Wind and the Lion Symphonic Suite, The

From Wind Repertory Project
Jerry Goldsmith

Jerry Goldsmith (arr. Michael Davis)


This article is a stub. If you can help add information to it,
please join the WRP and visit the FAQ (left sidebar) for information.


General Info

Year: 1975
Duration: c. 11:00
Difficulty: (see Ratings for explanation)
Publisher: Alfred Publishing
Cost: Score and Parts – Out of print.

For availability information, see Discussion tab, above.


Instrumentation

(Needed - please join the WRP if you can help.)


Errata

None discovered thus far.


Program Notes

Set in Morocco near the turn of the 19th century, John Milius's 1975 historical drama film The Wind and the Lion is truly one of those rare "cinemagic" combinations of romantic beauty and epic symbolism. The film recreates the events surrounding the kidnapping of a U.S. citizen (played by Candice Bergen) and her two children by an insurgent Berber tribesman, Mulai Raisuli (Sean Connery), and his followers in an attempt to free their country of European control. As the drama unfolds, we begin to see a counterpoint between the growing feelings of mutual respect shared by the rebels and their captives, and the emerging American spirit of pioneer opportunism, as embodied by President Theodore Roosevelt in his effort to free the hostages.

The powerful and evocative music score created by Jerry Goldsmith for The Wind and the Lion adds another dramatic dimension to the film. As one of Hollywood's most prolific and imaginative composers, Mr. Goldsmith has to his credit scores for over 70 films. His score for The Wind and the Lion, an Academy Award nominee, is a brilliant complement to the spectacular screen action with its expansive imagery and energetic authentic rhythms.

The suite opens with the Main Title. Used in the film to accompany the opening credits, the music here is broad and majestic suggesting the vast Moroccan landscape as well as the savage nobility of Mulai Raisuli, Lord of the Riff.The next section, The True Symbol, underscores President Roosevelt’s interview with reporters in Yellowstone National Park. He recalls a grizzly bear he once killed and then draws an analogy between the bear (the “true symbol” of America, he called it) protecting its territory and the insurgent Moroccan tribesmen protecting theirs.

The balance of the work, Raisuli Attacks, depicts the tribal horseman, galloping across the plains, swords drawn, following Mulai Raisuli into combat. After a brief interlude of the love theme (I Remember), the suite closes with the final battle [Something of Value] – Raisuli’s last bid for freedom.

- Program Notes from score


Media


State Ratings

None discovered thus far.


Performances

To submit a performance please join The Wind Repertory Project

  • Repasz Band (Williamsport, Penn.) (Christian Wilhjelm, conductor) - 8 October 2023
  • Golden Gate Park Band (San Francisco, Calif.) (Craig McKenzie, conductor) - 21 May 2023
  • University of Miami (Fla.) Frost Symphonic Winds (Jay Rees, conductor) – 22 February 2017
  • University of Nebraska (Lincoln) Symphonic Band (Anthony Falcone, conductor) – 28 April 2016
  • City of Fairfax (Va.) Band (Robert Pouliot, conductor) - 19 March 2016
  • The Heart of Texas Concert Band (San Antonio) (Mike Olson, conductor) - 2015


Works for Winds by This Composer


Resources