Unlimited Streaming
Listen to this album in high quality now on our apps
Start my trial period and start listening to this albumEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
SubscribeEnjoy this album on Qobuz apps with your subscription
Digital Download
Purchase and download this album in a wide variety of formats depending on your needs.
Prolific film composer Carl Davis scored MGM's 1925 silent film Ben-Hur in 1987, and in 1989 recorded the music with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. More than two decades later, after taking the music on tour around the world, Davis has released this vivid performance as part of the comprehensive Carl Davis Collection, and the album is sure to be a treat for his fans. In keeping with the film's New Testament narrative framework, the music has many sections that are reverent in tone and evocative of familiar religious movie music, including an overt borrowing of the Dresden Amen, orchestrated in full Straussian grandeur. But as important as the religious themes are to Ben-Hur, the intimate music for Ben-Hur's family life and the violent and heroic passages that accompany the action sequences play a crucial part in setting the scenes, and Davis provides the full range of moods, from private expressions to epic struggles. The most striking movement from a dramatic viewpoint is "The Chariot Race, with its relentless drumbeat and grim dissonances, and this is undoubtedly effective when played with the film. Overall, the music is delivered with rhythmic vigor and vivid sonorities, and the orchestra under Davis' direction has a presence and richness on CD that is extraordinary, particularly for the time when it was recorded. Ideally, one should see the film and hear the music together to appreciate them as Davis intended, but in the absence of the former, the latter is still one of his most important efforts and his pride in presenting this score is justified.
© TiVo
You are currently listening to samples.
Listen to over 100 million songs with an unlimited streaming plan.
Listen to this playlist and more than 100 million songs with our unlimited streaming plans.
From $10.83/month
Ben-Hur (arr. C. Matthews and D. Matthews) (Colin Matthews)
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
David Matthews, Composer - Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Orchestra, MainArtist - Colin Matthews, Composer - Carl Davis, Composer, Conductor
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
Album review
Prolific film composer Carl Davis scored MGM's 1925 silent film Ben-Hur in 1987, and in 1989 recorded the music with the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra. More than two decades later, after taking the music on tour around the world, Davis has released this vivid performance as part of the comprehensive Carl Davis Collection, and the album is sure to be a treat for his fans. In keeping with the film's New Testament narrative framework, the music has many sections that are reverent in tone and evocative of familiar religious movie music, including an overt borrowing of the Dresden Amen, orchestrated in full Straussian grandeur. But as important as the religious themes are to Ben-Hur, the intimate music for Ben-Hur's family life and the violent and heroic passages that accompany the action sequences play a crucial part in setting the scenes, and Davis provides the full range of moods, from private expressions to epic struggles. The most striking movement from a dramatic viewpoint is "The Chariot Race, with its relentless drumbeat and grim dissonances, and this is undoubtedly effective when played with the film. Overall, the music is delivered with rhythmic vigor and vivid sonorities, and the orchestra under Davis' direction has a presence and richness on CD that is extraordinary, particularly for the time when it was recorded. Ideally, one should see the film and hear the music together to appreciate them as Davis intended, but in the absence of the former, the latter is still one of his most important efforts and his pride in presenting this score is justified.
© TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 18 track(s)
- Total length: 01:11:34
- 1 Digital booklet
- Main artists: Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Carl Davis
- Composer: Various Composers
- Label: Carl Davis Collection
- Genre: Classical
(C) 2012 Carl Davis Collection (P) 2012 Carl Davis Collection
Improve album informationWhy buy on Qobuz?
-
Stream or download your music
Buy an album or an individual track. Or listen to our entire catalog with our high-quality unlimited streaming subscriptions.
-
Zero DRM
The downloaded files belong to you, without any usage limit. You can download them as many times as you like.
-
Choose the format best suited for you
Download your purchases in a wide variety of formats (FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF...) depending on your needs.
-
Listen to your purchases on our apps
Download the Qobuz apps for smartphones, tablets, and computers, and listen to your purchases wherever you go.