Jeff Beal - Rome (Soundtrack from the HBO® Original Series) (Expanded Edition) (2025) [Hi-Res]

After Carnivàle, Jeff Beal has given HBO another Emmy-nominated score, this time for the tale of sex, politics, and togas known as Rome. There's a long history of fabulously grand scores in the sword-and-sandals genre (Miklós Rózsa's Ben-Hur, Alex North's Cleopatra) but according to Beal HBO wasn't interested in classic big orchestral compositions, so he worked on a smaller--yet still lush--scale that emphasizes the ethnic instruments that could be found in the farther reaches of the Roman Empire. A Middle Eastern influence, for instance, can clearly be heard on "Rome Main Title Theme," "The Forum" and "Janus Breaks," among many others. If there's one signature sound on the CD, it's the recurring use of the flute, which can suggest emotions ranging from romantic ("Octavian & Octavia's Themes") to melancholy (paired with strings on "Farewells, the Storm") to dread (combined with percussion on "Caesar's Seizure"). The album starts running out of steam about two thirds of the way through, however, making one pine for a bit of orchestral bang for one's buck. --Elisabeth Vincentelli

Tracklist:
1-1 Jeff Beal - Rome (Main Title Theme) [1:37]
1-2 Jeff Beal - The Forum [1:43]
1-3 Jeff Beal - Niobe's Theme [3:25]
1-4 Jeff Beal - Caesar Returns to Rome [2:37]
1-5 Jeff Beal - Octavian [2:38]
1-6 Jeff Beal - Riot in the Senate [1:14]
1-7 Jeff Beal - Farewells [3:32]
1-8 Jeff Beal - Servilia's Curse [5:46]
1-9 Jeff Beal - Hell Hath No Fury [2:26]
1-10 Jeff Beal - Martial Law [3:03]
1-11 Jeff Beal - All I've Got [2:10]
1-12 Jeff Beal - Bravery and Battle [1:54]
1-13 Jeff Beal - Crossing the Rubicon [3:31]
1-14 Jeff Beal - Death of Pompey [3:31]
1-15 Jeff Beal - The Raft [2:58]
1-16 Jeff Beal - Cleopatra's Opium Pipe [2:47]
1-17 Jeff Beal - Caesar and Cleopatra [3:16]
1-18 Jeff Beal - Triumph [3:58]
1-19 Jeff Beal - Erastes [1:07]
1-20 Jeff Beal - The Evening Is Over [2:10]
1-21 Jeff Beal - Pullo Addresses the Gods [1:54]
1-22 Jeff Beal - Vorenus Saves Pullo [3:49]
1-23 Jeff Beal - Anthony and Atia [2:25]
1-24 Jeff Beal - Eirene and Pullo [1:37]
1-25 Jeff Beal - Brutus [2:20]
1-26 Jeff Beal - Secrets and Lies [2:45]
1-27 Jeff Beal - The Murder of Julius Caesar [1:24]
1-28 Jeff Beal - Vorenus Holds Niobe [3:52]
1-29 Jeff Beal - War on Philippi [5:40]
1-30 Jeff Beal - Servilia Is Punished [1:21]
1-31 Jeff Beal - The Battlefield [2:43]
1-32 Jeff Beal - Octavian Leaves [2:58]
1-33 Jeff Beal - The Kiss [2:16]
1-34 Jeff Beal - Ritual Blood and Orgies [3:25]
1-35 Jeff Beal - End It Tomorrow [1:37]
1-36 Jeff Beal - Anthony and Cleopatra [3:36]
1-37 Jeff Beal - Children by Vorenus [0:58]
1-38 Jeff Beal - About Your Father [1:50]