Filmed in Chad under the most inhospitable conditions imaginable, John Huston’s big-screen adaptation of The Roots of Heaven (a tale of one man’s fight against elephant poachers) received a lukewarm reception when it was released in 1958. There can be no complaints, however, about Sir Malcolm Arnold’s superb contribution to the venture. For the film’s glitzy New York premiere, producer Darryl F Zanuck specially commissioned the swaggeringly colourful ‘Overture’, which contains all the main material (including the sumptuous waltz that is Minna’s theme – later turned into a pop song, covered by Johnny Nash). Highlights later on include the rivetingly tense four-minute sequence entitled ‘The Elephant Hunt’ (track 13), the stirring ‘Finale and End Titles’ (where the full extent of the kinship between the elephants’ opening motif and Morel’s theme is cleverly revealed in all its climactic glory), and two additional cues ‘developed’ by Alfred Newman at Zanuck’s behest.
Likewise, David Copperfield (Sir Malcolm’s very last film score, completed in October 1969) brings a host of felicities, not least a generous lyrical warmth and wonderfully deft orchestral resource (as ever with this composer). Arnold’s formidable melodic gifts are again very much in evidence, not least in the deliciously mischievous portrait of Mr Micawber with its marvellous clarinet writing (inexplicably, almost completely cut from the final print) and the touching love music for Davy and Dora (track 27).
As on his terrific resuscitation of Philip Sainton’s magnificent score for John Huston’s Moby Dick (Marco Polo, 12/98), William Stromberg draws some accomplished and enthusiastic playing from his Moscow forces. True, the sound’s not absolutely ideal (the chosen venue has a slightly cramped acoustic and there’s the occasional spotlit instrumental line), but the disc as a whole deserves a very warm welcome. Marco Polo’s presentation strikes me as altogether exemplary