Henry Mancini - Arabesque 1966 (1999)

"Henry Mancini's music is always a joy to listen to and his score for the Gregory Peck / Sophia Loren film Arabesque is no exception. The opening sequence is full of pent up excitement with a touch of eastern promise. Although the film is set in England, it involves many characters with a Middle Eastern origin and this Arabic influence is apparent in many of the tracks, but not so for the cue 'Ascot' which would be at home in My Fair Lady, with its dainty, promenading trumpet gavotte. 'We've Loved Before' appears in two guises, as a dreamy late night trumpet instrumental and as a vocal sung by a typical Mancini chorus. 'The Zoo Chase' is an outstanding example of the composer's ability of not only matching music to the film, but of getting involved and enhancing the action as he did so well for the Pink Panther movies. The cue 'Dream Street' is unusual for a Mancini score, in that it is a series of discordant noises and feels out of place with the other more melodious tracks. The last cue, 'Bagdad on Thames' is a beautiful combination of flowing strings and a mandola played in an Arabic style that appropriately summarises the film's dual themes.
Arabesque is a fine example of 1960s Henry Mancini and it is a real pleasure to have it available on CD, although an expansion of the brief sleeve notes would have enhanced the release".