Jason And The Argonauts Soundtrack CD Bernard Herrmann

The world premiere recording of Bernard Herrmann's Jason and the Argonauts, one of the four films upon which Herrmann worked for Ray Harryhausen. Herrmann wrote some of his most impressive music for Harryhausen's fantasy films in the years from 1958 to 1963. Jason was the most extravagant in that Herrmann omitted strings and created a huge ensemble of brass, woodwind, percussion, and harps. The number of individual instruments required was tripled and in some cases quadrupled from that of the standard orchestra. The score contains several major set pieces, including the powerful prelude that opens the score with an heroic theme for Jason and his men and the mythological adventures in which they are about to partake. For the sequence with the giant statue Talos, Herrmann composed a massive, threatening sound for brass and percussion. He displayed his flair for using low woodwinds and an array of harps to bring the tormenting harpies to life. Highlighting the film is the spectacular climactic Hydra sequence and the subsequent battle between the Argonauts and an entire army of skeletons, culminating in a rousing "scherzo macabre." This sonically brilliant, new 20-bit digital recording conducted by Bruce Broughton and performed by the augmented Sinfonia of London presents a full hour of some of Herrmann's most impressive music.

01. Jason Prelude 1:54
02. The Prophecy/The Battle 3:31
03. River Bank 1:42
04. The Feast 0:59
05. The Oak Grove/The Ascension 1:50
06. Mount Olympus 0:30
07. The Olympic Games 1:14
08. Departure 2:11
09. Hera's Effigy 1:43
10. Argo 1:33
11. The Titans/The Chamber/The Door 2:51
12. Talos/The Boat/The Wreck 4:30
13. Hera Speaks 0:57
14. The Attack/Talos Heel/Talos Death 3:21
15. Sorrow/Hera's Warning 1:40
16. The Harpies 1:46
17. The Nets/The Rope/The Cage 2:32
18. Medea's Ship 1:31
19. Triton 2:25
20. Medea 1:59
21. Acastus And Jason Fight 1:17
22. Temple Dance 2:24
23. The Glade/The Golden Fleece 1:06
24. The Hydra/The Hydra Fight 4:15
25. The Stolen Fleece/The Teeth 2:18
26. The Path/The Cure 2:06
27. Hydra's Teeth/Skeletons/Attack 2:04
28. Scherzo Macabre 3:32
29. Finale 1:27