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' 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.

If you would like to win a copy of this new 2-disc CD, just answer this easy question: The classic symphonic film score truly arrived in 1933, with Max Steiner’s thundering music to which blockbuster film of its day; that is also featured on 'The Essential Hollywood.'?

Send us your answers and if you're correct you'll be in the running to win one of these new CDs! Just send us an e:mail here before July 15th with your answer and the subject title 'ESSENTIAL HOLLYWOOD CDs to: exclusivemagazine@flash.net

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