I have the soundstage CD, but haven't listened to it since I got it. I don't have the Tsunami version to compare it to. I do have the McNeely version though.

hammon, August 25, 2005; 6:04 AM

Thanks for those very useful answers. If I would buy this CD I would probably also put it
on the shelve and never listen to it. If it's about the same quality as the Tsunami version
than I don't need it. Remains the question has McNeely left essential pieces out of his re-
recording? In that case I should wait for another complete re-recording or a remastered
version of the original session tapes like 20th Century Fox did with 'the Day the Earth
Stood Still'. What an astonishing release that is! Incredible good sound quality, almost as
clear as a re-recording and an example for any label issuing old scores (with good sources
of course, nobody can restore a bad recording). Still I like the McNeely recording also for
comparison and stereo dynamics (and good liner notes). Fox did an equally good job with
the original soundtrack of 'Ghost and Mrs. Muir', probably my all time favorite by
Herrmann.

I like the re-recordings by Herrmann himself (like the Phase4 releases) very much, but
the way McNeely sticks as close as he can to the originals with all the clarity of the digital
age makes them favorites as well. I somehow don't like the Tony Bremner stuff on
Preamble.

Essential examples of Herrmann's chamber/classical music are 'Souvenir de Voyage
(1967)' and 'Echoes (1965)' that are from the 'Fahrenheit'-period and these should be in
the collection of anyone who likes Herrmann. Strangely enough, Hermann's Opera
'Wuthering Heights', the Moby Dick cantata and his Symphony don't do a thing for me.

chris, August 25, 2005; 12:06 PM

Thanks for the additional information. I think Herrmann intended a large audience (the
'general public') with his re-recordings on Phase4 (remember this is the guy who said:
"(A composer) can write a film score for any musical combination and hear it immediately
performed. Moreover the film gives him the largest audience in the world - an audience
whose interest and appreciation should not be underestimated."). So these were sort of
compilation albums, in the 'Best of" tradition. The recording of Psycho was probably done
because there was no complete score available and it was a much better known film than
Fahrenheit (and therefor enough sales could be anticipated to make it justifiable for the
record company).

And yes, of course I know the Ghost and Mrs Muir by Bernstein. I had it on vinyl in the
70-s (and later on CD when that came out) long before the original soundtrack was
released on Varese/20th Cent Fox. It's very very good!

chris, August 27, 2005; 12:43 AM