For Immediate Release

THE ESSENTIAL HOLLYWOOD
CELEBRATES THE GOLDEN SOUND OF CLASSIC FILM MUSIC
SONY CLASSICAL CD RELEASED BY MAY 23, 2006

Two-Disc Set Features Stereo Orchestral Performances That Sample
The Greatest Film Scores Ever Written,
From The Original King Kong, Gone With The Wind And Casablanca
To The Star Wars, Godfather And James Bond Films

Sampling the golden "Hollywood sound" that is a virtual soundtrack of
contemporary American culture, the best of the greatest film music of the last
80 years is featured on Sony Classical's new two-disc collection The Essential
Hollywood. This new collection includes authentic stereo recordings of
celebrated music by such Oscar-winning composers as John Williams, John Barry,
Bernard Herrmann, Henry Mancini, Elmer Bernstein, Erich Wolfgang Korngold,
Miklós Rózsa, Maurice Jarre, Dimitri Tiomkin, Nino Rota and Franz Waxman, in
performances by the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic,
National Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, led by many of the composers and such
conductors as Charles Gerhardt, Arthur Fiedler, Riccardo Muti and Esa-Pekka
Salonen. The Essential Hollywood will be released on May 23, 2006.

The classic symphonic film score truly arrived in 1933, with Max Steiner's
thundering music for the original King Kong, which is featured on The Essential
Hollywood. Though the sound began to fade in the 1970s, it returned
triumphantly with the rise of five-time Oscar winner John Williams, with his
landmark scores for Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and the Star Wars
films, which are also sampled in the new collection. Included are many of the
scores recently chosen by the American Film Institute as "the 25 greatest film
scores of all time."

The Essential Hollywood is no mere "movie themes" collection. It was compiled
from definitive stereo studio recordings in the RCA and Sony Classical
catalogues, in original orchestrations or arrangements that approximate the way
the music sounded on the films' soundtracks. While classic themes are featured
- such as the signature themes from Laura, Jaws, The Pink Panther, Breakfast at
Tiffany's and High Noon - the collection also features extended suites that
musically recap the stories of Casablanca, Gone With the Wind, King Kong, Psycho
and Sunset Boulevard.

Composers Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven), Maurice Jarre (Doctor Zhivago
and Lawrence of Arabia), Henry Mancini (Breakfast at Tiffany's and The Pink
Panther), Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad and The Ugly), David Raksin (Laura)
and Dimitri Tiomkin (High Noon) conduct their own music on The Essential
Hollywood. A renowned interpreter of classic film scores, Williams leads
performances not only of his music but that of other composers. Also included
are excerpts from acclaimed recordings of the music of Bernard Herrmann, with
Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and of Nino Rota,
with Riccardo Muti conducting the Filarmonica della Scala. See the following
page for a full track listing.

Sony Classical, RCA Red Seal and deutsche harmonia mundi are labels of SONY BMG
MASTERWORKS. For e-mail updates and information regarding RCA Red Seal, Sony
Classical and deutsche harmonia mundi artists, promotions, tours and repertoire,
please visit www.sonybmgmasterworks.com.

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CONTACT: cinemediapromo@...

THE ESSENTIAL HOLLYWOOD
Track Listing

DISC I
* Star Wars: Main Title (John Williams)
London Symphony Orchestra / John Williams, conductor
* Gone With the Wind: Selections (Max Steiner)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* Doctor Zhivago: Prelude and Lara's Theme (Maurice Jarre)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Maurice Jarre, conductor
* Laura: Main Theme (David Raksin)
New Philharmonia Orchestra / David Raksin, conductor
* Psycho: Prelude / The Murder / Finale (Bernard Herrmann)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
* Lawrence of Arabia: Overture (Part II) (Maurice Jarre)
Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Maurice Jarre, conductor
* The Magnificent Seven: Main Title and Calvera's Visit (Elmer Bernstein)
Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Elmer Bernstein, conductor
* E.T.-The Extra-Terrestrial: Flying Theme (John Williams)
London Symphony Orchestra / John Williams, conductor
* The Adventures of Robin Hood: Robin Hood and His Merry Men (Erich Wolfgang
Korngold)
London Symphony Orchestra / John Williams, conductor
* Jaws: Theme (John Williams)
London Symphony Orchestra / John Williams, conductor
* Vertigo: Scene d'Amour (Bernard Herrmann)
Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra / Esa-Pekka Salonen, conductor
* The Godfather Part II: End Title (Nino Rota)
Filarmonica della Scala / Riccardo Muti, conductor

DISC II
* 20th Century Fox Fanfare / Street Scene (Alfred Newman)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* Casablanca: Selections (Max Steiner)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* Dr. No: The James Bond Theme (Monty Norman/Arr. John Barry)
Orchestra conducted by John Barry
* The Good, the Bad and the Ugly: Titles (Ennio Morricone)
Orchestra & Chorus of the Accademia Nazionale di Santa Cecilia / Ennio
Morricone,
conductor
* Close Encounters of the Third Kind: The Dialogue (John Williams)
Boston Pops Orchestra / John Williams, conductor
* King Kong: Selections (Max Steiner)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* High Noon: Theme (Dimitri Tiomkin)
Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra / Dimitri Tiomkin, conductor
* Sunset Boulevard: Selections (Franz Waxman)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* The Pink Panther: Theme (Henry Mancini)
Henry Mancini and His Orchestra
* Ben-Hur: Parade of the Charioteers (Miklós Rózsa)
Boston Pops Orchestra / Arthur Fiedler, conductor
* Breakfast at Tiffany's: "Moon River" (Henry Mancini)
Henry Mancini and His Orchestra
* Citizen Kane: Rosebud/Finale (Bernard Herrmann)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor
* Kings Row: Main Title (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
National Philharmonic Orchestra / Charles Gerhardt, conductor



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