MARIO BERTOLAZZI
Terza Ipotesi / La Padrina   Beat 54 (Italy) 19.99
(77:19)  First thriller (murderer caught in photograph) has jazzy score
for small orchestra of organ, piano, dissonant strings and
upbeat drums (37:28).  Second thriller (Mafia/gangsters) has more
melodic, breezy music.  Somewhat sweet, somewhat jazzy,
somewhat mono-thematic (39:51).

ROBERT COBERT
The Night Stalker And Other Classic Themes   Varese 66156   15.99
   -Night Stalker/Night Strangler/Dead Of Night/Burnt Offerings/
    Strange Case Of Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde/Trilogy Of Terror/
    Curse Of The Black Widow/Dark Shadows/etc-
(76:40)  Lengthy collection of orchestral music for productions by Dan
Curtis.  Includes generous suites from Night Stalker,
Night Strangler, Trilogy of Terror, Burnt Offerings, Curse of the Black
Widow, Dark Shadows and others.  Music from
Dracula (1974) a haunting, moody highlight.

JERRY GOLDSMITH
First Blood   Varese 66155   15.99
Straight reissue of original Intrada CD.

LALLO GORI
Inginocchiati Straniero... / Con Lui Cavalca La Morte    Beat 56 (Italy)

19.99
(76:30)  First western (revenge in small Mexican border town) gets music

typical of the genre, but with a twist.  Customary
trumpet, guitars, percussion over contemporary, urban pulse (48:14).
Second western (Pony Express agent vs.corrupt
politician) gets more traditional Italian western music.  Emphasis on
lively themes, open atmosphere (28:16).

Ritornano Quelli Della Calibro 38 / Il Commissario Di Ferro  Beat 55
(Italy) 19.99
(71:34)  First thriller (police inspector vs. gangsters with hostages)
has jazz-flavored score (38:31) with electronics to imitate
trumpet, trombone, etc.  Second thriller (police brutality/kidnapping)
has similar style (33:02) but is shorter.

TREVOR JONES / RANDY EDELMAN
The Last Of The Mohicans   Varese 66161   13.99
(45:26)  Bingo!!  Varese nails this top nineties film score with
sensational new recording by Joel McNeely and Royal Scottish
National Orchestra.  Doing the impossible they "improve" on original
soundtrack with powerful playing, detailed sound, correct
sequencing.  "Hawkeye" theme one of the most impressive, sweeping ever.
Grab this one!

JOSEPH LoDUCA
Hercules Volume 4   Varese 66183   15.99
(58:46)  Two thirds of a great album.  Initially, it's exciting
orchestral music emphasizing action and color.  Final portion
includes vocals, pop music, odd stuff.

HUGO MONTENEGRO / DAVID ROSE
The Undefeated / Hombre    FSM  24.99
(72:33)  First western (John Wayne/Rock Hudson/Civil War/bandits) gets
rousing, action-filled score (47:33).  Powerful
"processional" theme, emphasizing brass and tympani, a standout.  Second

western (Paul Newman/stagecoach in
desert/bandits) gets sparse, somber score emphasizing strings,
woodwinds.  Dry, harmonically-complex (21:30).  Both scores
in stereo from original Fox session masters.

MIKLOS ROZSA
Ben-Hur: The Essential Miklos Rozsa   Silva 1117 (2 CD set) 20.99
  (Cond Bateman/Raine) -Providence/Beau Brummell/El Cid/
   Thief Of Bagdad/Quo Vadis/Sodom & Gomorrah/etc-
(103:52)  Epic scores trimmed down to suites have okay performances by
City of Prague Philharmonic.  Many previously
available on earlier Silva collections.  Has: Ben-Hur, El Cid, Quo
Vadis, Sodom & Gomorrah, Thief of Bagdad, All the
Brothers Were Valiant, King of Kings, Providence, Golden Voyage of
Sinbad, Madame Bovary, Beau Brummell, Spellbound.

VARIOUS
Cosmos  COLCD 6293 (Vangelis/Vivaldi/Stravinsky/etc) 14.99
Reissue of RCA CD and LP of the music to Carl Sagan's famous PBS
series.  Good collection of classical and contemporary
music with Vangelis' haunting "Heaven And Hell" serving as the main
title theme.

FILM SCORE MONTHLY Vol 5 #6 (July 00)  4.95
  -Summer Movie Roundup/David Newman (Nutty Professor 2)/
    King Of The Hill/Film Music Agents Part 3/etc-