SOUNDTRACKS


ALPHABETICAL LIST OF SOUNDTRACK CDs


CHRONOLOGICAL LIST OF SOUNDTRACK CDs



Rewi's Last Stand Poster

The earliest known soundtrack to be transfered to videotape is the 1940 production of REWI'S LAST STAND. The original score was composed by Alfred Hill; a composer who is justifiably claimed by both Australia and New Zealand. A copy can be viewed/heard at the New Zealand Film Archive. The Hill family emigrated to New Zealand in 1872, when Alfred was but age two. Finally settling in Wellington, his family was quite active in arts, and especially music. Alfred studied in Leipzig and returned to conduct the Wellington Orchestral Society from 1892-1896. Most of the 20th century, Hill resided in Australia, but made many trips to New Zealand to conduct. Early Hill compositions, including the maori themed cantata HINEMOA, the two 'Maori' string quartets, and the tone poems on Maori themes, are examples of early New Zealand music. A HINEMOA film was made in 1914, but no known copies exist today. Perhaps someone will someday make a sound version utilizing Hill's cantata. There are no known soundtrack CDs of 'Rewi's Last Stand', but a sample mp3 download is available at the soundtrack samples page of this site.

The first known NZ feature film to also have its own soundtrack release was the 1977 33rpm LP of Sleeping Dogs. Other titles that are on 33rpm LP and/or audio cassette, but have not (as of December 2010) found their way to CD are: Solo (1978), Goodbye Pork Pie (1980), Battletruck (1981), Smash Palace (1981), Strata (1984), Bridge to Nowhere (1986), Queen City Rocker (1986) and The Leading Edge (1987).

Details on these rare LPs can be found at the Soundtrack LP page.




New Zealand sound scores have suffered the same problem that most aspects of New Zealand film production has experienced - insufficent funds. The recognized first "breakthrough" film, SLEEPING DOGS,had a budget of $450,000nz! The first film to have a million dollar budget was SMASH PALACE in 1981. The same year, the NZ/US joint production of RACE FOR THE YANKEE ZEPHYR, with its $6 million budget, was released with its international lead actors and its grand Brian May score. By most accounts, SMASH PALACE is the better product, although not because of its sparse score. In my opinion, one of the best of the early New Zealand film scores is the one that Dorothy Buchanan wrote for the 1980 featurette, LINCOLN COUNTY INCIDENT, unfortunately a title very difficult to location and only on vhs. Probably the first all-New Zealand production that resulted in a high quality soundtrack CD is John Charles' UTU. In spite of difficulties, there are some soundtrack gems from New Zealand, and my list includes (In alphabetical order):

NOTE: Links to soundtracks that can be downloaded at iTunes are flagged by iTunes Logo

Links to soundtracks that can be heard at Streaming Soundtracks are flagged by SST Logo




SST LogoAlex

SST LogoiTunes LogoAn Angel At My Table

SST LogoiTunes LogoDean Spanley

SST LogoDesperate Remedies

SST LogoiTunes LogoDistrict 9

SST LogoiTunes LogoGood For Nothing

SST LogoiTunes LogoHeavenly Creatures

SST LogoiTunes LogoThe Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey

SST LogoiTunes LogoThe Hobbit: The Battle of the Five Armies

SST LogoiTunes LogoHobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, The

SST LogoiTunes LogoLord of the Rings:Fellowship of the Ring

SST LogoiTunes LogoLord of the Rings: Return of the King

SST LogoiTunes LogoLord of the Rings: The Two Towers

SST LogoMemory & Desire

SST LogoMerry Christmas Mr Lawrence

iTunes LogoMt. Zion

SST LogoThe Navigator

Perfect Strangers

SST LogoiTunes LogoThe Piano

SST LogoThe Quiet Earth/Iris

SST LogoThe Silent One

SST LogoiTunes LogoUnder the Mountain

SST LogoiTunes LogoUtu

SST LogoiTunes LogoWhale Rider

SST LogoWhat Becomes of the Broken Hearted

SST LogoiTunes LogoWorld's Fastest Indian, The



However there are some original New Zealand soundtrack scores that are less known because they have never made it to cd and, in some cases, are difficult to experience. That does not mean that they are unworthy of attention; so I offer a list, in alphabetical order, of some favourites of mine that are not on cd although are on dvd. Links to audio clips are found at film title pages.

Bad Blood

Black Sheep

Constance

Crush

Fracture

Goodbye Pork Pie

Heart of the Stag

Luella Miller

Out of the Blue

Perfect Creature

Spooked

The Ugly

Vigil

The Vintner's Luck






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