Just one of our rare SOUNDTRACK recordings...
Home  |  News  |  Shop by Category  |  Interviews  |  Gallery  |  Fun  |  Links  |  International  |  Contact
 
SOUNDTRACK
 
 
Hangover Square and 5 Fingers by Bernard Herrmann

Kritzerland is proud to present a new limited edition soundtrack release – two classic Bernard Herrmann soundtracks on one CD:

HANGOVER SQUARE – EXPANDED EDITION

and

5 FINGERS

Music Composed and Conducted by Bernard Herrmann

Sometimes a movie comes along in which all the elements align perfectly – cast, writer, director, photography, art direction, costumes, and music – and the result is often a unique film that works on every level, and the 1945 film Hangover Square is a perfect example.  The cast was perfection, with Laird Cregar as composer/pianist George Henry Bone, beautiful and talented Linda Darnell and the always-wonderful George Sanders.  In a film in which a musical composition also plays a leading role, the choice of composer is key to the film’s success.  In this case, the match was sublime – Bernard Herrmann. 

For Hangover Square, Herrmann’s task was to compose George Henry Bone’s piano concerto. The resulting “Concerto Macabre” is a tour de force – the concerto had to accomplish many things, including beginning and ending with just piano, but it also had to portray the mind of its on-screen composer and his descent into madness.  But the concerto is but one piece of Herrmann’s musical tapestry in Hangover Square, and the rest of the score is as evocative and brilliant as the concerto. 

5 Fingers was a 1952 spy picture directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz.   Bernard Herrmann
was once again the perfect choice for the film.  His score conveys every bit of suspense and emotion, from the dramatic main title, to the jittery music for “Cicero,” to the brief-but-beautiful cue “Romance,” to the exciting music for “Escape.”  Much of the score almost seems like a preview of what Herrmann would go on to compose for his legendary series of films with director Alfred Hitchcock.  It’s a world-class score by a world-class composer.

Both 5 Fingers and Hangover Square were released in the Bernard Herrmann at Fox box set on Varese Sarabande.  For that release, Hangover Square was a much-truncated presentation.  But thanks to advances in technology and a couple of new sources we present it here with over sixteen additional minutes of music, and what music it is.  While the source material for 5 Fingers was in excellent condition, the sources used for Hangover Square were not in as prime condition.  Everything possible has been done to clean them up, but the music is so important we wanted to include every note we could.  For this CD, Mike Matessino has gone back to the 5 Fingers elements and done a fresh new transfer, which sounds absolutely stunning, and he’s done the same for Hangover Square.

Hangover Square/5 Fingers is limited to 1000 copies only and is priced at $19.98, plus shipping.   CDs will ship by the last week of September.  However, never fear – on average we usually ship two to four weeks ahead of the official ship date. 

 

 

(Click on cover for enlarged version)

• Click on titles below to hear a song sample:

HANGOVER SQUARE
Main Title/
Fulham Waltz and The Dealer*
Murder and Fire
Confession*
The Clock and The Knife*
Barbara*
So Close to Paradise (Lionel Newman)*
The Spell
The Murder
Fame and Anger*
Second Spell*
The Cat and Netta’s Death*
The Bonfire
Recovery and The Invitation*
Concerto Macabre: First Movement
Concerto Macabre: Second Movement
Coda
Concerto Macabre: The Lost Movement
*Previously unreleased

5 FINGERS
Prelude
Cicero
The Embassy
The Film
The Old Street
German Embassy/Berlin
The Safe
Dreams
Five Weeks
The Trap/The House
Romance
Departure
Alone
The Charwoman
Escape
The Pursuit
The Boat
Rio
Finale



 
This selection is SOLD OUT.
Barcode: 857252003019 | Selection: 20030-1  
 
Home  |  News  |  Shop by Category  |  Interviews  |  Gallery  |  Fun  |  Links  |  International  |  Contact