The "Empire" Strikes Back: La-La Land Expands Classic Tiomkin Soundtrack Album

The “Empire” Strikes Back: La-La Land Expands Classic Tiomkin Soundtrack Album

March 13, 2012 By Mike Duquette — No Comments

And the next 200 starts today. La-La Land Records has announced their latest release, partnering with Sony Music for a long-in-development expansion of Dimitri Tiomkin’s score to The Fall of the Roman Empire.

The epic, Samuel Bronston production, which starred Alec Guinness and Christopher Plummer as Marcus Aurelius and his son Commodus during the last days of the Roman empire, is notable for three unique traits: its standing among its contemporary sword-and-sandal epics for its intelligent tone and acting alongside its epic scale, its incredible financial failure and its score by Dimitri Tiomkin. The soundtrack, written for a grandiose orchestra with cathedral organ, is typically multifaceted and brash, and earned a Golden Globe (as well as an Oscar nomination) for Tiomkin’s efforts.

La-La Land’s limited edition, set to 2,500 units, is a bit unique in that it’s not the full and complete score (the masters of which have been difficult, if not impossible, to locate). Instead, the label remasters the original Columbia Records soundtrack LP from the original stereo tapes, and includes an additional eight bonus cues in mono. It’s yours to order after the jump. (And don’t forget about LLL’s next release on March 27…!)

Dimitri Tiomkin, The Fall of the Roman Empire: Limited Edition (La-La Land Records LLLCD 1201, 2012 – original film released 1964)

Fanfares and Flourishes
Overture
The Fall of Love
Lucilla’s Sorrow
Ballomar’s Barbarian Attack
Morning
Profundo
Notturno
Pax Romana (Bolero)
The Prophecy
Persian Battle
Dawn of Love
The Roman Forum
By Jove (“Triumph and End of Part 1”)
Intermezzo: Livius and Lucilla (“The Fall of Love Intermission”)
Addio
Tarantella
Resurrection
The Fall of Rome
Dawn on the Northern Frontier (“Aurelius Awaits Dawn”)
Arrival of Livius
Old Acquaintances “Lucilla and Livius”
Decoy Patrol (“The Signal to March”)
Battle in the Forest/Reinforcements (“Barbarian Ambush 1 & 2”)
Conflict in the Caverns (“Ballomar’s Barbarian Attack Part 2”)
Passing the Torch
The Army Enters Rome/ The New God/The Challenge (“Commodus Deified”)

Tracks 1-19 released as CBS Records LP 83119, 1964
Tracks 20-27 are previously unreleased mono cues

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Mike Duquette

Mike Duquette (Founder) was fascinated with catalog music ever since he was a teenager. A 2009 graduate of Seton Hall University with a B.A. in journalism, Mike paired his profession with his passion through The Second Disc, one of the first sites to focus on all reissue labels great and small. His passion for reissues turned into a career, having written at and worked for all three major catalogue music labels and contributing to Allmusic, Billboard, Discogs, City Pages and Ultimate Classic Rock. He's penned liner notes for Verve, Chess, Mondo and Soul Music Records.

Born and raised in New Jersey, Mike lives in Astoria, Queens with his wife, a cat named Ravioli, twin daughters and a large yet tasteful collection of music.