It wasn’t until the 1940s when émigré composers from Central Europe began working in the UK and Hollywood, that film music came of age. Top of the heap, alongside Korngold, was the Hungarian, Miklós Rózsa. The oriental element that assisted the exotic flavour in his music, comes from his Magyar heritage. It came naturally to him (as it did his colleagues, Bartók and Kodály) and didn’t have to be concocted. 

The Jungle Book and The Thief of Bagdad both benefit from this influence. These scores for Alexander Korda set him on the road to fortune, especially when war broke out in 1939 and Korda decided to finish The Thief of Bagdad in Hollywood. Rózsa never went back. Sahara was made for David O. Selznick during a time when the composer was freelancing and deals with a tank chase across the Sahara. The late Christopher Palmer made this arrangement of the score. Rózsa’s music for Ben Hur is generally regarded as his magnum opus; the lavish and hugely impressive score developed a life of its own shortly after the film was released in 1959.

Rumba Gamba has been making some excellent recordings in recent years. Although well played, this recording is a little boxy and lacking in sonic sparkle. Nonetheless, it is a convenient collection of excellent film scores edited symphonically. But if you want the best Ben Hur recording, try the original soundtrack on MGM. It’s superb.