CLASSIC Biblical Trifecta Miklos Rozsa which score is the best? No 4K for Ben Hur? (1 Viewer)

[David_B_K]

I have THIS VERSION of the scores to Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis, conducted by Rozsa. I originally bought these on LP back in the 70's, and they have great sound. The main title of Ben-Hur begins with the brass fanfare like in the film (the MGM soundtrack had a different beginning).

 

[RobertMG]

I have THIS VERSION of the scores to Ben-Hur and Quo Vadis, conducted by Rozsa. I originally bought these on LP back in the 70's, and they have great sound. The main title of Ben-Hur begins with the brass fanfare like in the film (the MGM soundtrack had a different beginning).

He was the KING of scoring Biblical epics! I am so thrilled to be FB friends with his daughter Juliet Rozsa when I refer to him I call him "The Maestro." His score for King Of Kings was Golden Globe nominated and should been another Oscar nod - it is a sweet, inspiring, bold, heartbreaking score, too his scoring for the miracle scenes is stunning. I find Ben Hur a massive work but KOK is my favorite and the main title theme is a masterpiece. And then he could score Ivanhoe and Plymouth Adventure - amazing talent.

 

[cinemel1]

Rozsa’s trifecta of Ben-Hur, King of Kings & Quo Vadis Are 3 of the greatest film scores ever. Ben-Hur’s multiplicity of themes beautifully interwoven throughout the film is a miracle. KofK is a close second. Quo Vadis was the first of these that I saw in a store in it’s 10” LP version. I wanted to kick myself that I didn’t buy it then. A few years later I did buy the 12” LP with dialog excerpts. A big disappointment that the score wasn’t highlighted on that LP. My LP of that is is poor condition but the cover is great. How wonderful was it that Ben & KofK came in boxes with the souvenir book!

 

[richardburton84]

Rozsa’s trifecta of Ben-Hur, King of Kings & Quo Vadis Are 3 of the greatest film scores ever. Ben-Hur’s multiplicity of themes beautifully interwoven throughout the film is a miracle. KofK is a close second. Quo Vadis was the first of these that I saw in a store in it’s 10” LP version. I wanted to kick myself that I didn’t buy it then. A few years later I did buy the 12” LP with dialog excerpts. A big disappointment that the score wasn’t highlighted on that LP. My LP of that is is poor condition but the cover is great. How wonderful was it that Ben & KofK came in boxes with the souvenir book!

As far as Quo Vadis is concerned, the score was mixed very low in the sound mix, presumably at the request of producer Sam Zimbalist, preventing the score from making a bigger impression, so I would imagine that dialogue excerpts LP is much the same. It’s possible Ben-Hur might have suffered from this type of mixing had Zimbalist lived to see the film through to post-production.

 

[RobertMG]

Rozsa’s trifecta of Ben-Hur, King of Kings & Quo Vadis Are 3 of the greatest film scores ever. Ben-Hur’s multiplicity of themes beautifully interwoven throughout the film is a miracle. KofK is a close second. Quo Vadis was the first of these that I saw in a store in it’s 10” LP version. I wanted to kick myself that I didn’t buy it then. A few years later I did buy the 12” LP with dialog excerpts. A big disappointment that the score wasn’t highlighted on that LP. My LP of that is is poor condition but the cover is great. How wonderful was it that Ben & KofK came in boxes with the souvenir book!

Spot on - I like the MGM orchestra heard a clip from the 1960 Oscars when he got the Ben Hur Oscar and they play some music from Ben Hur I think the opening theme and Rozsa says praise of the musicians and said some are here tonight the music here

 

[uncledougie]

And taking a quick detour between Ben-Hur and King of Kings and Sodom and Gomorrah, Rozsa wrote a little score for El Cid, which isn’t a biblical picture but certainly had religious overtones. What an astonishing talent!

 

[richardburton84]

And taking a quick detour between Ben-Hur and King of Kings and Sodom and Gomorrah, Rozsa wrote a little score for El Cid, which isn’t a biblical picture but certainly had religious overtones. What an astonishing talent!

One of my favorite Rózsa scores outside of the Biblical epics with possibly my favorite Rózsa love theme. It’s a shame that the original recording seemingly hasn’t survived, but the Tadlow recording with music that got dialed out of the film is more than ample compensation.