The Godfather Triology: I, II & III

by City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, Crouch End Festival Chorus, Paul Bateman

Overview

No small part of the success of The Godfather was director Francis Ford Coppola's coup in getting Italian composer Nino Rota, best known for his scores to Federico Fellini's films, to write its music. Rota borrowed and transformed a theme from an earlier work of his as the score's main motive, presenting a lovely, lonely, minor-key melody that evoked the Italian heritage on which Coppola built the film's sense of grand tragedy. The melody was highly serviceable, working both as a single trumpet tune and as the basis for dances and other musical moments throughout the film. Coppola also brought in his father, Carmine Coppola, to handle some of the music on both The Godfather and The Godfather, Part II, with the elder Coppola taking over more extensively on The Godfather, Part III, which was produced after Rota's death. Soundtrack albums for all three films reached the charts, and now Silva America Records has put together an album of music from the three films, newly recorded by the City of Prague Philharmonic conducted by Paul Bateman. The cardboard cover on the CD jewel box contains the phrase "30th Anniversary," which indicates that somebody can't count, because The Godfather was released in 1972, but no matter. The music remains compelling, with the prelude to Pietro Mascagni's opera Cavalleria Rusticana, used as the dramatic conclusion to Part III, fitting in well and suggesting one of the influences on Rota's style. ~ William Ruhlmann

Product Details

Release Date:	03/13/2001
Label:	Silva America
UPC:	0738572112127
Rank:	33854

Tracks

1. The Godfather - Waltz
2. Love Theme from the Godfather
3. Sicilian Pastorale
4. The Pick-Up
5. The Godfather - Tarantella
6. The Godfather - Mazurka
7. The Godfather - Finale
8. The Immigrant
9. Kay
10. Marcia Stilo Italiano
11. The Godfather, Pt. 2 - End Title
12. Marcia Religiosa
13. Marcia Festa
14. The Immigrant/Love Theme from the Godfather III
15. The Godfather 3 - Intermezzo
16. Preludio from Cavalleria Rusticana
17. Coda: The Godfather Finale

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Paul Bateman   Primary Artist,Conductor
Crouch End Festival Chorus   Primary Artist,Choir/Chorus
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra   Primary Artist,Orchestra
Miroslav Vilimec   Orchestra Leader
Rudolph Wiederman   Conductor

Technical Credits

Carmine Coppola   Orchestration,Composer,Arranger
John Luard Timperley   Digital Engineer,Digital Recording Engineer
Gareth Williams   Editing,Mastering,Surround Sound
David Wishart   Liner Notes
Nino Rota   Arranger,Composer,Liner Notes,Orchestration
Mike Ross-Trevor   Engineer
Pietro Mascagni   Arranger,Composer,Orchestration
David Stoner   Release Coordinator
Jan Holzner   Assistant Engineer
Colin Parker   Design
Christopher Tin   Arranger,Orchestration,Associate Producer
City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra   Performer
James Fitzpatrick   Producer
Reynold da Silva   Executive Producer
Rudolph Wiederman   Orchestra Contractor