LA CLOCHE TIBETAINE / SPLENDEURS ET MISERES DES COURTISANES

Remastered and expanded edition.
8-page CD booklet with French and English liner notes by Gilles Loison.

In collaboration with Warner Chappell Music France, Music Box Records proudly presents the third volume of the collection Great Television Soundtracks dedicated to two original television soundtracks composed and conducted by Georges Delerue: La Cloche tibetaine (The Tibetan Bell, 1974) and Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes (The Splendors and Miseries of Courtesans, 1975).

Based on the famous expedition and adventure across Asia, the French historical seven-episode series La Cloche tibetaine, directed by Michel Wyn, tells the story of the ‘yellow cruise’ organized by Andre Citroen in the early 1930s in order to link Beirut (Lebanon) to Bejing (China) through the ancient Silk Road with half-tracks vehicles.

Adapted from the novel by Honore de Balzac, the French drama seven-episode series Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes, directed by Maurice Cazeneuve, tells the story of Lucien de Rubempre, an ambitious young man who manipulates other people’s lives to his own satisfaction.

For these two mini-series, Georges Delerue's gift for melody and enormous versatility are once again demonstrated with these stunningly colourful scores. The epic-scale score to La Cloche tibetaine showcases a wide range of dramatic passages, suspenseful musical cues tinged with ethnical flavored pieces and exotic touches. Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes features a darker score with its solemn main theme played by violin and orchestra in order to highlight the moving fate of the characters.

Remastered from the original recording sessions courtesy of Delerue's archives, this present edition features the slightly expanded score to La Cloche tibetaine and the word premiere release of Splendeurs et miseres des courtisanes. The CD comes with an 8-page booklet with liner notes by Gilles Loison, discussing the series and the scores. The release is limited to 750 units.

LA CLOCHE TIBE?TAINE
1. Generique (01:34)
2. Le desert de Gobi (01:43)
3. La croisiere jaune (01:16)
4. La Grande Muraille (02:56)
5. Le toit du monde (01:10)
6. Les nomades (01:20)
7. Les chevaux de fer (02:45)
8. L'escadron d'or (02:00)
9. Le c?ur de la vieille Chine (01:10)
10. L'Afghanistan (02:04)
11. Les palais du Maharadjah (01:38)
12. Prisonnier du marechal (01:47)
13. Le piege (01:39)
14. L'Afghanistan (2e partie) (02:02)
15. Les chemins de l'esperance (01:40)
16. Generique de fin (03:40)
17. Chanson de Suzy Dollar (02:17) Performed by Sarah Sanders
Time ? 33:25

SPLENDEURS ET MISE?RES DES COURTISANES
18. Generique (Theme d’Esther) (02:45)
19. Rubempre chez Madame de Maufrigneuse (02:33)
20. Esther entre au couvent (01:28)
21. Rubempre recueilli par l’abbe Herrera (01:07)
22. Vautrin attaque l’abbe Herrera (02:02)
23. Clotilde de Grandlieu (02:54)
24. L’apparition idyllique d’Esther (01:48)
25. Contenson, policier du roi (01:38)
26. Nucingen amoureux d’Esther (02:21)
27. Le grand bal de l’Opera (02:23)
28. Des splendeurs aux miseres (03:40)
29. Lucien et Esther (01:34)
30. Le plan de Vautrin (01:46)
31. Rubempre courtise duchesses et marquises (02:50)
32. Peyrade empoisonne (03:35)
33. Illusions perdues (02:52)
34. Le baron de Nucingen (01:27)
35. Esther et Lucien, la fin d’un reve (02:17)
36. Generique de fin (02:42)
Time ? 44:29

Total Time ? 77:56