The restoration of Maestro John Williams’ rich filmography adds another pivotal item to its ongoing process of “future proofing”. Intrada Records has just released a 2-disc expanded edition of one of the Maestro’s most interesting and diverse scores of his pre-Jaws era: The Eiger Sanction, written for the 1975 alpine thriller directed by and also starring Clint Eastwood, in his one and only collaboration with the composer. The new release is produced and remastered by Mike Matessino, who continues to be the ultimate guardian of John Williams’ film score presentations through his universally admired painstaking methodology of soundtrack restoration, preserving the Maestro’s work for all future generations in the best and most accurate way.

The original soundtrack album issued on MCA Records at the time of the film’s theatrical release was a re-recording where Williams selected cues from the score expanding and repurposing them for a more cohesive listening experience. The brand-new 2-CD release by Intrada Records presents both a remastered version of the 1975 MCA soundtrack album and the premiere release of the original film recording, featuring a great deal of unreleased music, including never-before-heard material that was written and recorded for a longer cut of the film. All the material has been painstakingly restored and remastered by Mike Matessino. The end product is a wonderful musical journey that puts a well-deserved spotlight on one of John Williams’ lesser-known yet most fascinating and diverse scores to be found in his long and rich filmography. 

In this conversation, Mike Matessino returns to The Legacy of John Williams podcast to present this new 2-disc expanded edition of John Williams’ score for Clint Eastwood’s alpine thriller, spotlighting and documenting his own unique restoration work while offering thoughts and insights on the Maestro’s music for the film.

For more information, visit https://thelegacyofjohnwilliams.com/2021/08/10/the-eiger-sanction-podcast