The Sea Hawk

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

Every few days I will post a thread on a random score from my collection that we can discuss and rate. I made a playlist on my computer with one track of each score I've got, so by using the random play option, I'll be able to post a truly random score each time. Hopefully this will allow us to discuss some scores that would otherwise never be discussed. Also we can record the rating so that we can create a full list of the ratings given to scores by JWFan.com.

Today's score is The Sea Hawk by Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Are you familiar with it? What do you like about it? What don't you like about it? How do do you think it works in the film? What are your favourite tracks? Which version do you consider best?

You can base your opinion on the original version or on whatever re-recording you prefer.

So far JWFan has rated:

Zathura by John Debney: 3,17 stars - 15 votes - 9 unfamiliar

Rambo III by Jerry Goldsmith: 3,62 stars - 17 votes - 4 unfamiliar

Star Trek X: Nemesis by Jerry Goldsmith: 3,11 stars - 32 votes - 5 unfamiliar

[Charlie Brigden 7]

I couldn't say on the actual score - I do have it but haven't listened to it - but the main theme is stunning.

[Quintus 5,787]

Is it? I'll have to check it out.

[crocodile 9,237]

The only version I'm really familiar with is the recent complete re-recording by Moscow Symphony. It's great! And cheap. I find myself listening to it quite often, moreso than others scores from the era. The early battle cue is my favourite (it is track 4, if remember correctly).

5 stars. Easily.

In fact, I'm going to give it a listen right now

Karol

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

I couldn't say on the actual score - I do have it but haven't listened to it - but the main theme is stunning.

Same thing for me. I hardly know the score itself; only the main theme. Which is really quite good. I did once try to listen to the score and it did sound nice enough, but it didn't quite connect with me the same way Cutthroat Island did.

[crocodile 9,237]

The funny thing about this theme is that it seems to be everywhere in the first half and hardly present in the second.

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,088]

That's because it's so old.

[MrScratch 296]

Finally, a score I'm familiar with. 5 Stars, EWK never wrote a bad score!

[Luke Skywalker 2,225]

Peter, are you someday going to ask a score that i own?

[Romão 2,432]

5 stars, no doubt whatsoever. The recent complete re-recording is quite nice (specially since it is the complete score), but 15 minute suite by Gerhardt is absolutely stunning.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

Peter, are you someday going to ask a score that i own?

That depends on whether you have any action/adventure scores. That's what my collection is mostly made up of. I've got 400+ scores now though and the selection for my threads is pretty much random. But I'll see about posting a more well-known score next time.

[Incanus 5,858]

Sea Hawk is an awesome score! So much fun and energy. Always something happening! One of the classic swashbucklers. I bought the complete version from Naxos as soon as I heard it was coming out.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

I really like seafaring music, but I've never been able to really appreciate The Sea Hawk properly, outside of the main title. I wonder why; really doesn't make much sense. Could anybody tell me any particular things to like about this score?

[Incanus 5,858]

I really like seafaring music, but I've never been able to really appreciate The Sea Hawk properly, outside of the main title. I wonder why; really doesn't make much sense. Could anybody tell me any particular things to like about this score?

Do you like the Golden Age swashbuckling music in general? Might be that you do not have the taste for this kind of seafaring music.

I personally like the extremely busy and intricate nature of Korngold swashbucklers with almost balletic and openly operatic grand gestures, melodies (even if those are little sugary) and the beautiful flow of the music.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 11,088]

So much fun and energy. Always something happening!

Exactly, too many notes, not enough rests.

[Incanus 5,858]

So much fun and energy. Always something happening!

Exactly, too many notes, not enough rests.

Well I usually have to be in a very energetic mood myself to listen to this kind of music in the first place. Nothing wrong with those notes then.

But I can't take more than one of these scores in a day After that it becomes Golden Age overload.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

Do you like the Golden Age swashbuckling music in general? Might be that you do not have the taste for this kind of seafaring music.

Of the Golden Age music I have heard, I think I like Mutiny on the Bounty (technically Silver Age, but it's all the same to me) and El Cid best. Other than those two, I only really appreciate the main titles and suites to the Golden Age scores. I think it helps that I've actually seen those two films. Although I have been trying to get to see more old films lately, a lot of the really fun stuff seems to be pretty much unavailable. Most notably Captain Blood and The Sea Hawk. I'd love to see those films!

I've also seen Ben-Hur and Captain Horatio Hornblower and I do appreciate the music in those films quite a lot, though I never really listened to the complete score of Ben-Hur. As for Hornblower, there's hardly any music of that available. I did find five tracks accumulating to 21 minutes of music on some sort of Horatio Hornblower suite in perfect sound quality though, which I'm really happy with.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

[ConnieR. 0]

I haven't seen the movie, or heard the complete soundtrack, but I have heard several tracks, and what I've heard I like. Great theme, and great treatment. It's one of my favorite Korngold scores.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

Is that available in Europe? I never saw that in stores and I searched for those films on play.com a while ago, but could only find Region 1 versions.

I like pirate films and want to see the famous old ones. Right now I'm stuck with just PotC and Cutthroat Island. And Disney's Treasure Island, which is probably the most similar to the old ones.

[Lurker 5]

This score annoys me in the movie, but I enjoy listening to the various recordings. I'm giving it a three.

Robin Hood is better.

Neil

[Neimoidian 14]

I only know the original Korngold's recording and the sound of it detracts me so much from enjoying it (it generally refers to all my Korngold cues from the double cd compilation: "The Warner Bros Years").

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Ray Barnsbury - waiting for a poll about a score he's heard

[Ollie 1,310]

Peter, are you someday going to ask a score that i own?

Ray Barnsbury - waiting for a poll about a score he's heard

You both need to broaden your horizons.....

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

I think I'll go with 4 stars on this one. I know it's really good from all your comments, but can't really give it 5 stars until I have given it several full listens and have come to appreciate it more.

Well, at least I'm pleased that through these threads we can show scores to people that otherwise would never have heard about them. Perhaps by seeing the rating and comments people provide, other people might get interested to give these scores a listen. I'm certainly more willing to give these scores a listen myself, now that I've seen what other people think about them.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Peter, are you someday going to ask a score that i own?

Ray Barnsbury - waiting for a poll about a score he's heard

You both need to broaden your horizons.....

It's true! I like these polls, I'm just too ignorant of the scores so far to vote.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

At least there's the "I'm not familiar with this score" option, so you can at least vote for something.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Yes, it gives me a slight feeling of worth.

[Marian Schedenig 10,431]

A solid 5-star classic.

Exactly, too many notes, not enough rests.

You just described Independence Day and CutThroat Island.

Hawk has plenty of restful parts.

[artyjeffrey 20]

Sea Hawk is an awesome score! So much fun and energy. Always something happening! One of the classic swashbucklers. I bought the complete version from Naxos as soon as I heard it was coming out.

Where did you find it? I can never find it on the Naxos site.

[Incanus 5,858]

The score can be found quite easily through their website under his name in the composer listing. Here is the link

Seahawk

[Charlie Brigden 7]

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

Is that available in Europe? I never saw that in stores and I searched for those films on play.com a while ago, but could only find Region 1 versions.

I like pirate films and want to see the famous old ones. Right now I'm stuck with just PotC and Cutthroat Island. And Disney's Treasure Island, which is probably the most similar to the old ones.

Yeah, it's Region 2. I bought it in HMV in the UK.

[Pieter Boelen 1,020]

Ok; thanks. I'll keep a look-out for it.

[crocodile 9,237]

A solid 5-star classic.

Exactly, too many notes, not enough rests.

You just described Independence Day and CutThroat Island.

Hawk has plenty of restful parts.

My thoughts exactly.

Karol

[MSM 128]

There is a new recording on Chandos of the full score.

As a true Korngold fan I rate this one 5 stars.

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

Is that available in Europe? I never saw that in stores and I searched for those films on play.com a while ago, but could only find Region 1 versions.

I like pirate films and want to see the famous old ones. Right now I'm stuck with just PotC and Cutthroat Island. And Disney's Treasure Island, which is probably the most similar to the old ones.

Yeah, it's Region 2. I bought it in HMV in the UK.

Can you post more info on that box set? I have been looking for the two movies but they seem not available here.

[Charlie Brigden 7]

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

Is that available in Europe? I never saw that in stores and I searched for those films on play.com a while ago, but could only find Region 1 versions.

I like pirate films and want to see the famous old ones. Right now I'm stuck with just PotC and Cutthroat Island. And Disney's Treasure Island, which is probably the most similar to the old ones.

Yeah, it's Region 2. I bought it in HMV in the UK.

Can you post more info on that box set? I have been looking for the two movies but they seem not available here.

Sure, it's this one: Errol Flynn Signature Collection

Contains:

DIVE BOMBER

THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON

THE SEA HAWK

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX

DODGE CITY

CAPTAIN BLOOD

Great price on Amazon, too.

[Marian Schedenig 10,431]

I have the German DVD releases of both Blood and Hawk. Got them both from local stores.

[GoldsmithFanatic2000+ 0]

Seeeaaa hawk... as sea as the..... wait, that's Born Free!

5 stars from me. Good ol' classic from the Golden Age.

[MSM 128]

CAPTAIN BLOOD and THE SEA HAWK are both in Warner's Errol Flynn boxset. Track them down, they're excellent.

Is that available in Europe? I never saw that in stores and I searched for those films on play.com a while ago, but could only find Region 1 versions.

I like pirate films and want to see the famous old ones. Right now I'm stuck with just PotC and Cutthroat Island. And Disney's Treasure Island, which is probably the most similar to the old ones.

Yeah, it's Region 2. I bought it in HMV in the UK.

Can you post more info on that box set? I have been looking for the two movies but they seem not available here.

Sure, it's this one: Errol Flynn Signature Collection

Contains:

DIVE BOMBER

THEY DIED WITH THEIR BOOTS ON

THE SEA HAWK

THE PRIVATE LIVES OF ELIZABETH AND ESSEX

DODGE CITY

CAPTAIN BLOOD

Great price on Amazon, too.

Thanks!

[redfoxden 0]

I've heard both of Gerhardt's Sea Hawk Suites, and I think they're fantastic, but that's only about 15 minutes of music so I can't really say I'm familiar enough with this score.

[artyjeffrey 20]

The score can be found quite easily through their website under his name in the composer listing. Here is the link

Seahawk

Thanks Incanus-- ordered it.

Figured I'd better after a good omen tonight. An episode of "Family Guy" came on with a plotline about his acquiring a parrot, and then behaving like a pirate. during a drive, he conducted pirate-style warfare with an adjacent motorist, and the incidental music was "the Sea Hawk."

[Ollie 1,310]

That whole sequence was frickin hilarious.

[Morlock 11]

I imagine the album of this would be good. It's not particularly good in the film, which I hated. Way too much mickey-mousing. The main theme is a great theme, though, and works well at a couple of points in the film.

[Mattris 439]

The Sea Hawk film score certainly influenced Williams in his composing style. While incomplete, the Utah Symphony recording is spectacular. Check out the Main Title music:

http://buysoundtrax.stores.yahoo.net/seahawdigrec.html

Buying options at Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Sea-Hawk-1987-Studio.../dp/B00000154B/

The Moscow Symphony recently re-recorded the full score:

http://www.screenarchives.com/title_detail.cfm?ID=7241

.... but lacks the energy of Utah's effort.

Make an effort to get a hold of this monumental film score.

[Romão 2,432]

Although only 15 minutes in length, Gerhardt's recording is the absolute must have for this score.

[Maglorfin 213]

Sea Hawk is an awesome score! So much fun and energy. Always something happening! One of the classic swashbucklers. I bought the complete version from Naxos as soon as I heard it was coming out.

Completely seconded. The Main Title is one of the best Main Titles ever written, I can never resist to listen to it less than 5-10 times in a row when I put the CD into my player.

[Marian Schedenig 10,431]

The only shame is that Captian Blood (both the score and the movie) will forever be in Sea Hawk's shadow.

[Humpty Dumpty 0]

Don't get me wrong because I love John Williams, but when it comes to film scoring, Korngold was the greatest there ever was.

[King Mark 3,848]

I listened to Sea Hawk once and I didn't like it enough to play it again. Too typical golden ageish sounding

Williams writes much better themes

[Humpty Dumpty 0]

I listened to Sea Hawk and I didn;t like it that much. Too typical golden age sounding

Korngold invented the "Golden Age." That sound was in his music before it was in Hollywood, even before Hollywood had sound at all!