Gottfried Huppertz

[TerraEpon]

All these comments but has anyone seen the film with the score played live ?  If not then it is like judging Wagner's Ring Cycle without the voices or staging.  The only really great film score I know of, is Shostakovich's for the Russian film of Hamlet. That is a thread that we dare not go down.

Man, Imagine someone coming along and stating "the only great classical music I know of is <whatever>". How would you feel if someone said that?

[adriano]

 

[Gareth Vaughan]

Of "Metropolis" there is an excellent DVD/BluRay deluxe edition of the (score's and film's last version) memorable live performance of Februray 2010, as conducted by Frank Strobel.

Can you provide a link to where I can buy this particular DVD, please, Adriano? There are quite a few different versions on Amazon and it is not clear which of them is the one you mention.

[M. Yaskovsky]

A fine summary of the many available versions is on http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare7/metropolis2.htm

[eschiss1]

Agreed. My answer to the broad general question asked that ended "pieces that would last longer than the grandest of symphonies." is-- given that some film scores are rather brief, and that some late-Romantic symphonies (Mahler 3, Brian 1) are at around 105 minutes rather longer - er, no, sorry, nope, not so.  (And since you most certainly did NOT specify "Romantic" symphonies, the grandest of symphonies - not counting minimalist ones- extend into the 5 hour range, far longer than any film score I know. So wrong indeed.)

[Alan Howe]

I didn't have to specify 'Romantic': that's our exclusive remit!! So my point stands, Eric: Huppertz's score for Metropolis is indeed longer than any symphony which we might discuss here.

[eschiss1]

"Can anyone think of a film score which truly deserves to be heard on its own, in full, uncut? After all, we're talking about pieces that would last longer than the grandest of symphonies."

Quite a few film complete scores clock in considerably <105 minutes (reread my comment!!!). If you doubt that Mahler 3 is a Romantic symphony, that's for another thread. That you were distracted by my last sentence about even longer symphonies, and that you did not stick to the Huppertz? Not On Me. That was not "your point" and can't be made so retroactively.

[Alan Howe]

You completely miss the point, Eric. I was talking about the fact that Huppertz's complete score for Metropolis clocks in at just short of 2½ hours - which, as far as I know, is longer than any symphony that can be discussed at UC.

And yes, I did mean 'Romantic era' symphony as we do not discuss later music here. I would have thought that is obvious. I mean, we're comparing like with like here - i.e. Romantic-style music with other Romantic-style music, not Huppertz in comparison with Glass or Sorabji - but Huppertz in comparison with, say, Strauss, Mahler, Brian etc.

Of course, I accept that there are complete film scores which are much shorter. They would be much more listenable. But to repeat: the context of my remark was the FACT that Huppertz's score lasts longer than the grandest of symphonies (brackets: of comparable musical era/style - obviously) and that that makes for a very exhausting listen.

And with that, let's move on.

[adriano]

@Alan

Funny enough, I can't find this most recent DVD/Bluray version of "Metropolis" on amazon.co.uk
Look at amazon.de:

DVD
https://www.amazon.de/Metropolis-Deluxe-DVDs-Gustav-Fr%C3%B6hlich/dp/B07GRLHHY4/ref=pd_sbs_74_1/260-5800420-9770208?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=B07GRLHHY4&pd_rd_r=7157d547-8265-11e9-a88f-0353b2786e42&pd_rd_w=WkX4K&pd_rd_wg=WDHN4&pf_rd_p=74d946ea-18de-4443-bed6-d8837f922070&pf_rd_r=YVADK92JWNYAK8XRW651&psc=1&refRID=YVADK92JWNYAK8XRW651

BluRay:
https://www.amazon.de/Metropolis-Blu-ray-Brigitte-Helm/dp/B07GRLVRYS/ref=sr_1_1?__mk_de_DE=ÅMÅŽÕÑ&keywords=metropolis&qid=1559170983&s=dvd&sr=1-1

This is the one for sure!
It is important to chose the 2018 issue, not the 2010 - or earlier ones. This can be found out in the product details.

But they have only German subtitles. Maybe UK/USA versions are still in preparation...

The latest stage of the film restoration includes additional footage found in 2008 in Buenos Aires. This footage is included in he DVD versions of 2010 and, of course, in the abovementioned new DVD/BluRay.
The quality of this recent footage could not be improved; which means that in the film, every time it appears, a different screen format shows up. There are not many, and they are very short. But the music carries on properly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=03K0E_BgEKg
(there is no different screen format displayed yet, but it gives you an idea about the image quality)

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/movies/05metropolis.html
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-metropolis-2010-restoration-1927

In any case do not buy any German issues previous to the above mentioned 2018 ones. Either they are not "complete" as far as the footage is concerned or they are technically faulty.

Now about this UK/USA version (available on amazon.co.uk):
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Metropolis-Reconstructed-Restored-Masters-Cinema/dp/B0041SMF4Q
It has English subtitles! And a fine booklet, which the new (German) version does not have.

It could be recommendable, but it may be licensed from the earlier mentioned (German) version with unsatifactory image transfer quality, incorrect image ratio and incorrect speed. Of course all this can be realized by connaisseurs only...

This is the previous German issue which was critizised:
https://www.amazon.de/Metropolis-komplette-Film-verlorenem-Material/dp/B004DJ4Y1A/ref=sr_1_3?__mk_de_DE=%C3%85M%C3%85%C5%BD%C3%95%C3%91&keywords=metropolis&qid=1559195010&s=gateway&sr=8-3

But it's already the latest "complete" 2010 version as far as music and image is concerned.

[Alan Howe]

Thanks, Adriano.

To avoid confusion, I have deleted my previous post about the correct version to buy.

[Gareth Vaughan]

My fulsome thanks to both M.Yaskovsky and Adriano for their very helpful responses to my question. I shall consider carefully.