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In CONTEXT it looks like an interesting put-down.


Sounds abashedly cynical to me. Mayuzumi did nothing to deserve the sarcastic moniker of "Japanese Beethoven." One does understand that verbal agreements were broken with Rozsa, causing him to lose the assignment, which would certainly sour his view of the situation. However, considering those who were auditioned, it seems unlikely that Rozsa would have satisfied what was apparently Huston's desire for something more modern. Mayuzumi, Petrassi, and Morricone are definitely "new school" when left on their own.

Neither was Rozsa very accurate. Aside from the "Japanese Beethoven" comment, jazz arranger is only one of the talents of that most famous student of the fine Italian composer, Geffredo Petrassi. To be fair though, Morricone had not yet acquired super-star status in mid-1966, so it is difficult to say what Rozsa might have known of him.

Mayuzumi hosted a weekly TV program in Japan in his later years, I am told, in which "serious" music was discussed seriously. Only a few episodes concerned film music, unfortunately.

Two (not one) pieces of music recorded for THE BIBLE appear in the TV miniseries, SECRET OF THE SAHARA. "The Creation" was retitled "The Mountain" and "Tower of Babel" was retitled "The Golden Door." Both appear on the various soundtrack releases.