BHS: The Five Days of Recording Citizen Kane

The Five Days of Recording Citizen Kane


	Info

	Citizen Kane: The Classic Film Scores of Bernard Herrmann Conducted by Charles Gerhardt Produced by George Korngold RCA Victor, 1974

	- - - - - I remember 'Chuck' with fondness. He was also a thoughtful, considerate person as can be gleamed from the following incident which took place in October, 1976, prior to the first session of 'King Kong' at St. Giles Church, Cripplegate, London. Two pianists were booked by Sydney Sax for the first session with the National Philharmonic Orchestra. I had invited Chuck to attend, which he gladly consented to. To our horror, only minutes before the session was to commence, we noted that one of the pianists had failed to arrive. Chuck happily sat down in front of the Steinway and 'offered' to play the part, which he did from sight, without monentary compensation. How many musicians would do that? John Steven Lasher

		Early morning--the 9 harps arrive for "Beneath the 12-Mile Reef"

First rehersal--the National Philharmonic Orchestra

		Rehearsing the aria from "Kane"--Charles Gerhardt and Kiri Te Kanawa

Recording Salammbo's aria

		The Death Hunt--8 solo horns

Playback--conductor Gerhardt and composer Herrmann

		The 9 harps recording The Octopus; note large church organ in background

Herrmann confers with the orchestra's first trumpet, John Wilbraham; Producer Korngold in foreground

		Joaquin Achucarro recording the Concerto Macabre

The African rhythms of "White Witch Doctor"--plenty of timpani!

		Native log drum

The "brake drum" (this one from a Volkswagen)

		Roto-toms for "Witch Doctor"

Another unusual color--the tuba using a mute

		An orchestral rarity--the obsolete serpent

High spirits after the final session--George Korngold, Bernard Herrmann and Charles Gerhardt