NoMadMusic, the independent European record label, has released Exile to Hollywood featuring film music reimagined for performance by a dynamic duo, violinist Isabelle Durin and pianist Michael Ertzscheid. Durin and Ertzscheid bring new energy to the melodies and harmonies grounded in Golden Age symphonic scores. Exile to Hollywood vividly celebrates the artistry and resilience of eight composers through technical brilliance and heartfelt performances. Including composers from Irving Berlin to Franz Waxman, Dimitri Tiomkin’s music from Dial M for Murder was selected and arranged.
LISTEN AND BUY: Exile to Hollywood on Amazon
Motion picture sound films and freedom from political constraints enabled a slew of 20th Century European immigrant composers to create, in the words of Durin, “a kind of artistic and music syncretism, a fusion between European music and American music,” with some choosing to merge classical music with jazz influences. As musical partners, Durin works out her violin part to which Ertzscheid “adds his harmonic touch,” influenced by jazz along with an improvisatory flair.
Of the music for Dial M, Durin says (in French, this is the English translation), “Tiomkin’s music heightens the psychological tension and intensifies the suspense and sense of danger while highlighting the grace and elegance of Margot’s character [played by Grace Kelly].
VIEW: Dimitri Tiomkin Dial M for Murder on YouTube
Recorded in February 2025 at a facility operated by the Orchestre National d’Île-de-France in Alfortville, a southeastern suburb of Paris, the recording was issued in May. A special concert on June 23 in Paris will commemorate the release.
This Fall the artists will embark on a promotional tour aimed at Francophile and Jewish audiences. The concerts, in Paris, New York, and the San Francisco Bay area, will take place at intimate venues that will feature live performances of music from the recording on the following dates.
- La Maison Française, a francophone university in Greenwich Village, New York City, affiliated with New York University, October 8
- Moldaw Residences, a senior living and retirement community near Palo Alto, California, for active and independent living, October 12
- Osher Marin Jewish Community Center, a place to celebrate, strengthen, and sustain Jewish life and culture, San Rafael, California, October 14
- Alliance Française de San Francisco Cultural Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the French language and francophone cultures in San Francisco and the Bay Area, October 15
As NoMadMusic celebrates its tenth anniversary, kudos to co-founders Clothilde Chalot and Hannelore Guittet. Promoting established artists and new talent on the European scene with passion, the record label is a testament to the independent spirit in the fickle field of classical music and jazz.
The artist quotations above are from the following YouTube video. Enjoy!