Legrand's Oscar-Winning Score Gets A Brand New CD Release. by filmfactsman (July 10, 2005)
This is a basic re-release of the Warner Bros. LP issued in 1971, containing the opening and closing title themes from the film. The haunting score (brief as it was) won an Oscar for Michel Legrand because, I strongly suspect, Warners included Legrand's "The Picasso Suite" from another film "The Picasso Summer" (barely) released in 1969, to fill out the album. I sometimes watch that film just to hear the beautiful Legrand music. Back in the '80s, composer Johnny Mandel told me that he thought that Legrand won his Oscar for "Summer of '42" because his "Picasso Suite" was the primary music on the album. He said the voting Academy members would be sent the soundtrack as a promotion. When they listened to it, they assumed that the music was all from "Summer of '42". Regardless, this CD is well worth owning. I've treasured the LP for decades.