Soundtrack Snippets

The Bible Mini Series is a remake of well known bible stories starting with Noah and going through the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ. The 10 hour, 5 episode TV show unfortunately remains inaccurate in some places which was mostly due to the fact that most of the actors were allowed to ad lib most of the dialogue. Regardless, the show became the #1 most watched television show and set a big milestone for Christian television since it was broadcasted on none other than The History channel!

Jesus and His Followers

For the music, Hans Zimmer and Lorne Balfe teamed up once again to compose this massive project. The team brought along long-time collaborator  Lisa Gerrard to provide vocals for the score. The music in of itself, isn't much different from any other Zimmer-Balfe soundtrack. The music is heavy on the synth and doesn't have much thematic development. Most of the cues are nice to listen to, and Gerrard provides beautiful vocals as always, but nothing that stands

out as new or original.

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: ***

1953 film, The Robe was considered an epic of it's time. Filmed, for the first time ever in Cinemascope, audiences flocked to see "the modern miracle with no special glasses needed!"
The film itself centers around Marcellus Gallio, a Roman tribune who witnesses the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and wins his' robe. After several nightmares a severely convicted Marcellus returns to Palestine only to learn of Christ's Resurrection. It ultimately leads him from a small village, where Christ commonly visited, to Roman catacombs which hide the persecuted. The story is infused with intricate characters including the serious Pontius Pilate, headstrong Christian, Diana, and rebellious slave-turned Christian, Demetrius.
The story suffers from the usual Hollywood fare of historical inaccuracies, but brings the message of Christ's redemptive power home.
The soundtrack, composed by Alfred Newman is very similar to a film he would later score called, The Greatest Story Ever Told. One different factor is the powerful and somewhat complex theme for Diana. (Found in the cues, The Slave Market, The Map of Jerusalem, and Capri.) It's a real heart-rending theme.
Some of the choral cues are classic Newman while others stand out distinctively. The cue, The Ressurection, is a poignant song about Christ's Resurrection performed by Carol Richards backed up with a single harp. Her voice is definitely 1950's style and may sound dated, but regardless, the song still rings true. One of the last choral cues titled,  Finale/Hallelujah includes the choir repeating "Hallelujah". (Sound familiar?) while other powerful choral tracks include wordless vocals (Marcellus' Redemption, The Crucifixion, and several others).
Some of the action cues are typical clashing orchestra, Newman style (Demetrius Rescue,The Catcombs, etc.), while in one particular cue, The Chase, a piano is heavily played (or maybe pounded), upon. It's an intensely fun cue!
The score, altogether, is another Newman masterpiece to add to the biblical epics genre and given the cinematic scope of the film (Cinemascope, get it? Yeah, pun intended!), Alfred Newman was a perfect choice to score brilliant film, The Robe.

Rating: ****

1965 film, The Greatest Story Ever Told is the true story of Jesus Christ.  The director, George Stevens handpicked well-known actors such as Charlton Heston (John the Baptist), Max von Sydow (Jesus Christ), and even John Wayne (Roman Centurion). The movie's filming locations were interesting to say the least. States like Utah, Arizona, and Nevada doubled as small biblical towns such as Jerusalem, Cana, Bethlehem, etc. The Colorado river was even used as the Jordan river. The film was nicknamed The Longest Story Ever Told, given it's 225 minute run-time.
The job of composer fell to Alfred Newman who had previously worked with George Stevens on his film, The Diary of Ann Frank, which was nominated for an Oscar. Considering the length of the film, Newman had a lot of work on his hands.
The use of choir in the film is surprisingly minimal given the epic scope of the film. Thankfully the music stands on it's own, without the need of much choral statements. Jesus' theme, used throughout the score, is a mellow somewhat sorrowful sound to it and appropriately so, considering Jesus' crucifixion near the end of the film.
Throughout the film the music remains subtle, simple, and delicate. There are a few powerhouse cues such as, There Shall Come A Time To Enter, in which a choir chants the words "Hosanna". For some, it can seem annoying and cliche, but for me it seemed like the perfect break from the slower paced cues. The choir is also used in the cue, And the Word Was God. It is classic Alfred Newman style choir, at it's best!
During the end when Jesus is flogged, beaten, and crucified, Newman keeps the cues mellow, respectful, and refined most notably in the eleven minute cue; Via Dolorosa. Not once does Newman switch to cacophonic themed cues. Then, in the cue, Resurrection and Ascension (Click the link to hear the cue), Newman brings the choir in while strings are vigorously played. Instead of chanting "Hosanna", the choir sings out, "Hallelujah". It's a really emotionally charged cue!
During post production on the film, most of Newman's score was either cut out, or replaced in the film much to the composer's chagrin. The director also completely removed Newman's end credits suite and replaced it with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus (The cue titled, (The Triumph of the Spirit). Because of that decision, the end of the film borders on corny. The cue is beautifully performed and correctly describes Jesus Christ, but is sadly misplaced.
All in all, the score is a remarkable piece of work, and a great addition to anyone's soundtrack collection!

Rating: ****

Mention the name of actor, Charlton Heston, and people automatically relate him to his work on the biblical epic; Ben Hur. Based on the book by Lew Wallace, Ben Hur is the story of a Jewish prince who is betrayed by his best friend and sentenced to slavery working in the Roman galleys. When he regains his freedom, he comes back for revenge which presents itself in the form of a chariot race. Interwoven into the story is a mysterious man who calls himself Jesus, and ultimately impacts Ben Hur's life forever (On a unique side-note, Lew Wallace, the author of Ben Hur, served as a Governor in my birth state; New Mexico). The film itself was a huge success making about $70,000,000.
Hungarian composer, Miklos Rozsa knew how to really score a biblical epic. He had already scored a film called Quo Vadis (I'll be reviewing that one later on), which was from the same genre. That was probably one of the reasons he was picked to score this massive story. The score has it all. From Roman fanfare and overtures, to tender love themes, to action-filled music.
The cue, Star of Bethlehem, takes place during the birth of Jesus Christ and Rozsa uses strings and a backing choir announcing the birth of a King. For Jesus himself, Rozsa used a sensitive theme playing on the strings and with pizzicato strings subtly backing it up. That theme is most prevalent in the cues, Prince of Peace Pt. One and Two. The Galley is a laborious sounding piece as the galley slaves who are rowing a Roman battleship go back and forth to the beat of the music. The cue crescendo's going faster and faster as the galley slaves in the film are instructed to row quicker. It's really quite a brilliant idea on Rozsa's part, and by the end of it, leaves even the listener feeling exhausted.
One criticism I have for the score is the long and repetitive Roman fanfare that appears EVERYWHERE in the score. After a listening to the theme a couple of times in various cues, it just gets annoying!

The music takes a dramatic turn when Ben Hur witnesses Jesus Christ, crucified. The cue, Bearing the Cross is a strong orchestral tune and then dramatically switches to Jesus' soft theme. It's quite heart rending and powerful! The ultimate climax is reached in my favorite cues, The Miracle and Finale. It's a perfect ending for a biblical epic soundtrack!

Rating: ****