The Wild West: The Essential Western Film Music Collection
This grandly conceived two-disc collection of Hollywood and television Western themes showcases the City of Prague Philharmonic's indefatigable passion for rehashing great works from composers likeMax Steiner,Dimitri Tiomkin, andJohn Williams. But listeners less prone to swoon over highbrow symphonic grandeur may respond with a yawn. Yes, the collection is a wonderful reference source, with a sweeping chronology from John Ford'sStagecoachto Lawrence Kasdan'sWyatt Earp. And the pieces are competently executed, withJohn Barry's contribution among the highlights. But the concert-hall acoustics--with little to no studio artifice--have a dulling effect. Those with access to the Dolby Surround may detect a rewarding nuance or two, but for others with fewer audiophile idiosyncrasies, the mood may be stuffy and uninspired.--Joseph Lanza