Sir
George Martin's credentials as
the Beatles' producer and arranger are widely known, though with the exception of his orchestral score for the animated film Yellow Submarine, which was released on the soundtrack album in 1969, little of his own music has been recorded and released on CD. The Berlin Music Ensemble, under the direction of
Craig Leon, has brought together excerpts from
Martin's film music and orchestral pieces for separate projects, some appearing here as premiere recordings. The Pepperland Suite from Yellow Submarine is by far the most familiar, while the score from the James Bond film Live and Let Die had considerable exposure in 1973. The only other film music provided here are unused sketches of chorales for The Mission, a film ultimately scored by
Ennio Morricone, so these are true rarities. The overture based on incidental music for Dylan Thomas' play Under Milk Wood and the Three American Sketches for violin and chamber orchestra demonstrate
Martin's uncommon skill with orchestration, though their soft pastoral moods limit their appeal. The remaining tracks -- Judy's Theme, Belle Étoile, the Waltz in D minor, and the Prelude for strings, based on
Bach's Prelude in E flat minor from the Well-Tempered Clavier, Book I -- are minor efforts, and strictly for the most curious
Martin fans. ~ Blair Sanderson