Luxembourg Radio Symphony - Carl Davis: D.W.Griffith's Intolerance (1916)

How exciting to revisit this recording made in Luxembourg in 1986 as a soundtrack for what was then the �Thames Silents�. The team of directors and producers, Kevin Brownlow and David Gill, and myself were delivering up to three restorations of full length feature films a year. And I was about to embark on the 1925 �Ben Hur� score as soon as I had finished �Intolerance�. The recording of the score followed 2 live performances of the film with the RTL Orchestra so they were more than ready. The main �Intolerance� theme which spanned the entire 2 hours 40 minutes score had already passed into the orchestra�s history � it was hummable and quoted at times of stress. There has been a recent re-issuing on DVD with remastered sound and new material from the Library of Congress. Performing the score to this extraordinary film is always challenging but deeply rewarding. The film�s theme has never dated and the international crises of 1917 (the film�s first release) are as relevant today in 2018. When will we learn? - Carl Davis - 26th January 2018