5060216344126

The Thief Of Bagdad

Mortimer Wilson

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Format: CD

Cat No: FHR126

Release Date:  04 March 2022

Label:  First Hand Records

Packaging Type:  Digipak

No of Units:  1

Barcode:  5060216344126

Genres:  Classical  Film Soundtrack  

  • Description

    First recording of the original score for the 1924 silent film starring Douglas Fairbanks.

    Written almost 100 years ago, The Thief of Bagdad is one of the greatest ever film scores and incredibly, has never been recorded until now – FHR are honoured to be able to release the first recording of this wonderful score. Recorded in 2019, this recording features one of greatest European orchestras, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony, along with conductor Mark Fitz-Gerald who has an unparalleled reputation for performing the very specialised task of accompanying silent films live with orchestra.

    The score was written by the American composer Mortimer Wilson at the specific request of the film's main star actor Douglas Fairbanks. The Thief of Bagdad is now widely considered one of the great silent films and Fairbanks's greatest work. For the first time, Fairbanks recognised the composer as a creative collaborator from the start in the overall composition of his film (Wilson spent many hours in the projection room working out precise timings for every scene). Wilson was essentially a classical composer. Indeed, you can hear influences of Puccini's aria Vissi d'arte from Tosca, hints of Wagner's Valkyrie, along with moments of Alban Berg, Reger and Tchaikovsky.

    Fairbanks biographer Jeffrey Vance writes, "An epic romantic fantasy-adventure inspired by several of the Arabian Nights tales, The Thief of Bagdad is the greatest artistic triumph of Fairbanks's career. The superb visual design, spectacle, imaginative splendor, and visual effects, along with his bravura performance (leading a cast of literally thousands), all contribute to making this his masterpiece."

  • Tracklisting

      Disc 1

      Side 1

      • 1. Prelude
      • 2. The Holy Man
      • 3. A Street In Bagdad
      • 4. Hungar
      • 5. The Magic Rope
      • 6. The Mosque
      • 7. The Thief At Work
      • 8. Bird Of Evil
      • 9. The Palace At Ho Sho
      • 10. Open Wide The Gates!
      • 11. Eunuchs
      • 12. The Princess Sleeps
      • 13. The Bed Chamber
      • 14. The Princess Aroused
      • 15. Love Bird
      • 16. The Prince Of The Indies
      • 17. Cham Shang The Great
      • 18. Prince Of The Isles
      • 19. Hunt Him Down
      • 20. Less Than A Slave
      • 21. She Shall Choose Again
      • 22. The Quest Begins
      • 23. A Caravansary In The Desert
      • 24. The Mountains Of Dread Adventure
      • 25. The Valley Of Fire
      • 26. The Flying Carpet
      • 27. The Valley Of The Monsters
      • 28. The Cavern Of The Enchanted Trees
      • 29. The Magic Crystal
      • 30. The Depths Of The Midnight Sea
      • 31. The Abode Of The Winged Horse
      • 32. The Island Of Wak
      • 33. The Magic Apple
      • 34. The Citadel Of The Moon
      • 35. Poisoned
      • 36. Which Gift Is Rarest?
      • 37. Bide Your Time
      • 38. The Magic Army
      • 39. Happiness Is Earned