Soundtrack Snippets

The TV show, Jesus of Nazareth may not have been considered a "biblical epic" but given the scope of the story, I would say it fits the genre. The film gave a respectful portrayal of Jesus Christ and composer, Maurice Jarre obviously strove to do the same.
The album released is a short, 44 minutes which isn't much  considering that the length of the show was about 382 minutes.
Jarre utilizes Middle East specialty instruments to maintain the accuracy of the music. His use of them is minimal except in one track, Salome, in which the cue goes into a fast paced frenzy. The track is obviously a dance cue, but given the title (If anyone knows the story of Salome and John the Baptist), I'm not surprised.
Another track contains audio from the TV show, titled The Beatitudes. The actor of Jesus, Robert Powell, gives a famous talk known as the Beatitudes and Lord's Prayer while subtle strings play in the background. The scores slow pace, picks up during the cue, Crucifixion but immediately returns to the reverent, simplistic style that Jarre maintains as soon as the cue is half over. Jesus' main theme is played on a specialty flute that almost sounds like a person whistling  It's a unique idea though it may take some time to get used to.
The score itself, though accurate, is not an "over the top, highly recommended" score, but if you enjoy the biblical epics genre; then add this album to your collection. It's worth it.

Rating: ***