John Barry James Clavell's The Last Valley (LP, Japan)

(MCA Records) 15 tracks, Original Motion Picture Soundtrack.

Listening to Barry's film scores since the mid-1980s, one could easily forget what fabulous scores the Brit had written in the previous two and a half decades. One of these magnificent works is The Last Valley from 1970, a war drama set in the Thirty Years' War, which was a flop at the time despite a good cast (Michael Caine, Omar Sharif).

Barry's film score was pressed on LP at the time with a running time of about 37 minutes and re-released in 1998 by the Tickertape label with the same content. Nic Raine, who was already responsible for a whole series of Barry re-recordings, reconstructed the complete score for the first time in 2001. It was recorded (as were the other Barry CDs on Silva Screen) with the Prague Philharmonic and, once again, the Crouch End Festival Chorus. With just under sixty minutes of playing time, the new edition allows a fresh look at the particularly striking Barry composition.

Central importance is given to the chorales. However, unlike on The Lion in Winter, they sound less solemn and more supportive of the drama of the action. The most gripping chorale is based on the somber 17th century Gryphius poem "Tears of the Fatherland." The impressive opening piece, with military drum rhythms and rugged brass interludes, also forms the main theme of the music. But the lyrical melody for the valley and the other choral songs are also beautiful to listen to. The pieces An Evening Songand A Christmas Song, sung by a women's choir, are particularly charming. A melancholy, somber atmosphere unfolds, providing a very atmospheric listening experience.

John Barry had six months for his composition and you can tell. For The Last Valley is unusually diverse and thematically rich music for Barry. It is undoubtedly among the composer's best. With a detailed accompanying text and the clean recording of the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, the new recording of this great film composition knows how to inspire. There is no question that The Last Valley presents itself as an important addition to the Barry discography, and under Nic Raine it presents itself as an album with considerable listening qualities.