Conducted by Varujan Kojian

Performed by the Utah Symphony Orchestra

Produced by George Korngold

Release Date: October 25th, 1990

         Varèse Saranbande

Score Restorations by John Morgan

Conducted by William Stromberg

Performed by The Moscow Symphony Orchestra

Release Date: November 18th, 2003

        Marco Polo Records

     No other score has deserved so much of an official release as Erich Wolfgang Korngold’s masterful score to the 1938 Errol Flynn film, The Adventures of Robin Hood. While different suites and pieces of material from this score can be found on a variety of compilation albums, an actual release existed only in Varèse Sarabande’s re-recording which utilized the talents of Varujan Kojian and the Utah Symphony Orchestra (if you don’t count the hard-to-find bootleg and international releases of the original score that is). The sound quality is quite good, and I found this re-recording to present this score pretty much as I remember it from the film. Still, as with the latest Sea Hawk recording, I have encountered some disparaging comments made regarding the performances on this album. I found the Utah Symphony's performance of this score to be quite exciting and fast in tempo, and while I can appreciate the views of those who may be more in tune with Korngold's original recordings. Though while strong on its own merits, the album, which was recorded in the early eighties for release on vinyl, is woefully incomplete. Now in late 2003, the DVD release of The Adventures of Robin Hood comes complete with an isolated score track, so purists will be able to take in Korngold’s original without the distraction of dialogue and sound effects. If you don’t mind another take on this material, however, enter Marco Polo Records, William Stromberg, and the Moscow Symphony Orchestra with their brilliant re-recording of this score.

     As I noted with the other re-recording of Korngold's The Sea Hawk, his music is surprisingly thematically sound and contains a lot of interesting leitmotiv work. Robin Hood is no exception and I found the thematic work in this score to be quite rich and varied. In fact, the leitmotiv approach to this film continues to call to mind the work John Williams did for Star Wars. Korngold's Robin Hood contains many elements that would become the staple of adventure films from that time forward. His score contains all elements required for such a film: heroism, romance, and villainy, and he handles each supremely well. The themes touching on each of those ideas are terrific and the variations that they go through as they support the action on the screen make for an interesting and pleasurable listen.

     The last two scores I’ve had the pleasure of sampling from this esteemed line of re-recordings, The Egyptian and King Kong, have been great successes. The performances of the Moscow Symphony Orchestra are both vibrant and powerful. The attention to detail, not so much with stringency to the original as an attempt to cast classic scores in a tad more contemporary light, brings out the best of this music that was originally recorded with less-than-optimal technology. The same care and attention has been lavished on this score, from the painstaking reconstructions of cues taken from what is left of the original sheet materials, to the hours-and-hours upon end of listening to a surviving copy of the isolated score on audio tape. While I’m sure the effort must have been strenuous, the end result is clearly heard on this album. Simply put, this is the closest that probably any re-recording will ever achieve in matching and improving (sound quality-wise) on such classic music. In addition, the extensive liner notes include background information on the writing of the score, a track-by-track analysis, and a description of the process through which the music was reconstructed. It is a hefty booklet indeed, in addition to being a fascinating read.

     It also helps that Korngold’s score (which won an Academy Award), is one of the most loved and well-known from the prolific composer. The themes that encompass nearly every aspect of the story (and utilized throughout the score in an intelligent fashion), the swashbuckling action cues (which Korngold himself figured he could never write), and the cohesion which labels this score as a work of art, and not just background music for a film, all come together in an immensely satisfying package.

     As far as re-recordings go the Varèse album does a good job (and some may like the performances better on that disc), but it doesn’t get much better than Marco Polo’s lavish treatment. It is richly deserved, and for fans of Korngold’s The Adventures of Robin Hood, there isn’t any reason you shouldn’t have this one in your collection.

Full Original Score:

Varese Sarabande Release:

Marco Polo Release:

Varese Sarabande Release

1 - Prologue (1:38)

2 - Banquet at Nottingham Castle (1:54)

3 - Robin Enters the Great Hall (057)

4 - Escape from the Castle (4:17)

5 - Robin Meets Little John (1:40)

6 - The Oath and the Black Arrow (1:57)

7 - Robin and Friar Tuck (1:27)

8 - Ambush in Sherwood (3:05)

9 - Feast in the Forest (2:55)

10 - Robin and Marian (3:16)

11 - The Archery Tournament (3:06)

12 - Escape from the Gallows (2:18)

13 - Love Scene (5:49)

14 - Dagger Fight: King Richard in Sherwood (2:10)

15 - Coronation Procession (3:09)

16 - Duel, Victory, and Epilogue (3:25)

Marco Polo Release

1 - Main Title - Muted Fanfare (1:49)

2 - Sir Guy and Robin Hood (1:49)

3 - The Meeting (1:11)

4 - The Banquet (2:14)

5 - Robin Hood Outside - Robin Hood's Entrance - The Fight - The

     Chase of Robin Hood - The Victims (6:13)

6 - Robin Hood Meets Little John - Robin Hood Fights with Little 

     John - Jolly Friendship (3:56)

7 - The Oath and The Black Arrow (1:58)

8 - The Fish - Robin Hood's Fight with Friar Tuck (3:29)

9 - A New Companion (Friar Tuck) (0:56)

10 - Robin Hood Attacks Sir Guy's Party - The Attack (5:12)

11 - Flirt - Feast - Poor People's Feast - Gold (5:59)

12 - The Poor People (4:19)

13 - The Tournament - Robin Hood's Appearance at the Archery

       Field - Preparation for the Archery Contest - Robin Hood

       Starts to Shoot - Finale of the Archery Contest (6:38)

14 - Arrest of Robin Hood (0:47)

15 - Tribunal - The Jail (2:27)

16 - The Gallows - The Flight of Robin Hood (4:40)

17 - Love Scene (6:25)

18 - Arrest of Lady Marian (0:45)

19 - Much: The Knife Fight (1:10)

20 - Richard Meets Robin Hood - Richard the Lion Heart (4:03)

21 - The Procession (3:09)

22 - Prince John (1:33)

23 - The Battle - The Duel - The Victory (5:36)

24 - Epilogue (1:33)

25 - End Cast (0:35)