Aldous Huxley & Bernard Herrmann — Brave New World
The disk opens up first with the eight musically cues by Bernard Herrmann, which are used through-out the two part radio play. There effective enough with-in the play but on there own just rather short burst of dramatic cinematics with a relatively stripped sonic pallet of organ & percussion with traces of the odd electronic effect/textured. You’ll play them once and that will be it really as there so short and mean little with-out the play.
And so on to the meat of the disk- the two 30 minute parts of Brave New world which was originally broadcast by the US CBS radio Workshop on February 3rd 1956. Both parts are wonderfully narrated with Huxley’s inviting english scholarly tone as well as a very effective cast of 50’s radio actors who take on the various character of the story. Along with an array of sound effects and of course Hermann’s musical cues. It’s all very 1950’s in its presentation and properly spoken radio acting but it’s a great and exciting presentation of Huxley’s tale. The disk is topped of with a booklet talking about Huxley’s career and the radio play it’s self.
All told a great presentation of this wonderful acted and produced 1950’s radio play that through has little of Herman’s music in place is a great and compelling reading of this sci-fi classic.