Ben Hur - EMR1752 | Musica

In the time of Jesus Christ, an aristocrat's son named Ben Hur and his friend Messala grow up in Palestine like brothers. But later, Messala rennounces his Jewish belief and becomes vicegerent of the Roman Empire in Jerusalem. When the Roman govenor is badly injured at an accident, Messala convicts Ben Hur against his better judgement as conspirator. Ben Hur has to spend the rest of his live as galley slave, his mother and sister get arrested. After three years, Ben Hur rescues the live of commander Quintus Arruis at a sea battle. Arrius takes Ben Hur to Rome and offers him contacts to the high society. Ben Hur wants to take revenge on Messala. A big chariot race in Jerusalem becomes the mortal combat between the two former friends.

Hardly any film score composer influenced the genre of period movie like Miklos Rozsa. He brought classical music to the film scores. His sense for drama was inimitable and he was the first, who used music to add "disturbing" phsychological undertones to the movies. A big milestone of his carreer was the Oscar, which he received in 1959 for his score "Ben Hur". In the 1950's Rozsa began to give lessons about film music at film academys. No others than John Williams and Gerry Goldsmith belonged to his students.