EDITORIAL REVIEWS
The Godfather saga may have its roots in pulp fiction, but the vision of director Francis Ford Coppola turned the story of Don Vito Corleone into an epic, multigenerational metaphor for modern American society and its place in the world. Coppola's musical choices were equally sage; aged Italian scoring legend Nino Rota's mournful solo trumpet theme ("Godfather Waltz") would become both a crucial, emotional link in all three films and an enduring modern icon on a par with the themes to Star Wars and Jaws. This compendium gathers key themes from the Godfather trilogy in modern rerecordings, by conductor Paul Bateman and the Prague Philharmonic, that are sonically pristine and faithful to the originals. Utilizing the rich musical heritage of his native Italy (and occasionally evoking memories of his great collaborations with Fellini), Rota's Godfather music would ultimately net him his only Oscar®, for Godfather II. Carmine Coppola, the director's father, supplements Rota's work with music that's more distinctly ethnic, while the prelude from Italian classical composer Pietro Mascagani's masterful opera Cavalleria Rusticana becomes a crucial element in Godfather III, filling the void left by Rota's passing in 1979. --Jerry McCulley