music of Michel Legrand – Michel Legrand (Silva)

    Music from the Transformers Trilogy – Steve Jablonsky (Silva)