Croatian cello virtuosos Luka Sulie and Stjepan Hauser celebrate their love of cinematic musical scores in 14 selections, accompanied by the London Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Robin Smith. Each score captures emotional vibes from its film ,and all are quite enjoyable listening. Choose any or many to add to the joyful listening in your program.
1. Djawadi: Medley from Game of Thrones, pungent and dramatic, captures the primitive energy, pageantry, and Celtic” passion of the popular TV program. (5:03)
2. Enya, Shore, Ryan: The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring: “May It Be” celebrates devotion and undying loyalty. (3:56)
3. Horner: Braveheart (1995): “For the Love of a Princess”reminds us of the love between William Wallace and his doomed bride, slain by vicious the English occupation in Scotland. (5:11)
4. Lai, Sigman: Love Story theme captures the idyllic aspects of the 1970 relationship between Jennifer and Oliver, romantic in spite of the non-sensical sentiment, “Love is never having to say you’re sorry.” (3:24)
5. Morricone: Cinema Paradiso from the 1988 movie has only fond nostalgia for the magic of motion pictures, culminating in the parade of classic screen embraces. (3:59)
6. Mancini, Mercer: “Moon River” from Breakfast at Tiffany’s, the 1961 romantic comedy with Audrey Hepburn and George Peppard, the story by Truman Capote, set in New York’s social set of ambitious Yuppies. (3:13)
7. Rota: The Godfather “Love Theme” introduces a sense of nostalgic romance into a saga of crime and clan vengeance. We recall Michael Corleone in Sicily, courting a local beauty who soon falls victim
to the family’s vendettas. (3:54)
8. Horner, Jennings: Titanic “My Heart Will Go On” recounts (in 1997) the disastrous maiden voyage of the ocean liner of 1912, as Jack and Rose engage in a powerfully dramatic romance on board the doomed vessel. (5:44)
9. Zimmer: Rain Man, the 1988 tale of two Sanford Brothers, one autistic, the other a selfish opportunist. The “Theme” opens the possibility of love between the two men, especially as Ray’s gifts come to the fore. (4:41)
10. Myers: “Cavatina” from The Deer Hunter (1978) recounts the tragedy in Vietnam, as a group of steelworkers must fight in and survive the War. The epic film finds little to justify the sacrifices and cruelties the men endure. (3:43)
11. Morricone: Malena Theme (2000) engages a love-struck teen in his
Quest after a Sicilian beauty, all on the day Italy enters WW II, 1940. (4:10)
12. Williams: Main Theme from Schindler’s List (1993) haunts us with memories of The Holocaust and one man’s efforts to reduce a portion of the suffering. Liam Neeson’s portrayal of the hedonist Schindler captures the epic contradictions in a hero’s nature. (4:22)
13. Vangelis: Title Theme from Chariots of Fire (1981), set in the 1924 Olympics, as to Britons compete for glory in selected track meets, as class and social consciousness factor into their fierce rivalry. (3:40)
14. Zimmer, Gerrard, Badelt: Gladiator (2000) “Now We Are Free” expresses the desire of Maximus (Russell Crowe) in his conflict of wills with Emperor Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix). The sprawling epic captures the moral degeneracy of Rome in its perverse desire to provide “bread and circuses to an increasingly discontented populace (6:03)