Uploaded April 2011 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
The Cassandra Crossing was the first of two disaster movies scored by the composer during the late 70's. And much like The Swarm, combined an overblown character piece with a major disaster. In this case a viral outbreak along with bridge collapse and train crash.
Jerry Goldsmith's stylised score is built around a beautiful love theme for Richard Harris and Sophie Loren's characters (Main and End Titles). Here Goldsmith utilises harpsichord, dense string writing, piano and mild 70's pop. In contrast the ominous Cassandra Crossing itself gets unsettling echoing metallic sounds for its dilapidated condition. While in later cues inspired electronic manipulations are created for the deadly virus itself.
Break In kicks off the score proper and is one of those moments that defines the Goldsmith style. This is classic action/suspense, a tension filled 2 plus minutes as the bad guys foolishly break into a restricted Lab and quickly get themselves infected. Goldsmith's thrilling cue is propelled by snare drums and piano, as strings, electronics and crackling brass oozes suspense. In contrast the remaining action music for the score is quite unusual from what you would expect from the Goldsmith canon. Both Helicopter Rescue and The Climber are less fluid, both containing odd metered action rhythms, ear splitting brass statements and rallying strings. Helicopter Rescue is a pacey percussion lead action workout, noteworthy for more eerie electronics, while the latter cue features some of the most aggressive pre Rambo writing ever heard from the composer as he precedes to decimate the brass and percussion sections with this bellowing cue.
Lighter moments of the score focus on the romance between Harris and Loren's characters, beautifully conveyed in the cue Safe Living, as Goldsmith's theme turns into a reflective moment for the two ex-lovers. Here the composer displays more of his understated European style with piano and woodwinds dominating, while those electronic manipulations are never too far away for cut scenes of the infected stowaway. The music becomes more sombre in the next cue for the Kaplan character (I Can't Go), the old thief, who survived the Nazi concentration camps. Here Goldsmith provides Kaplan with his own theme, capturing this sad and lonely man by way of chimes and delicate woodwind figures. This is further developed in It's God's Will before Kaplan's Death signals the finale and an ominous countdown to the train crash with a descending percussive tempo, reminiscent of a chanting chorus, and a tragic brass statement for Kaplan's ultimate sacrifice.
The Cassandra Crossing was originally released on a number of RCA LPs but finally preserved on CD by the Italian arm in 1995. This CD includes the pointless song sung by Harris' then partner, Anne Turkel, as well as an enjoyable pop instrumental of Goldsmith's theme with friend Hal Shapper.
The Cassandra Crossing was the first of two disaster movies scored by the composer during the late 70's. And much like The Swarm, combined an overblown character piece with a major disaster. In this case a viral outbreak along with bridge collapse and train crash.
Jerry Goldsmith's stylised score is built around a beautiful love theme for Richard Harris and Sophie Loren's characters (Main and End Titles). Here Goldsmith utilises harpsichord, dense string writing, piano and mild 70's pop. In contrast the ominous Cassandra Crossing itself gets unsettling echoing metallic sounds for its dilapidated condition. While in later cues inspired electronic manipulations are created for the deadly virus itself.
Break In kicks off the score proper and is one of those moments that defines the Goldsmith style. This is classic action/suspense, a tension filled 2 plus minutes as the bad guys foolishly break into a restricted Lab and quickly get themselves infected. Goldsmith's thrilling cue is propelled by snare drums and piano, as strings, electronics and crackling brass oozes suspense. In contrast the remaining action music for the score is quite unusual from what you would expect from the Goldsmith canon. Both Helicopter Rescue and The Climber are less fluid, both containing odd metered action rhythms, ear splitting brass statements and rallying strings. Helicopter Rescue is a pacey percussion lead action workout, noteworthy for more eerie electronics, while the latter cue features some of the most aggressive pre Rambo writing ever heard from the composer as he precedes to decimate the brass and percussion sections with this bellowing cue.
Lighter moments of the score focus on the romance between Harris and Loren's characters, beautifully conveyed in the cue Safe Living, as Goldsmith's theme turns into a reflective moment for the two ex-lovers. Here the composer displays more of his understated European style with piano and woodwinds dominating, while those electronic manipulations are never too far away for cut scenes of the infected stowaway. The music becomes more sombre in the next cue for the Kaplan character (I Can't Go), the old thief, who survived the Nazi concentration camps. Here Goldsmith provides Kaplan with his own theme, capturing this sad and lonely man by way of chimes and delicate woodwind figures. This is further developed in It's God's Will before Kaplan's Death signals the finale and an ominous countdown to the train crash with a descending percussive tempo, reminiscent of a chanting chorus, and a tragic brass statement for Kaplan's ultimate sacrifice.
The Cassandra Crossing was originally released on a number of RCA LPs but finally preserved on CD by the Italian arm in 1995. This CD includes the pointless song sung by Harris' then partner, Anne Turkel, as well as an enjoyable pop instrumental of Goldsmith's theme with friend Hal Shapper.
