Intrada announces the premiere release of Universal's 1973 unique take on Mary Shelly's horrifying tale, Frankenstein: The True Story. Gil Melle's score has been in demand ever since the film aired back in 1973 and remains the crowning achievement in his vast and truly singular body of work. As writer Jeff Bond mentions in his notes, the film "required a lush, gothic score and Melle delivered what may be considered his magnum opus. Recorded at Anvil Studios, Melle's Frankenstein music blended Victorian scope and romance with spine-chilling modernist techniques and effects and a leitmotivic approach with major themes for the story's important characters and situations." Time has not been kind to the music assets, however. Most of the album is sourced from 1/4" stereo session masters stored at Universal Studios, which had shown deterioration over the decades. Restoration master Chris Malone was able to work his usual magic and resolve the issues with these sources. All that work would not fix a few missing sequences that had to be sourced from the mono film stems. Yet again, Malone was able to stereorize and blend the tracks, so their differing sound quality is barely noticeable in the final program. With some additional assembly work from our hero Neil S. Bulk and the loving commitment and knowledge of both Jeff Bond and Tim Ayres, the team was able to put together the album that has been so long in coming. As many collectors noted when they heard the album was on its way, it's another grail release they can cross of their lists.
Check out the album trailer here.
The story follows young doctor Victor Frankenstein (Leonard Whiting), who, with the help of his mentor Dr. Polidori (James Mason), succeeds in creating a creature that is strikingly handsome, gentle and childlike. Victor introduces him to society, hoping to prove his experiment a success. But the results of the life-creating experiment are unstable; the creature's body begins to deteriorate, and people who once admired him recoil in horror. As he experiences rejection, betrayal and isolation, he becomes increasingly bitter and unstable. Victor, horrified by what he has done, distances himself from his creation instead of helping him.
トラックリスト
01. The Ride (0:45)
02. Frankenstein: The True Story - Main Title (1:56)
03. Elizabeth (2:30)
04. If Satan Could Teach Me (3:13)
05. Encounter At The Church (2:30)
06. Brotherhood Of Prometheus (4:08)
07. Victor And Elizabeth (2:10)
08. Grave Robbing (2:17)
09. Henry’s Mirror Speech (2:14)
10. Frankenstein At Work (3:25)
11. The Creature (3:19)
12. You Shall Teach Us (2:27)
13. The Process Is Reversing (0:58)
14. Creature In The Park (1:15)
15. Death Of Mrs. Blair (2:15)
16. Up From The Sea (4:01)
17. No Man Could Bind Him (1:32)
18. Death Of Agatha (1:48)
19. Man In The Mask (1:07)
20. Creation Of Prima (4:29)
21. Prima’s Passions (1:03)
22. Blood On Prima’s Hand (2:16)
23. Tanks A Lot (4:53)
24. Prima’s Dance (2:27)
25. Arctic Plan (2:03)
26. Arctic Waste (6:01)
27. Frankenstein: The True Story - End Titles (2:06)
ユニバーサルが1973年に制作した、メアリー・シェリーの恐怖の物語を独自に解釈した全200分の大作ＴＶムービー『真説フランケンシュタイン／北極に消えた怪奇人間！』のオリジナル・サウンドトラックが世界初リリース！
トラックリストギル・メレの作曲した音楽は、1973年の映画公開以来、常に高い人気を博しており、彼の膨大かつ真に独創的な作品群の中でも、最高傑作として今なお輝き続けています。ライターのジェフ・ボンドが解説で述べているように、この映画には「豪華でゴシック調の音楽が必要とされ、メレは自身の最高傑作とも言える作品を完成させた。アンビル・スタジオで録音されたメレの“フランケンシュタイン”の音楽は、ヴィクトリア朝的なスケール感とロマンティシズムを、背筋が凍るようなモダニズムの手法や効果音、そして物語の重要な登場人物や場面のための主要テーマを用いたレチタティーヴォ的なアプローチと融合させたものである。」
しかし、時間の経過は音楽素材に容赦なく影響を与えていました。アルバムの大部分は、ユニバーサル・スタジオに保管されていた1/4インチ・ステレオ・セッション・マスターをソースとしていますが、これらは数十年の間に劣化が進んでいました。リマスター担当のクリス・マローンは、いつもの手腕を発揮して、これらのソースの問題を解決することに成功しました。しかし、その努力も、モノラルのフィルム・ステムから調達せざるを得なかった数か所の欠落部分を修復するには至らなかった。それでもまたしても、マローンはトラックをステレオ化してブレンドすることに成功し、最終的な作品では音質の差異がほとんど気にならないほどに仕上げた。ニール・S・バルクによる追加の編集作業に加え、ジェフ・ボンドとティム・エアーズの両名による愛情あふれる献身と知識のおかげで、チームは長らく待ち望まれていたこのアルバムを完成させることができた。このアルバムの発売が近づいていると聞いた多くのコレクターが指摘したように、これは彼らのリストからチェックを外せる、また一つの“聖杯”的なリリースです。
紹介動画はこちら:
物語は、若き医師ヴィクター・フランケンシュタイン（レナード・ホワイティング）を中心に展開する。彼は師であるポリドーリ博士（ジェームズ・メイソン）の助けを借りて、驚くほど端正で、優しく、子供のような生き物の創造に成功する。ヴィクターは、自分の実験が成功したことを証明しようと、その生き物を社交界に紹介する。しかし、生命を創造する実験の結果は不安定なものだった。怪物の体は衰え始め、かつて彼を称賛していた人々も恐怖に駆られて背を向けるようになる。拒絶、裏切り、孤立を経験するにつれ、彼はますます苦々しく、不安定になっていく。自らの行いに恐怖を覚えたヴィクターは、彼を助けるどころか、自らの創造物から距離を置くようになる。
Intrada announces the premiere release of Universal's 1973 unique take on Mary Shelly's horrifying tale, Frankenstein: The True Story. Gil Melle's score has been in demand ever since the film aired back in 1973 and remains the crowning achievement in his vast and truly singular body of work. As writer Jeff Bond mentions in his notes, the film "required a lush, gothic score and Melle delivered what may be considered his magnum opus. Recorded at Anvil Studios, Melle's Frankenstein music blended Victorian scope and romance with spine-chilling modernist techniques and effects and a leitmotivic approach with major themes for the story's important characters and situations."
Time has not been kind to the music assets, however. Most of the album is sourced from 1/4" stereo session masters stored at Universal Studios, which had shown deterioration over the decades. Restoration master Chris Malone was able to work his usual magic and resolve the issues with these sources. All that work would not fix a few missing sequences that had to be sourced from the mono film stems. Yet again, Malone was able to stereorize and blend the tracks, so their differing sound quality is barely noticeable in the final program. With some additional assembly work from our hero Neil S. Bulk and the loving commitment and knowledge of both Jeff Bond and Tim Ayres, the team was able to put together the album that has been so long in coming. As many collectors noted when they heard the album was on its way, it's another grail release they can cross of their lists.
Check out the album trailer here.
The story follows young doctor Victor Frankenstein (Leonard Whiting), who, with the help of his mentor Dr. Polidori (James Mason), succeeds in creating a creature that is strikingly handsome, gentle and childlike. Victor introduces him to society, hoping to prove his experiment a success. But the results of the life-creating experiment are unstable; the creature's body begins to deteriorate, and people who once admired him recoil in horror. As he experiences rejection, betrayal and isolation, he becomes increasingly bitter and unstable. Victor, horrified by what he has done, distances himself from his creation instead of helping him.
01. The Ride (0:45)
02. Frankenstein: The True Story - Main Title (1:56)
03. Elizabeth (2:30)
04. If Satan Could Teach Me (3:13)
05. Encounter At The Church (2:30)
06. Brotherhood Of Prometheus (4:08)
07. Victor And Elizabeth (2:10)
08. Grave Robbing (2:17)
09. Henry’s Mirror Speech (2:14)
10. Frankenstein At Work (3:25)
11. The Creature (3:19)
12. You Shall Teach Us (2:27)
13. The Process Is Reversing (0:58)
14. Creature In The Park (1:15)
15. Death Of Mrs. Blair (2:15)
16. Up From The Sea (4:01)
17. No Man Could Bind Him (1:32)
18. Death Of Agatha (1:48)
19. Man In The Mask (1:07)
20. Creation Of Prima (4:29)
21. Prima’s Passions (1:03)
22. Blood On Prima’s Hand (2:16)
23. Tanks A Lot (4:53)
24. Prima’s Dance (2:27)
25. Arctic Plan (2:03)
26. Arctic Waste (6:01)
27. Frankenstein: The True Story - End Titles (2:06)
Total CD Time: 69:04