Maurice Jarre - A Tribute to David Lean Released

Just got this great news on an upcoming release from Milan. Just a couple of days ago, Milan released a great DVD/CD combo in tribute to the late, great director DAVID LEAN, who would have just turned 100 years old. The duo of Lean and Jarre is legendary and from the description of this special release, it appears that fans can get a wonderful glimpse into the relationship Lean and Jarre fostered. Beside that...we get a live concert recording of MAURICE JARRE leading a performance of some of his best known collaborations with DAVID LEAN including: LAWRENCE OF ARABIA and DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (two of my all-time favs.)

You can read the official press release below:

SPECIAL EDITION DVD&CD TO BE RELEASED ON OCTOBER 23, 2007
MILAN ENTERTAINMENT BRINGS YOU“MAURICE JARRE – A TRIBUTE TO DAVID LEAN” IN COMMEMORATION OF DAVID LEAN’S 100TH BIRTHDAY

Almost 100 years ago, David Lean was born in Croydon, Greater London. Over the span of his successful career, David Lean would become one of the most influential and respected filmmakers of the 20th century, winning praise from directors such as Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. To this day, his films LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962), DOCTOR ZHIVAGO(1965), RYAN’S DAUGHTER (1970) and A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984) still play in art house theaters all over the world.

The scores to these four films were written and composed by David Lean’s close friend Maurice Jarre. For his work in LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, DOCTOR ZHIVAGO and A PASSAGE TOINDIA, Mr. Jarre won the Academy Award for Best Original Score. A few weeks after David Lean’s death, during the tribute concert with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the composer’s emotional state was obvious, and could be felt in the audience’s fervor and enthusiasm.

Milan Records is proud to present MAURICE JARRE – A TRIBUTE TO DAVID LEAN, a Special Edition DVD/CD Combo of the concert recorded live at the Barbican Center in London (1992).This edition includes a full audio commentary of the concert by conductor / composer Maurice Jarre himself. Mr. Jarre shares many anecdotes about the different films he worked on withDavid Lean. He mentions his experience on LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, having to replace the original composer and deliver a film score within a very short period of time. On DOCTOR ZHIVAGO, he had to conduct 35 balalaika players who couldn’t read musical scores, in addition to a full orchestra.

Mr. Jarre also explains the complex techniques of synchronizing the music of a full orchestra with film footage. During the concert itself, excerpts of the films were projected on a screen behind the orchestra. While conducting, Mr. Jarre had to keep an eye on the orchestra, the chronometer in front of him, and the projected film excerpts in order for the music to match the image.

On a more humorous note, he also mentions a recording session in Los Angeles where his entire orchestra slowed down and eventually stopped playing after having spotted Sophia Loren in the technician’s booth. During the hour-long audio commentary, Maurice Jarre shares these and many more stories and insights about his career, his work with Sir David Lean, and his tribute concert to the filmmaker.

In addition to the full concert and the audio commentary, the DVD also contains an exclusive 35-minute interview of Maurice Jarre, extensive filmographies and biographies of Mr. Jarre and Mr. Lean as well as an essay by film critic Christian Lauliac on the lives and works of the two artists.


DVD Content:

(Full Concert Video)
1. Remembrance
2. Ryan’s Daughter Suite
3. A Passage to India
4. Doctor Zhivago
5. Offering
6. A Passage to India (Garden of Statues)
7. Lawrence of Arabia Suite


Get more info at the official site