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The 13th Warrior Jerry Goldsmith Varese Sarabande VSD-6038 Despite a career of 45 years (and nearly 200 scores), little of Jerry Goldsmith's creative energy has ebbed, and he still has remarkable vitality and invention, especially when given a subject as stimulating to a composer as the Norse epic of Beowulf. The result is an impressive score of colossal dimension. Surging and percussive, The 13th Warrior juxtaposes an exotic Arabic-flavored theme (for Antonio Banderas' character) against chanting male voices to personify the Vikings. The inevitable battle music-in particular "The Fire Dragon"-is charged with visceral fury. This music is all about violent sword thrusts, eviscerated bodies, and bloodstained battlefields, yet at the same time it is charged with heroism and a compelling rush of excitement. Impressive packaging-including stills from the film, shots of Goldsmith at the podium, and liner notes from writer/producer Michael Crichton-only adds to the allure of the disc. Dramatic and elemental, Goldsmith's music cuts and thrusts with furious intensity, and is one of the most memorable soundtracks of the 1990s. – Paul Andrew MacLean

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