Tadlow Music presents a new recording of the complete Bernard Herrmann score to Brian DePalma’s riveting and dreamlike psychological thriller. Palma’s superbly stylish Obsession is today viewed as an underrated masterpiece. The film features some of the best and most sensual work by Herrmann outside the Hitchcock and Scorcese movies. In 1976, a year after Bernard Herrmann’s death, the score for Obsession was, together with his music for Taxi Driver, nominated for an Academy Award...

Bernard Herrmann's original score for Obsession (1976) was one of the composer's last. Herrmann died in 1975, before the movie opened. Tadlow Music has gone back to the composer's original scores and sketches. in order to faithfully restore this soundtrack as closely to the original as possible.

The album contains 20 tracks (1 hr, 05 min, 55 sec) of pure Herrmann magic. 'The Tomb / Memorial Park' has elements of his earlier score for Vertigo (1958), and there's a smattering of Cape Fear which raises its head from time to time. In addition 'Sandra' and 'The Confession / The Hospital / The Cemetery / Past and Present' borrow heavily from Gustav Holst's The Planets suite.

We only received digital files to review the album from, but those buying the score will receive a 2-disc set which includes a 16-page booklet. Disc one includes Blu-ray audio featuring 5.1 Surround Sound 24bit/96kHz mix and 2.0 24bit/96kHz mix plus video of the recording sessions in surround sound and stereo. Disc two holds a stereo mix of the score on a CD.

This is a wonderful reproduction of a beautiful score. Herrmann fans will love this lovingly reconstructed release.

10

Darren Rea