LPCDreissues: Looking forward to the past

M-G-M’s The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse was released, both as a film and a soundtrack album, in 1962. And that soundtrack album, composed and conducted by the legendary Andre Previn, has been out of print for almost three decades. Now Rhino and Turner Classic Movies Music have resurrected these original recordings in the definitive edition that for the first time properly showcases this unforgettable score. A classic tale of love in a time of war, The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse was reset by director Vincent Minnelli in Paris under the Nazis, a historical backdrop that made for a very difficult shoot. Glenn Ford starred as Julio Desnoyers, drawn by a cousin into the war in Europe. (years before he was picked to score this film, Previn had himself fled the Nazis with his family as a child). Previn had worked with Minnelli on such classic musicals as Brigadoon and Gigi, and for The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse, he created one of his finest scores. The initial version of the film ran more than three hours and after an unsuccessful public preview, was recut to 152 minutes. Many nuances, both in the story and Previn’s music were lost to the cutting room floor, and The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse was both a critical and commercial failure (though reviewers overseas were more attuned to its virtues). Now, some forty years after it premiered onscreen, Turner Classic Movies Music has the honor of re-constructing Previn's original score, which also reflects much more of the dimension intended by Minnelli. This release presents the film score as originally intended, with a few alterations. The music written for the post-Intermission Entr'acte, has been placed on this album as an "Overture," to prepare the listener for the themes to follow. The "Main Title" presented here, is the version recorded for the originally intended cut, and not the re-recording done for the ultimately released film. Lastly, the song "Mine For The Moment", which is featured briefly as underscore for the movie with a Spanish lyric, has been included here with the lyrics in their original English form. Throughout film history there have been many ill-fated productions which have yielded incredible musical scores. The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse is one of these. While much of Minnelli's originally filmed intentions are lost forever, all the recordings of Maestro Previn's original musical interpretation of those images remained in the studio vaults and this Turner Classic Movies Music release is highlighted by over 40 minutes of this previously unheard music (the long out of print 36:31 12-track soundtrack album has been extended to more than 77 minutes and 33 tracks). It also restores to Mr Previn's compositions the original titles he intended for them and features the original album notes as well as a current overview from TCMM Producer George Feltenstein. Sir Andre Previn has said that there are four scores from his Hollywood period of which he is particularly proud, and that The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse stands highest among them. Now listeners can finally hear this Oscar-winner’s greatest work as he originally created it. The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse is available as an individually numbered limited edition of 4,500 copies.
TRACK LISTING Overture (Ent'racte) (3:13 ) Main Title (2:31 ) First Dance (1:25 ) Second Dance (1:23 ) Medley: A Toast/The Old One (4:37 ) Medley: Paris/Auction (2:42 ) Sports Car (1:09 ) I'm Neutral (3:34 ) Martinique No. 1 (2:39 ) Mine For The Moment (2:03) Quai D'Orleans (2:32 ) The Key (2:42 ) Lovers (0:49 ) Medley: Horsemen/Evacuation (2:07 ) Occupation (1:06 ) Germans In Paris (1:23 ) Take Me Dancing (1:17 ) Martinique No. 2 (2:35 ) Martinique No. 3 (4:31 ) Refusal (5:05 ) Student Riot (1:52 ) Talk To Chi Chi (0:43 ) She Wouldn't Listen (2:13 ) No Divorce (4:17 ) Medley: First Subway/Bedroom (1:57 ) I've Got To See Him (1:54 ) First Parting (3:49 ) Marguerite's Return (2:00) I Will Come Back (1:15 ) Road Block (1:09 ) End Of The Line (3:14 ) Julio And Heinrich (0:50 ) Finale (End Title) (1:21 )