Erich Korngold - The Sea Hawk 1/2

[aristopus]

It should be established that John Willians' work has been based on a copy of Korngold. The man is an imposter.

Vive Eric Korngold

[soundtrackthemes]

This shows how much John Williams was influenced by Korngold. :)

[Glinkaism1]

Fantastic performance! I have this in vinyl somewhere. But this sounds a LOT better. Thanks for posting!

[jazz4]

I don't get why people obsess over Hans Zimmers scores, especially the one for pirates of the carribean.  That franchise was so flat and devoid of any classic hollywood spark. Korngold was a master. I can't believe they had all that money to make a new Pirate film and they were awful.

[dolofonos]

It should be so easy to make more films like this, and so inexpensive. They could shoot them in black and white; I'd prefer it!

[fyorbane]

This film along with The adventures of Robin Hood and Don Juan are the best swashbucklers of all time. Flynn was just magic.

[CaptainBluebear08]

great music from a fine composer.

[Dion1957]

Now isn't this better than the theme from "SHREK"

[cosycleaner]

@Dion1957

Any music is better than anything in Shrek!

[RozRuss]

Loved this movie since I was a kid! The best Errol Flynn film...THE best film of its kind!!

[Glinkaism1]

OOOh! I have this LP record someplace. Lots of classic scores came out conducted by Charles G. conducting Nat Phil Ork in late 1970s or early 1980s. A great time for old classical movie scores.

[kepier47]

Erich Korngold's film music was fantastic and the Sea hawk is my favourite.

[SharpWalkers]

I just marvel at the amount of pompous asses in these comments.

[stebuzz57]

it first came out on vinyl in november 1972. i do have a copy. he was  brilliant mr. korngold.

[trackend]

YO HO Errol swashing his buckle by day and bonking himself stupid with the girls at night and David Niven joining the club with not just a British stiff upper lip on show

[carlosijr2008]

LINDO.. LINDO..BEAUTIFUL, ONE TRIP. Very inspiring, EXCELLENT EVEN...

[rockgor]

With regard to John Williams, the main theme of King's Row

is the same as the main theme of Star Wars. Brendan G. Carroll has

posted a lot of Korngold music here. He is the biographer

of E. W. Korngold.

In the 1970s RCA issued about ten records of great soundtrack music.

The producer was George Korngold, Erich's son.

Korngold is buried here in Los Angeles at the Hollywood Forever

cemetery w/ many Hollywood stars, directors, etc. The cemetery is

right behind Paramount Studios.

Tx 4 post.

[Disley74]

Superb!

[Sircripofleek]

I'm 53 and I remember watching this movie when I was 10 years old I would think it was a tribute to Flynns 10 anniversary of his death. Put the music to Flynns personna and the plot of t6he film (IE Great Britains predicament not in 1588 but 1940) and you have a great film that I personally can watch time and time again.

[LLJtbone]

@Sircripofleek I have seen this movie too, many times. Errol Flynn was a good actor the thing is I have recently learned how sadistic he really was in real life. I don't think that I will ever be able to look at Flynn again as innocent and kind ;-)

[errolfan]

@LLJtbone I agree that Errol was a good actor (very good in my book), but sadistic in real life? What are you talking about?

[DrCruel]

@errolfan Are you kidding? He must have sliced and diced poor Basil at least a dozen times.

[hanskers]

WONDERFUL MASTERPIECE

[MrRbjunior83]

THIS IS THE FATHER!!!!!!!!!

[Starcastle2009]

Eric Wolfgang Korngold was simply the best movie composer of his era. John Williams was clearly inspired by him, but Mr. Williams doesn't need to steal from anybody, nor does Jerry Goldsmith, Max Steiner, Walter Scharf, Dmitri Tiomkin and I could go on but why bother. Point made.

[peppersax]

John Williams took "Star Wars" from EK. This is the template for composing adventure/pirate music. This 'cats' were way ahead of us!!!

[Capt777harris]

@peppersax What is EK?

[GGbreizh]

@Capt777harris Erich Korngold

[errolfan]

This is what all pirate movies should be.

[Max1Chase1]

I hear the Star Wars theme in this piece, I hope there weren't any copyrights being violated, if so someone has to cut a check, but who says you can't learn from history mmmmmm

[arsenal904]

@Max1Chase1 Someone has been reading the AOL homepage LOL.

[Irrenmann]

@Max1Chase1 You can't copyright a chord progression.

[Beatleboy62]

@Irrenmann Well, George Harrison was sued when he unknowingly used the same chord progression from the song 'He's So Fine' in his song 'My Sweet Lord.'

[MrHopeTelevision]

@Beatleboy62 and meldoy is the name

[Liberty4ev63]

I have this exact album! Oh how I loved it!!! My father got rid of our TV when I was a twelve and throughout my teens I would listen to this and watched every Errol Flynn out there at our local junior college. Then I went onto all the great Warner Classics and MGM classics. My dad did me/us a great service by dumping that TV. It changed my life! That was 30 + years ago!

[kiaoraguy]

I just saw the Sea Hawk last night on a big screen with 200 others- I may have a Man Crush on Errol Flynn now- and what a score!

[zipper179]

For you young people who don't know, they call that MUSIC..!

[Wolfen443]

They do not write or play music like that anymore, or too few times.

[grendeljack]

I swear to God- I was just watching a clip from The Sea Hawk and marveled at the majesty, the adventure that is so inherent in this soundtrack. Absolutely fantastic. I hate to sound like an old man, but today's Hollywood is a bad joke.

[faville]

lol Zimmer

[Starcastle2009]

Korngold was a great film composer but so was his contemporary Max Steiner, then came Alfred Newman, Walter Scharf, Dimitri Tiomkin, Miklos Rozsa, John Williams, James Horner, James Newton Howard, etc.

[Elkippo66]

Pirates of the Caribeann is a cheap fraud compared to this.

Take that Hans Zimmer!

[TheRandyChimp]

@Elkippo66 It's of a different generation. It would be like comparing Charlie Chaplin with Bill Murray, they're of their own times, and they're both hilarious.

[nww009]

@Elkippo66 No it isn't. They are both enjoyable music pieces.

[tripsadelica]

@Elkippo66 Hooray...I totally agree! Zimmer...pffft! The real Hollywood composers are dying away...only Williams survives. How very sad and how terrible that Hollywood has become tone deaf!

[SharpWalkers]

@tripsadelica @Elkippo66 Have you listened to more scores of him that the standard blockbuster scores everyone knows. He's got some great scores, stop hating.

[Yavor54]

Now you see exactly where Williams and Goldsmith got their ideas. Korngold and other composers fleeing Europe were struggling to keep their muse- making a living in the US.

This is one of the un-intended benefits we got from the war in Europe.

[Levitz9]

Okay, I had the really stupid thought of chanting "Yo-ho-ho, he took a bite of Gum-Gum!" in tune with this song...

[driup]

We are trying to play this in marching band for our show this year... it's about impossible to take it that fast

[DOMuricu]

@driup I'm amazed the trumpet section didn't collapse with exhaustion after playing the main theme from 'The Sea Hawk'.

[swallin19]

@DOMuricu In the film recording double tracking was used, to get the effect of larger horn numbers, the modern arrangement is different but still needs a large orchestra..

[dennykdoe]

If you can listen to this music--particularly that chorus at the end--and not have your spirit stirrred, get to a doctor. You're probably dead, and just don't know it yet.

And having said that--does anybody know where I can get a transcription of the lyrics to that chorus?

[DOMuricu]

@dennykdoe, the lyrics were written by Seaton I Miller the screen-writer. As far as I can tell, the words for Strike For The Shores Of Dover are: Pull on the oars, straight(?) for the shores, strike for the shores of Dover...Over(?) the sea, hearts set free, troubles will soon be over....Safe as you go, Here we go!, For we know that we sail for home, sweet home! (Repeat once). I think I'm at least 90% accurate. George MacDonald Frazier: "One of the most gloriously over the top scenes ever."

[rockgor]

@DOMuricu

Very good! I've heard this recording dozens of time, and have never been able to make

out the lyrics. There are some wonderful film composers, but Korngold is still my

favorite.

[classified1986]

There are only two guys in this universe who can compare to this: John Willams and Hans Zimmer.

[hlaltimus]

Greats like Korngold and Tiomkin; It's almost as though they extracted all of the musical beauty that they could hold until there was no more left to give, then died as if there was no other reason left for them to exist.

[errolfan]

Just to keep the record straight, this IS the best score for a pirate or sea-faring movie, ever. Maybe Erich Korngold's passage to America on ship before WWII gave him inspiration. A late-classical music genious.

[errolfan]

@errolfan And, if I was a "genious" I'd be printing my own dictionaries.

[circusitch]

UN-CLAIMED FREIGHT ! ! ! ! !

[LLJtbone]

I'd sure like to know who the orchestra was that played this music? Studio guys know doubts. Amazing sounds. I am so glad that I clicked on this!!

[errolfan]

@LLJtbone Hi. Upper right-hand corner of the album cover.

[bigman88zz]

is it just me, or does this theme remind anyone else of the theme from fox's peter pan and the pirates cartoon?

[liyon316]

@bigman88zz

Yep. Used to love watching the peter pan cartoon. Found out a number of years later how similar the opening is to this classic.

[LLJtbone]

@bigman88zz  Bugs Bunny!

[errolfan]

@violinthief Yeah, I know, I'm so... stoopid. As soon as I Googled Janacek I knew that I couldn't hum several trumpet parts in unison. Thanks for keeping me honest.

[errolfan]

@violinthief Thanks for the clarfication. I played a strong 3rd or 4th trumpet in high school for five years (I couldn't hit the high notes). I can't remember playing Janacek during the whole time. After seeing the number of trumpets involved in this piece, I suspect that I might have sat in the middle. Only because the baritones and trombones would have been shifted to our section.

[LuisBlamor]

The fanfare is the best of history (except Janacek)

[errolfan]

@LuisBlamor I'm not familiar with Janacek. Can you hum a few bars (just kidding). I do agree with what you are getting at. Great fanfare. Great movie.

[errolfan]

I still would like to experience this movie in colour and digital surroundsound and yes, eventually 3D. It's going to happen. Just when? For those purists (like Roger Ebert), if you don't like it , don't buy it .

[GradoLabsFans]

Thx ,violinthief

You copy a high quality sound track!!!

[musicynic]

the throne room - 3:20 ish - is just incredible. and they play it faster than that in the film!

[MingnonDunn]

@musicynic Fast or slower, this brief strectch of music (Throne room procession) is one of the most stirring pieces of music ever recordedf. Man 'o man what a composer!

[Romulusorion]

Though this was composed in the 20th century, I consider it to be in Romantic repertoire.

[juanpablogezcarballo]

juas!!! otro score del cual john williams robo pasajes completos, porque con robarle a Gustav Holst no le alcanzaba.... jajajaa, tomenlo con humor... aguante Korngold!!!

[errolfan]

Don't be too despondent, Hollywood always looks to its past to figure out how to make money. Eventually, it may find that superior film scores are integral to the plot line. Deja-vu.

[tripsadelica]

Oh what has happened to Hollywood lately??? Where are the great composers like Korngold, Steiner, Dr. Rozsa??? Williams is quite good but he's one of a dying breed...Vale to them all that have gone...Goldsmith, Korngold, North...all of them. Now directors and producers just want crap mickey-mousing of the screen action. And the musical tastes of a whole new generation suffer because of it.

[dunavuk]

I can't remember a single movie theme of any modern film, but I remembered this one, because it is not just one theme, it has many motifs which are memorable... modern films seem to consist of a vacuous big theme (or out of character pop song ) and music for special effects, nothing else....

[hlaltimus]

I don't know, there's something missing here. Maybe if someone sprays salt water in your face while your listening, or swings a fencing foil 1 inch in front of your face, everything would be perfect, just as Korngold's wonderful score is perfect.

[mrmanrules]

great movie with outstanding caste. errol flynn ,claude rains, alan hale sn and the wonderful flora robson as queen elizabeth.

[schlockading]

Yeah, I sort of realized that two seconds after I posted... but the comment wouldn't show up for me to delete it. Sorry about that. Really good recording though.

[schlockading]

violinthief, do you know which specific orchestra and/or album this recording is from?

[jito3577]

ahá!

[errolfan]

Great recording of a great Flynn movie. I know that sometimes I've imagined this film in colour, with Olivia and in Dolby surroundsound. Imagine the possibilities with 3D... I'm delusional.

[n1950m]

Inspiring music. As I listen to this theme I can see the battle scenes from the film. The music was perfectly matched to the film.

[veladarney]

About two years ago, I was lucky enough to hear the "Sea Hawk Suite" played live at a film music concert. As great as it sounds here, believe me: You ain't heard it right until you've hear it live! It's incredible!

[AJNorth]

Erich Wolfgang Korngold, like many of Hollywood's Golden Era composers, came to the U.S. to escape the deadly shroud of Fascism spreading over Europe. He began as a composer of "serious" classical music (which is not meant in any way to demean the music of the cinema).

This outstanding recording is one in a legendary series Charles Gerhardt made for RCA. Gerhardt began as a record clerk in New York City in the 1950s, then became an audio engineer for RCA Victor,

[AJNorth]

finally taking up conducting at the encouragement of no less than Arturo Toscanini. He died in 1999.

As others have observed, John Williams was almost certainly influenced by Korngold - and not just his film music; the Symphony in F echos in many of his scores. Perhaps the finest recorded performance was the first with Rudolf Kempe on Varese-Sarabande, no longer available. However, the recording by Sir Edward Downes on Chandos is a very fine reading indeed - and in even better sound.

[LFD254]

There was a whole series of movie music put out on the RCA Red Label LPs in the late 1970s. The best was "Captain Blood-movie scores for Errol flynn. A CD version of it pops up once in wahile in Amazaon-it features this, Captain Blood, Robin Hood and many others.

[circusitch]

UN-------CLAIMED-------- FREIGHT!

[MIGUEL2005LIMA]

Esta musica, lo mejo rde esa pelicula

[MIGUEL2005LIMA]

BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!

[maestro48239]

i grew up on Errol Flynn movies, and to this day, nothing beats a comfy chair, an Errol Flynn swashbuckling epic, and a fat joint! 5/5

[errolfan]

I know that I'm treading on sacred ground, but I'd still love to view this and other Flynn black and white, mono recorded movies in full Dolby and colour. We have the technology (colorizing) and, last I heard, we still have orchestras. If this technology had have been available in 1940, they would have used it. I will give purists a sop though. Film noire or even Casablanca should never be (or have been) colorized.

[sunevvenus]

The original "Sea Hawk" has a color tinted seq. in it, it's sepia tone, colorization on the Sea Hawk would ruin this seq making it irrelevant. I'm for colorization but not on the Sea Hawk, Captain Blood maybe.

[errolfan]

I do agree, you have a point. Still, it would have been great if this had have been the first full-colour pirate movie, instead of The Black Swan.

[tripsadelica]

I also agree with all the positive posts here. Korngold was often given stick by other so-called "classical composers" but his work is a shining example of brilliance in melody and tone and the romantic style. John Williams, it is said, admires Korngold's work greatly as did Alex North, Elmer Bernstein and Jerry Goldsmith. As to the quality of this "program music", well...imho, it is truly brilliant and stands up well on its own without any images.

[rolandangler]

Agree entirely on Korngold.

I saw die Tote Stadt earlier this year and could almost hear the Sea Hawk score coming up from the pit.- there were melodies everywhere that got into this film score.

Pity the performance I saw on stage wasn't blessed with Errol himself - he would have brightened things up!

[errolfan]

For some of us who appreciate a simpler, more romantic era, this music is better suited to the pre-WWII era when it was orchestrated. The fact that Korngold's movie score genius has never been equalled speaks as much to the times (and his classical upbringing) as to the quality of modern film scores. To those of us who prefer old movies, it only helps us make the case, "They don't make them like that anymore".

[epaubel]

Korngold was undoubtly one of the last genius of classical music. Unfortunately, film music like this one wasn´t made anymore.

[errolfan]

Huh?

[errolfan]

I haven't said too much about Erich Korngold, so I'm glad you've brought him up. He was a boy genius, like Mozart, writing symphonies at an eary age. Warners was very fortunate to get him to America before the onset of WWII. As a later classical composer in the Viennese style, he had already made several Hollywood filmscores. Once he made it safe to the US he continued to orchestrate. It's hard to separate Flynn from Korngold when viewing these movies, they are so integrated. Erich was great!

[errolfan]

And people wonder why I don't watch the latest releases.

[Composer1990]

Korngold was a genius. A far cry from most of today's so called film composers.

[errolfan]

There is also a complete, later, recording of this movie by Varujan Kojian and the Utah Symphony Orchestra. It's a superb recording, but I still prefer "Shores of Dover" on the Gerhardt version. Not to be sexist, but the chorus just sounds more...how can I say it?...manly.

[lanwow1337]

This is one of my favorite movie. Awesome soundtrack. Thanks

[errolfan]

Though I'm not the first to say it, it's worth repeating... there will never be another Errol Flynn!

[mckinley5]

I'd call Errol Flynn a Jack ...he would probably agree. Numerous actors served in the Military during WWII; Jimmy Stewart ,Clark Gable,and Glenn Miller to name a few . The music of Korngold and Max Steiner was of the 20th century ,not the 16,17,19th. Dymitry Tompkin and John Williams are comparable composers. These days the jobs for "swashbucklers" are few and far between. Wonder if Mike Rowe of "Dirty Jobs" can shoot , swordfight or ride a horse?

[errolfan]

Thanks for the clarification. I guess its time to dust off my Gerhardt "Kings Row" CD!

[errolfan]

Gee, I thought we were talking about something related to this movie, or soundtrack, even remotely?

[errolfan]

Huh?

[mckinley5]

Hollywood in the 30's gave us another great leading man at Warner Bros. He came from a small town in Illinois, a Lifeguard ,then a sportscaster and then an actor. His colleagues elected him President of the Screen Actors Guild. Later the people of California elected him their Governor,twice. In 1980 we elected him President of the United States in a landslide... Ronald Reagan.

[deadbydawn138]

Flynn, a king amongst men.

Korngold, a god amongst composers.

Combined: Their greatest works rolled into one swashbuckling extravaganza!

Curtiz at the helm doesn't hurt either (only the greatest film director of all time :)

[errolfan]

Mike Curtiz was one of the best directors of all time. If you had polled the actors who worked with him, he would have been none of the above.

[errolfan]

Adding to my previous comment, I wish that someday I could hear this modern recording mated to "The Sea Hawk" and the other Korngold films. Not to mention, colorizing (now I'm in trouble!).

[errolfan]

If you like this recording (and I do too}, check out the recent recording of "Captain Blood" and "The Prince and the Pauper" by Andre Previn. I've never heard this before in stereo. It's awesome.

[Versipelles]

If anyone will check out the theme song of the 1990 Fox cartoon "Peter Pan and the Pirates", he will see how closely it imitates the opening theme of this film.

[jrrtknight]

THIS is the kind of music that only John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith can create today. The kind of fanfare that announces "The Hero Has Arrived!" You just want to stand up in the theater and shout "Hooray!" Thank you so much for letting us relive the Golden Age.

[gerryrains]

John Williams doesn't "create" this type of music. He stole it from Korngold whose works he studied thoroughly before he "composed" a variation on it called the theme from "Star Wars". This is one of many film scores by Korngold.

[ThePiano1991]

@jrrtknight well, only John Williams, Goldsmith is dead. But I get what you mean. Wonderful music, can only be written by the Hollywood greats, who are sadly all dying out.

[MingnonDunn]

@jrrtknight Don't forget John Barry

[rubisco1981]

@jrrtknight

I fully agree. You are aware however Goldsmith passed Away in 2004?

[MrLoullers]

Well, Jerry Goldsmith has passed away but I can see what you mean! :D

[dafmurray]

Bought this recording on audio cassette in London in the early 1990's. Can't adequately describe the adrenalin rush of hearing this brilliant suite for the first time. Still the best available version of this score. Thanks for posting

[theomartinus]

korngold wrote one of the best moviesoundtracks ever, all others later were copies. thanks for posting this.

[Wittmann73]

you´ll never take my cargo!!!!!

[philanderadriaan]

oh dear its 3 o'clock, i have to deliver these sugar cane tobbacco and spices before the day end...

[cleverj1]

haaa, or my name isn't Shelly Booth Bishop ;)

[SithLordRh]

Best Part Of This Score is the main theme and at 7:30 (the start of The Duel between Thorpe and Wolfingham)

Thanks for uploading!!!

[Catel1]

Extraordinaire ! Tous les compositeurs symphoniques d'aujourd'hui peuvent se rhabiller. Vive l'âge d'or.

[chopinlover49]

Erich Korngold was a wunderkind! He composed his first opera as a child and was a very serious classical composer but the main classical critics panned him because of his work in films. I love everything he wrote. His film work is sublime and will last forever, but check out his operas and violin concertos, songs, etc. Nice video. Thanks for uploading this.

[dayuhl2u]

One of my favorite soundtracks. Love it! My CD has Errol on the front. Friends pull it from my collection and are like, what the heck is this? The Sea Hawk? I don't even know where to begin with these people!

[LucasSpade]

Few scores are as soaring as Korngold's. He's one of my favorites.

[Italiasalbion]

Heard about Korngold from a fan in a review of the Louis Hayward film, "Anthony Adverse"

[Italiasalbion]

(I was trying to find out what was so wrong with Ida Lupino's first husband, Louis Hayward) lol

[erroldoyle]

The Louis Hayward film?

Whatever happened to the real stars--Fredric March and Olivia de Havilland and Claude Rains.

[FidelKastrat]

thanks you posted this!!

everybody who loves "the crimson permanent assurance" knows what i am talking about!!!

Do you?

[youmoozyktube]

I know what you mean... I got the impression the music was similar to that in this show, or rather the other way round. Konrgold was the master of film scores, and not only that, just listen to his violin concerto or f sharp symphony...

[garyowen4ever]

try the new versions by morgan and stromberg (naxos complete) and rumon gamba (chandos expanded into more musical suites) go nutz and get both!

[youmoozyktube]

I prefer the stromberg version, not in the form, but in the performance, it's much more... how do do you put it... modern? Not to mention it includes the whole score, which lasts for about 2 hours!!!