[Thor Joachim Haga]

I sometimes think of the example that is Max Steiner’s KING KONG. It’s a classic score, and one I kinda like, maybe 60%. I picked up the Marco Polo recording years ago (eventually I traded it off) and enjoyed it quite a bit. But I read something about Steiner not being pleased with his original orchestra or the original performance. He had written it “better”. I think if he had heard Stromberg & Morgan’s recording, it would have been closer to his original intentions. Bigger orchestra, better performance. So sometimes, a new recording might actually IMPROVE things, make it closer to how it was originally envisioned.

On the other hand, electronic scores are rarely performed better in a re-recording. They’re so uniquely tied to one particular set of inputs and performance. Which is why none of the Vangelis re-recordings have been particularly good. Even if they use the same equipment, they don’t have the composer’s very specific way of playing them.