This week on Film Score Friday we listen to the score from Ben-Hur. Miklos Rozsa wrote the score for this 1959 epic. The film itself is epic in scale, but the score would be epic on its own. Rozsa wrote over 2 and a half hours of music for this film. As you listen to this score, it will likely feel familiar. It's easy to see how this influenced film music for many years after this premiered. Despite its length, there's very little repetition.
Rozsa uses the length to his advantage. The entire Brass section will disappear for long periods. This only serves to accentuate the return like the Victory March. This is a great brass choir section about halfway through the film that really does eel like victory. The most recognizable portion is the Parade of the Charioteers. The fanfares and soaring lines from the brass make this memorable.
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