BBC Philharmonic & Rumon Gamba – Gerard Schurmann: Film Music (2019) [FLAC 24bit/96kHz]

Born in 1924 in the then Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), Gerard Schurmann grew up in England, and after serving in the Royal Air Force during the war, combined his career as a concert pianist with a diplomatic role as Cultural Attaché at the Netherlands Embassy. On the recommendation of Alan Rawsthorne, Ealing Studios commissioned Schurmann for the score for the Jack Hawkins police drama The Long Arm (released as The Third Key in the US). More commissions followed, initially from the burgeoning British 1950s horror scene (represented here by Konga and Horrors of the Black Museum and then from mainstream cinema. The Ceremony, directed by and starring Laurence Harvey, was followed by Dr Syn, alias The Scarecrow and the WWII action movie Attack on the Iron Coast, starring Lloyd Bridges.

Rumon Gamba completes this overview with scores from Claretta, a lavish portrayal of the final days of Mussolini and his mistress Claretta Petacci; and finally the 1997 film The Gambler in which Sir Michael Gambon vividly portrayed the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky.

Tracklist:
1 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: I. Brandy Smugglers on the Beach & Chase 02:40
2 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: II. Dr. Syn, Vicar of Dymchurch 03:12
3 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: III. Bates’ Escape 01:08
4 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: IV. Squite Banks & Family 03:57
5 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: V. Flight from the King’s Men 01:38
6 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: VI. Ransley’s Betrayal 02:49
7 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: VII. Smugglers Ambushed 01:58
8 Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow Suite: VIII. Farewell 03:33
9 I. Little Ape at Alay 01:46
10 Konga Suite: II. Sad Conclusion 02:44
11 I. Claretta’s Dairy 02:30
12 Claretta Suite: II. Palazzo Venezia 02:42
13 Claretta Suite: III. Waltz 02:18
14 Claretta Suite: IV. End Titles 02:02
15 I. Jailed in Morocco 03:31
16 The Ceremony Suite: II. Tangiers 03:18
17 The Ceremony Suite: III. Father O’Brian 02:19
18 The Ceremony Suite: IV. Sadly Musing 03:10
19 The Ceremony Suite: V. Escape 01:15
20 The Ceremony Suite: VI. Prison Revolt 03:05
21 Tailing the Suspect (From “The Long Arm”) 01:56
22 I. Main Titles & London Traffic 03:24
23 Horrors of the Black Museum Suite: II. Gruesome Murders 02:01
24 I. Anna & Dostoyevsky 02:48
25 The Gambler Suite: II. Roulettenburg 02:41
26 The Gambler Suite: III. Gambling 02:05
27 The Gambler Suite: IV. Carriage Ride & Sunrise 01:57
28 The Gambler Suite: V. A New Beginning 06:25
29 Main Title (From “Attack on the Iron Coast”) 03:21