A superb collection of some of the greatest tunes from Hollywood, composed during the Golden Age of Cinema and affording nearly three hours of nostalgic indulgence. The compilation focuses on key figures of the early film composer generation, among them Max Steiner, Franz Waxman and Eric Korngold – child prodigies who has studied with or had their works performed by the likes of Brahms and Mahler. Having come over to the USA to make a better living and – in the case of Waxman and Korngold – to escape Nazi persecution, they rejected the modernist music of Schoenberg and Stravinsky in favour of the German Romantic tradition (as exemplified in Richard Strauss’s tone poems). The result was a richly orchestrated, symphonic style of writing, soon to become known as the ‘Hollywood Sound’. From the deeply lush harmonies of Gone with the Wind, to the Wagnerian forces employed to evocative effect in The Bride of Frankenstein, these composers were masters of their art who knew how to wield a good tune out of the dramatic developments on screen. A fantastic 3CD set which is guaranteed to transport the listener instantly to film music heaven.