Note

RAISE THq TITANIC was filmed in 1980, and although expensively mounted, at an estimated S40 Million, the production retrieved only $7 Million in receipts on its initial release. The dismal box-office response, fuelled by universally poor critical reaction, seems justified; the film, despite being ambitious and professional, failed to ignite the explosive

However, composer JOHN BARRY's elegant music for RAISE THE TITANIC has cruised on to plaudits and kudos, his musical score recognised as a prime example of the film composer's art.



OVER THE PAST 19 YEARS RAISE THE TITANIC HAS NOT ONLY BEEN ONE OF THE "MOST REQUESTED" OF JOHN BARRY'S UNRECORDED SCORES BUT ONE OF THE MOST REQUESTED SCORES OF ALL TIME!



All 50 Minutes of the Score has been Reconstructed & Orchestrated and Conducted by NIC RAINE

The accepted John Barry "expert" having worked as Barry's arranger and orchestrator for the past

15 years and having conducted 4 Albums of Barry's Music for SILVA SCREEN



Jerrry Jameson's long and dull adaptation of Clive Cussler's best-selling novel featured silly plotting and laughable dialogue, and didn't benefit from the removal of ten minutes of footage prior to its release. An implausible Cold War thriller attached to the largest salvage operation of all time, Raise The Titanic was a colossal flop despite excellent special effects during the films climatic sequences. That it is still being talked about some twenty years after its release is entirely down to John Barry.

Raise The Titanic has consistently been cited by film music enthusiasts as one of the most popular scores deserving a commercial soundtrack release. Sadly, the original soundtrack recording has been 'mislaid', but Silva Screen Records have stepped in and produced a new digital re-recording of the complete score. The twenty-year wait is over! Thankfully, Silva Screen have been entirely successful in their efforts. Nic Raine has accurately re-constructed the score without putting a foot wrong. His direction of the City of Prague Philharmonic is also uniformly excellent, the performance enhanced by a recording that is sympathetic to the particular dynamics of Barry's music. The sound is rich, full and warm throughout. The popularity of the score no doubt results from its melancholic, hypnotic and repetitive qualities. Barry's main theme, for the ship itself ('Prelude', 'Raise the Titanic', 'End Titles'), is a proud and noble statement, underlining the historic achievement of the ships construction. A secondary theme ('All That's Left') evokes the people of Titanic with a nostalgic hue and is particularly moving in 'Memories of Titanic', where the theme is carried by saxophone over a harrowing waltz-like piano motif, before moving into a elegiac trumpet solo. Barry often uses waltz-like patterns in the score, perhaps most effectively in 'Gene Explores the Titanic', another bittersweet moment. The centrepiece of the score however, is a melancholic repetitive motif, first heard in the 'Main Title', and often used during the underwater sequences ('The Smoke Stack', 'The Titanic Uncovered'). This 'requiem to the lost', often carried by intensely moving strings, is one of Barry's most effective compositions. There are other themes too including a pensive 'conspiracy' theme ('The Sicilian Project') and a brief nod to the films absurd Cold War element ('Russian Threat').

Overall this is an extremely well produced, and thoroughly listenable representation of one of Barry's finest scores with accurate interpretation, smooth performance, and sumptuous sound. Classy CD presentation includes superb notes from David Wishart which feature a cue by cue synopsis of both film and score. It was worth the wait.

PAUL PLACE - MUSIC FROM THE MOVIES