Oops…a tad late to the party, but hey, it’s still Thursday! So here’s some swashbuckling movie music. I’ve waxed poetic about Erich Wolfgang Korngold in this space before, and specifically about my favorite Errol Flynn movie of all time (and my favorite pirate movie of all time, too), The Sea Hawk. For years, the only version of the music that I was able to find was this fifteen-minute suite, presented on a compilation disc of Korngold music conducted by Charles Gerhardt. During the 1970s and 80s, when movie music tended to be pretty hard to find — especially recordings of older, classic scores — Gerhardt’s re-recordings were often the only thing available, and what a good thing, too, as Gerhardt tended to do wonderful things with these scores. This suite from The Sea Hawk is no exception. It’s in two parts due to length, but the break is in a very logical spot, coming after a triumphant spot where the suite goes silent before playing the film’s magnificent love theme. Keep an ear out for the thrilling “Strike for the Shores of Dover”, which comes during the movie’s most exciting segment, after Captain Geoffrey Thorpe (Flynn) and friends have freed themselves from the chains and oars of a Spanish galleon. Enjoy!
Annotations:
0:00: Main theme, intro at the court of King Philip of Spain
2:06: First sighting of the Albatross, Captain Thorpe’s ship
3:11: Entry of the Sea Hawks (captains of privateer ships) into the court of Queen Elizabeth I of England
4:15: Captain Thorpe bids farewell to Dona Maria before setting sail again
4:49: Captain Thorpe’s enemies plan a trap
5:18: The march of the gold caravan through the jungle of Panama
7:35: Duel with the Spanish captain / Duel with Lord Wolfingham
9:15: The freed English sailors take the Spanish ship
9:52: “Strike for the Shores of Dover!” and conclusion
