It maybe depends a bit on what you are expecting from the recording. From me as a conservatist, I can recommend the Rhino edition which contains everything possible from the original 1933 masters conducted by Max Steiner.
The SoundtrackFactory may be of interest only in case of very low price.

But I don't know any info about subsequent re-recordings.

Good luck
Dorian

42zaphod, September 26, 2004; 4:50 PM

ABSOLUTELY the best version is RHINO -R2 75597 in digipack.
Excellent packaging ,introduction by DANNY ELFMAN ,storybords, many photos and many many liner notes......and obviously great music with ORIGINAL 1933 recordings!
Buy this!
Sincerely
Riccardo Rocchi from Rome


riccardo.rocchi4, September 26, 2004; 5:19 PM

THAT BEING SAID. . .

The Marco Polo re-recording is a near perfect album with fabulous sound quality. The complete score, in sequence and extremely exciting. The Rhino CD is fine for whatever original music still exists (about 30 minutes of it), but the tinny sound is a serious drawback.

If you want the complete score, go for the marco Polo re-do. It really is a great effort and a worthy chronicel of the first adventure score for motion pictures.

ssosmcin, September 29, 2004; 8:51 PM

My suggestion would be the 1976 re-recording conducted by Fred Steiner on Entr'acte receords.

The United Artists release conducted by LeRoy Holmes is an interesting interpretation.

The tracks from one of the Classic Film Score recordings of Max Steiner music (I forget which one) conducted by Charles Gerhardt on RCA is a high point of the recording as far as I'm concerned.

A great score! One of my favorites along with "Bride Of Frankenstein" by Franz Waxman.


, September 30, 2004; 10:15 PM