How the West Was Won [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]

by Alfred Newman

Overview

This double CD has generally superior sound to the 1992 Sony Music release, but its more than two-hours of music may be a classic case of overkill. The essential problem is that How the West Was Won is rooted in two separate bodies of music, the Alfred Newman instrumental and orchestral material (including the rousing main title theme), spiced with a few traditional (i.e. folk) and traditional-style tunes; and the songs sung by Debbie Reynolds in her various set pieces as an entertainer, principally "Home in the Meadow" (adapted from "Greensleeves"). The Alfred Newman material generally recalls Aaron Copland's musical Americana (especially the "Lincoln Portrait") at its best and most accessible, and the folk songs handled by the choir or Dave Guard's Whiskeyhill Singers come off well -- but then there are those numbers done by Reynolds, which sort of break the spell. It's not that she's a bad singer, it's just that her voice doesn't fit within the surrounding musical settings. One guesses the producers had no choice but to give full play to this part of the score, but one wishes there'd been a way around it. The annotation is very thorough, the photographs (including some behind-the-scenes shots of co-director John Ford) are a nice treat, and anyone who likes the movie or Newman's music is sure to enjoy this. ~ Bruce Eder

Product Details

Release Date:	10/05/2018
Label:	Bandas Sonoras
UPC:	5056083202447

Tracks

1. How the West Was Won~Overture
2. How the West Was Won~Main Title (How the West Was Won)
3. How the West Was Won~Bereavement and Fulfillment
4. How the West Was Won~The River Pirates
5. How the West Was Won~Home in the Meadow
6. How the West Was Won~Cleve and the Mule
7. How the West Was Won~Raise a Ruckus Tonight
8. How the West Was Won~The Marriage Proposal
9. How the West Was Won~Cheyennes
10. How the West Was Won~He's Linus' Boy
11. How the West Was Won~Climb a Higher Hill
12. How the West Was Won~What Was Your Name in the States?
13. How the West Was Won~Come Share My Life
14. How the West Was Won~No Goodbye
15. How the West Was Won~How the West Was Won (Finale)

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Alfred Newman   Primary Artist,Conductor
Judy Henske   Primary Artist
Debbie Reynolds   Primary Artist,Vocals
MGM Studio Chorus   Primary Artist
Carroll Baker   Primary Artist
Ken Darby Singers   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
Tommy Morgan   Primary Artist
George Peppard   Primary Artist
Dave Guard & The Whiskeyhill Singers   Primary Artist,Vocal Ensemble
Whiskeyhill Quartet   Primary Artist
Alfred Newman Orchestra   Primary Artist
Spencer Tracy   Primary Artist
Salli Terri   Primary Artist
Imogene Clark   Primary Artist
MGM Studio Orchestra   Primary Artist
Laurindo Almeida   Primary Artist
Carl Fortina   Primary Artist
Dave Guard   Primary Artist
Ken Darby Chorus   Primary Artist
Robert Armbruster   Conductor
Robert E. Dolan   Conductor

Technical Credits

W.C. Handy   Composer
Jesse Kaye   Producer
Cyrus Faryar   Composer
Patrick S. Gilmore   Composer
Greensleeves   Composer
Traditional   Composer
Bob Dylan   Composer
Spencer Williams   Composer
Louis Lambert   Composer
Julia Ward Howe   Composer
Judy Henske   Composer
Johnny Mercer   Adaptation,Composer
David "Buck" Wheat   Composer
Martha E. Koenig   Composer
Robert E. Dolan   Adaptation
Sammy Cahn   Composer
Lorie Line   Composer
Robert Emmett Dolan   Composer
Alfred Newman   Adaptation,Composer
Ken Darby   Composer
Dave Guard   Composer