> Didn't he work on just about every North score? :)

Henry Brant worked as an orchestrator with North from SPARTACUS
onwards.
His previous orchestrator in the 50s was Maurice De Packh, who
committed suicide duribg the work on SPARTACUS and so Brant took over!
North himself stated in an interview from the 80s that he wrote
detailed sketches with 7 staves (or do you say: 'note lines'? -
please correct my English if not proper!) and handed them over to his
orchestrator.
He also said that there are some scores he almost fully orchestrated
himself: A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE, LONG HOT SUMMER, SOUND AND THE
FURY or SANCTUARY. But time schedules often were so troublesome that
it was too much work to transcribe the sketches to a full partiture
without assistance.
Henry Brant and North were very close friends since the mid-30s when
they had been both living in New York. But North states that Brant
never composed anything for him!

Stefan

> Didn't he work on just about every North score? :)

Almost, I think. But the CD liner notes for THE AGONY AND THE ECSTASY
say that Alexander Courage was the orchestrator for that. Maybe
Courage knew more about Renaissance music?

Courage is best known for his 'Star Trek' and other TV scores. I have
one of his scores for 'Lost in Space' on CD and there is a cue on it
that sounds very similar to one of North's 2001 cues. Hmmmm.

mg

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "gatesmichael" <gatesmichael@y...>
wrote:
> --- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., mornnb <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> > Big thanks for this and the upload of the speech :)
> > Have you seen the picture that I uploaded?
>
> Yes, great! Henry Brant orchestrated several of North's scores,
> including THE MISFITS, CLEOPATRA, WHO'S AFRAID, and THE DEVIL'S
> BRIGADE.

Didn't he work on just about every North score? :)

> I don't understand enough about the composition process to
> know what an orchestrator does exactly. I take it the orchestrator
> reads the composer's "sketches" and writes the parts for each
> instrument?

Depends on the composer. Some composers such as John Williams include
the full orchestrations in the stetches and all the orchestrator does
it transcribe to an orchestral score sheet, though the orchestrator
might have some small input. Alex North, I'm not sure exactly how he
works with his orchestrators. But I think they might work rather like
a team with North as the boss. What I mean is that I expect Brant
might have made suggestions about orchestrations to North, but it's
mostly North own arrangements and he decides whether to listen to the
suggestions. The pictures tend to show that they have a very close
working relationship.

> Brant is a composer in his own right. He received the 2002
Pulitizer
> Prize for music. See:
>
> http://www.otherminds.org/shtml/Brantpulitzer.shtml

If only I had some of his music :)

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., mornnb <no_reply@y...> wrote:
> Big thanks for this and the upload of the speech :)
> Have you seen the picture that I uploaded?

Yes, great! Henry Brant orchestrated several of North's scores,
including THE MISFITS, CLEOPATRA, WHO'S AFRAID, and THE DEVIL'S
BRIGADE. I don't understand enough about the composition process to
know what an orchestrator does exactly. I take it the orchestrator
reads the composer's "sketches" and writes the parts for each
instrument?

Brant is a composer in his own right. He received the 2002 Pulitizer
Prize for music. See:

http://www.otherminds.org/shtml/Brantpulitzer.shtml

mg

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "gatesmichael" <gatesmichael@y...>
wrote:
>
> There's currently an interesting discussion about North's work,
> including some of the more obscure scores, on the Film Score
Monthly
> message board. It's at:
>
> http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.asp?
> threadID=8836&forumID=1
>
> If that doesn't work, go to:
>
> http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/home.asp
>
> Click on "general discussion" and then
> "Let's Talk Alex North."

Big thanks for this and the upload of the speech :)
Have you seen the picture that I uploaded?

There's currently an interesting discussion about North's work,
including some of the more obscure scores, on the Film Score Monthly
message board. It's at:

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.asp?
threadID=8836&forumID=1

If that doesn't work, go to:

http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/home.asp

Click on "general discussion" and then
"Let's Talk Alex North."

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "gatesmichael" <gatesmichael@y...>
wrote:
> --- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., thealexnorthfanclub@y... wrote:
> >
> > Hello,
> >
> > This email message is a notification to let you know that
> > a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the
> thealexnorthfanclub
> > group.
> >
> >   File        : /alex north - A Streetcar Named Desire.mp3
> >   Uploaded by : mornnb
> >   Description :
>
> Thanks for the MP3s. I noticed you also added the fanfare from
2001.
> Unfortunately, they won't play for me, but I have them both on CD
> anyway.

Well, one of them is a different version of the streetcar theme. You
might not have it.

> Why oh why didn't North win an Oscar for "Streetcar"? That score
> changed the whole direction of film music, opening it up to jazz
> influences. For that matter, why didn't any of his individual
scores
> win? (He did receive a special lifetime achievment award.) Just bad
> luck, or did the Academy have something against him? He received 15
> nominations!

Well, everybody votes for the music in the academy. Therefore, you
can expect the most popular or accessible to win :) It's like the
only qualification to vote is having a cd player. That is why I think
it is a bigger honor to be nominated in the academy, because the
nominating is done by people who know film music well.

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., thealexnorthfanclub@y... wrote:
>
> Hello,
>
> This email message is a notification to let you know that
> a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the
thealexnorthfanclub
> group.
>
>   File        : /alex north - A Streetcar Named Desire.mp3
>   Uploaded by : mornnb
>   Description :

Thanks for the MP3s. I noticed you also added the fanfare from 2001.
Unfortunately, they won't play for me, but I have them both on CD
anyway.

Why oh why didn't North win an Oscar for "Streetcar"? That score
changed the whole direction of film music, opening it up to jazz
influences. For that matter, why didn't any of his individual scores
win? (He did receive a special lifetime achievment award.) Just bad
luck, or did the Academy have something against him? He received 15
nominations!

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the thealexnorthfanclub
group.

   File        : /alex north - A Streetcar Named Desire.mp3
   Uploaded by : mornnb
   Description :

You can access this file at the URL

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/thealexnorthfanclub/files/alex%20north%20-%20A%20S\
treetcar%20Named%20Desire.mp3

To learn more about file sharing for your group, please visit

http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/groups/files

Regards,

mornnb

> No, sorry I don't have that. I could sent you a list of scores I
> have. Plus I could offer you everything Williams, another one of my
> favs. Even rare stuff like The Killers.

Ys, I think it would be best if you send me a list of scores you
have. Then I can select one.
Here is my e-mail address:
stef.schlegel@...

Stefan

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "stefanfilm" <stefanfilm@y...> wrote:
>
> > Do you have The Rainmaker? South Seas Adventure?
>
> Yes I have both of them on LP. I don't think there are any North
> soundtracks, which have been released on LP or CD, that I don't
have.
> Of course, there are some rare LP items like "American Road"
> and "Holyday Set", which I don't know at all. But I suppose you
won't
> have them either.
> Therefore let me ask you for something else. As you are from
> Australia, do you know the soundtrack CD CHANGI by the Australian
> composer Mario Millo from last year? I would be interested in that.
> So perhaps that would be a possibilty for trade. Just let me know.

No, sorry I don't have that. I could sent you a list of scores I
have. Plus I could offer you everything Williams, another one of my
favs. Even rare stuff like The Killers.

> Do you have The Rainmaker? South Seas Adventure?

Yes I have both of them on LP. I don't think there are any North
soundtracks, which have been released on LP or CD, that I don't have.
Of course, there are some rare LP items like "American Road"
and "Holyday Set", which I don't know at all. But I suppose you won't
have them either.
Therefore let me ask you for something else. As you are from
Australia, do you know the soundtrack CD CHANGI by the Australian
composer Mario Millo from last year? I would be interested in that.
So perhaps that would be a possibilty for trade. Just let me know.

Stefan

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "stefanfilm" <stefanfilm@y...> wrote:
> > Hmm, is there any possiblity of us trading with you for a copy of
> it?
>
> Hello, dear friend
>
> yes I think that would be possible. But I don't know what you have
or
> what you can offer. Do you have some soundtrack rarities or some
> special titles from Australia? (I saw it in the members section
that
> you are from Australia).

Do you have The Rainmaker? South Seas Adventure?
Hmm, I know something we could do. I know a site that lets you store
mp3's. We could keep rare bootlegged North scores on it :)


> > Better than Dragonslayer?
>
> Naturally, it is my subjective opinion that it is even better than
> the excellent DRAGONSLAYER. Perhaps you may judge otherwise- I
don't
> know.
> But I can definitely say that the PENITENT score is sort of a 'swan
> song'. You can hear and feel that North here tries to give a
> recapitulation of his whole work. And it almost sounds as if it
were
> composed in the early 60s instead of the late 80s.
> I think that North has tried to give everything and all just one
more
> time in this music. Perhaps he himself felt that he had only a few
> years to go and that this would be one of his last works.
> In the long requiem of the finale you can almost sense the shadow
of
> death lurking behind the doors. It is really such a moving piece.
> Overwhelming!

Sounds great!

> Hmm, is there any possiblity of us trading with you for a copy of
it?

Hello, dear friend

yes I think that would be possible. But I don't know what you have or
what you can offer. Do you have some soundtrack rarities or some
special titles from Australia? (I saw it in the members section that
you are from Australia).


>
> Better than Dragonslayer?

Naturally, it is my subjective opinion that it is even better than
the excellent DRAGONSLAYER. Perhaps you may judge otherwise- I don't
know.
But I can definitely say that the PENITENT score is sort of a 'swan
song'. You can hear and feel that North here tries to give a
recapitulation of his whole work. And it almost sounds as if it were
composed in the early 60s instead of the late 80s.
I think that North has tried to give everything and all just one more
time in this music. Perhaps he himself felt that he had only a few
years to go and that this would be one of his last works.
In the long requiem of the finale you can almost sense the shadow of
death lurking behind the doors. It is really such a moving piece.
Overwhelming!

Stefan

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "stefanfilm" <stefanfilm@y...> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am from Germany and obviousy now the fifth member of this group.
> I have been collecting soundtracks since the end of the 70s and
have
> a particular fondness for the music of Alex North.

Welcome, friend!

> Certainly not from the beginning of my interest in film music, but
> gradually his scores grew on me more and more.
> Of course, I also love many other Golden Age composers like Rózsa,
> Korngold, Herrmann, Tiomkin and also European ones like Delerue,
Rota
> and Sarde.
> My favorite North compositions are SPARTACUS, THE AGONY AND THE
> ECSTASY, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIGINIA WOOLf, CLEOPATRA and CHEYENNE
> AUTUMN, although there are many more of him I truly appreciate.
> I love the lyric beauty of his themes, his rhythmic intensity and
> complexity, and his exquistie use of orchestral colors.
>
> I wonder that nobody in all the soundtrack forums speaks about the
> bootleg CD of Norths 1988 score THE PENITENT, which I bought about
> two months ago.
> It seems that this disc is only available from Intermezzo
> (www.intermezzomedia.com), a soundtrack dealer in Italy, where it
is
> unfortunately very expensive (about $35).

Hmm, is there any possiblity of us trading with you for a copy of it?

> But what fantastic score! One can only hope that the Varčse Club
will
> sometime in the future issue this wonderful masterpiece, which is
for
> me the best North score of the 80s, even better than UNDER THE
> VOLCANO, DRAGONSLAYER and THE DEAD.

Better than Dragonslayer? Wow, I need a copy of this!

> The CD was released on a label called 'Quality Sound', which I
think
> is a branch of the famous bootleg label 'Soundtrack Library'
> or 'Soundstage'. Alas, there is a rustling or hissing sound
> throughout, although the music is not too muffled and you can hear
it
> quite clearly. In contrast to the other last North soundtracks
(where
> he used music very sparingly and most of the times used only a
small
> ensemble), there is a lot of music on this CD (52:32 minutes),
which
> is also scored for a large orchstra. It makes me really wonder,
> because THE PENITENT is such a small-scaled film. Where did they
get
> the budget for such a huge orchestra and for such a long score?
> I can only say that I was very surprised when I heard this CD for
the
> first time. It is such a fantastic and deeply moving work, which
> reminds you at once of THE AGONY ANFD THE ECSTASY (in the religious
> overtones, the main theme and also in the instrumentation with
brass
> and bells) and even VIVA ZAPATA (the Mexican flavor of many parts
of
> the score), that you almost can't believe that this very melodic
> score was written in 1987!

I had that experience while watching Death of a Salesman DVD, it
strongly reminded me of his 50s style. I hope one day to figure out
how to make DVD rips, there are a few North scores that I would love
to have a rip of.

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "stefanfilm" <stefanfilm@y...> wrote:
> Hello,
>
> I am from Germany and obviousy now the fifth member of this group.

Welcome, Stefan.

I have not seen The Penitent either, but I have heard that it does
not have a lot of dialogue, which may be why it has a lot of music.
I'd love to hear it, but $35 for a bootleg with less than ideal
sound is a bit much for me, I'm afraid . . . Are you listening,
Varese Club?

There is so much unreleased North material. It's hard to believe that
we still don't have a full release of Spartacus. At least Cleopatra
finally got the release it deserved.

mg

Hello,

I am from Germany and obviousy now the fifth member of this group.
I have been collecting soundtracks since the end of the 70s and have
a particular fondness for the music of Alex North.
Certainly not from the beginning of my interest in film music, but
gradually his scores grew on me more and more.
Of course, I also love many other Golden Age composers like Rózsa,
Korngold, Herrmann, Tiomkin and also European ones like Delerue, Rota
and Sarde.
My favorite North compositions are SPARTACUS, THE AGONY AND THE
ECSTASY, WHO'S AFRAID OF VIGINIA WOOLf, CLEOPATRA and CHEYENNE
AUTUMN, although there are many more of him I truly appreciate.
I love the lyric beauty of his themes, his rhythmic intensity and
complexity, and his exquistie use of orchestral colors.

I wonder that nobody in all the soundtrack forums speaks about the
bootleg CD of Norths 1988 score THE PENITENT, which I bought about
two months ago.
It seems that this disc is only available from Intermezzo
(www.intermezzomedia.com), a soundtrack dealer in Italy, where it is
unfortunately very expensive (about $35).
But what fantastic score! One can only hope that the Varčse Club will
sometime in the future issue this wonderful masterpiece, which is for
me the best North score of the 80s, even better than UNDER THE
VOLCANO, DRAGONSLAYER and THE DEAD.
The CD was released on a label called 'Quality Sound', which I think
is a branch of the famous bootleg label 'Soundtrack Library'
or 'Soundstage'. Alas, there is a rustling or hissing sound
throughout, although the music is not too muffled and you can hear it
quite clearly. In contrast to the other last North soundtracks (where
he used music very sparingly and most of the times used only a small
ensemble), there is a lot of music on this CD (52:32 minutes), which
is also scored for a large orchstra. It makes me really wonder,
because THE PENITENT is such a small-scaled film. Where did they get
the budget for such a huge orchestra and for such a long score?
I can only say that I was very surprised when I heard this CD for the
first time. It is such a fantastic and deeply moving work, which
reminds you at once of THE AGONY ANFD THE ECSTASY (in the religious
overtones, the main theme and also in the instrumentation with brass
and bells) and even VIVA ZAPATA (the Mexican flavor of many parts of
the score), that you almost can't believe that this very melodic
score was written in 1987!
And the intense elegiac, lamenting requiem in the finale, which is
written in a baroque, almost Bach-like manner, is one of the best
pieces North has ever written.
This score simply is a great, powerful and passionate masterpiece. It
is one of the best, if not THE BEST, score I have heard within this
year. And, dear members, I don't exaggerate in any way. I can only
recommend this CD highly to you all, even if it is so unashamedly
expensive.
It is a shame that nobody has ever released this glorious music.
There was, if I remember it correctly, a CD or LP planned from Varčse
in 1988, but they refrained from it, probably because of the high re-
use fee costs for such a great 70 or 80-piece orchestra.
I would now be interested if anyone of you has ever seen this film
(by the way, it was never shown here in Germany)and can say anything
about how the score wotks in the film or if all of its 52 minutes
were used. On CD, the music seems almost 'through-composed' (if you
understand what I mean) and you can only wonder how this functions
within the movie itself.

Stefan

> > There ARE a fair number of North fans out there, however. It
would
> be
> > nice if we could get more of them here.
>
> Yep, but how? :)

I think I will start mentioning it on some of the film
music discussion groups that I read and sometimes
post to.

mg

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "gatesmichael" <gatesmichael@y...>
wrote:
> > Ahh, Welcome new member :)
> > Anyway I wish I had that score. And I agree with you, some scores
> > take a few listens to like but you are rewarded :)
>
> I think that's because North's music is often complex and multi-
> layered. Unfortunately, it's a bit too complex for the average film
> music fan, who prefers that everything sound as much like "Star
Wars"
> as possible. (Nothing against John Williams or "Star Wars," but I
> think you know what I mean?)

Yes, I suppose so. But I wouldn't say that Williams was simple. More,
that he makes his melodies big and obvious. He is still generally
quite layered and well orchestrated but has the melodies kind of on
top of it all. North tends to cloud his melodies in counterpoint,
orchestration and even atonality. I'd say they are both just as
melodic though, but North is much less accessible.

> There ARE a fair number of North fans out there, however. It would
be
> nice if we could get more of them here.

Yep, but how? :)

> Ahh, Welcome new member :)
> Anyway I wish I had that score. And I agree with you, some scores
> take a few listens to like but you are rewarded :)

I think that's because North's music is often complex and multi-
layered. Unfortunately, it's a bit too complex for the average film
music fan, who prefers that everything sound as much like "Star Wars"
as possible. (Nothing against John Williams or "Star Wars," but I
think you know what I mean?)

There ARE a fair number of North fans out there, however. It would be
nice if we could get more of them here.

Michael

--- In thealexnorthfanclub@y..., "gatesmichael" <gatesmichael@y...>
wrote:
> I'm really enjoying this new (and lengthy) Varese CD. It also
> includes the score for "Sanctuary," which is even better
than "Long,
> Hot" in some ways. Both feature North in his more small-scale,
jazzy
> mode, rather than his epic style (as in Spartacus and Cleopatra). I
> like both styles. In fact, I've yet to hear an Alex score that I
> dislike, though I sometimes have to listen to them a few times
before
> I can really "hear" them. Then I inevitably become addicted and
play
> them over and over . . .

Ahh, Welcome new member :)
Anyway I wish I had that score. And I agree with you, some scores
take a few listens to like but you are rewarded :)

Hello,

This email message is a notification to let you know that
a file has been uploaded to the Files area of the thealexnorthfanclub
group.

   File        : /Alex North Filmography
   Uploaded by : gatesmichael <gatesmichael@...>
   Description : A chronological list of films scored by Alex North

You can access this file at the URL

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hy

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Regards,

gatesmichael <gatesmichael@...>

I'm really enjoying this new (and lengthy) Varese CD. It also
includes the score for "Sanctuary," which is even better than "Long,
Hot" in some ways. Both feature North in his more small-scale, jazzy
mode, rather than his epic style (as in Spartacus and Cleopatra). I
like both styles. In fact, I've yet to hear an Alex score that I
dislike, though I sometimes have to listen to them a few times before
I can really "hear" them. Then I inevitably become addicted and play
them over and over . . .

mg

Jerry Goldsmith's only venture into the classical
world, is something called Christus Apollo. A kind of
cantata with a narration by Charlton Heston, based on one
of Ray Bradury's novels. I have it and it's, well,
in the section of rarely played discs!<br>Try to get
Africa from the people I buy all my stuff from, in the
states. A company called Screenarchives.com though they
are numbered copies. If there are none left, I'll see
what I can do. Ok<br>Jonathan

Well Cleopatra and Dragonslayer are rather like
his concert hall style I suppose. I suppose the style
for those is weird and complex enough for the concert
hall as well. I don't find Dragonslayer that much of a
challenge, I do find Cleopatra quite a challenge
though.<br>I've heard Korngold's, Rozsa's and Herrmann's concert
music. They are quite different and less melodic. Though
Rozsa still has his distinctive style, sometimes making
me think of Roman's :)<br>John Williams concert
music is very odd. I know many people such as violinist
and composers have said it is of very high quality
and I like some of it but it's hard to enjoy. It's
quite modernistic, Rozsa's and Korngold's concert music
are more like the romantic era. <br>I don't think
Goldsmith does concert music.<br>But is there any way I
could get this Africa music off you? I've heard some of
it and I really liked it.

Hi Nicholas,<br>Yes, the AFRICA Disc does contain
the symphony, with a suite from the 'score'.<br>Many
people find his music a challenge! because of it's
structure, atonality and complexity! in such films as
DRAGONSLAYER and 2001. But there is also great beauty and
magnificence to be found in his work, with such scores as THE
AGONY AND THE ECSTACY, WHO'S AFRAID OF VERGINNIA WOOLF?
and VIVA ZAPATA!<br>As to the emotional response one
gets from the music. If the composer has done his job,
or been allowed to! that response will be triggered
within the viewer and not being aware of that response,
while feeling 'something' is a gift given to very few
composers. Alex North, my idol Miklos Rozsa,and Georges
Delerue spring immediately to mind.<br>Music composed for
the concert hall, by film score composers, is very
different! and rarely works. Rozsa and Korngold of course,
and to a lesser extent, Bernard Herrmann and Franz
Waxman, could and did compose for the concert hall, but
the music of Rozsa and Korngold. Really only can be
desribed as being 'classical'. Other composers have tried
with very mixed results. Goldsmith's music is
dreadful! while Kamen's Mr. Holland's opus. Well, he just
about gets away with it! As to Mr. Williams. I find his
attempts at this kind of music, boring and rather pompous!

Hi, thanks for the info. I have ordered a CD with
music from various movies. I saw the titles of some of
the movies he wrote music for, and no doubt some of
his music will sound familiar since there are quite a
few well known movies among those mentioned.

Ok, well you should get the very melodic and
quite unique Spartacus which is rather jazzy too and
the modernistic Dragonslayer.<br>Listen to these
samples.<br>Try this recording, not conducted by North but the
conductor does a decent job but some parts are badly done.
It's a compliation. And the first track even sounds a
bit like
Percy.<br><a
href=http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=557485953/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/al\
bum.html/ArtistID=NORTH*ALEX+%5C+STERN+%5C+LSO/ITEMID=405275
target=new>http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=557485953/pagename=/RP/CDN/F\
IND/album.h
tml/ArtistID=NORTH*ALEX+%5C+STERN+%5C+LSO/ITEMID=405275</a><br><br>And this a
North conducted
Spartacus<br><a
href=http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=557485953/pagename=/RP/CDN/FIND/al\
bum.html/ArtistID=SPARTACUS/ITEMID=325389
target=new>http://www.cdnow.com/cgi-bin/mserver/SID=557485953/pagename=/RP/CDN/F\
IND/album.h
tml/ArtistID=SPARTACUS/ITEMID=325389</a>

I guess I am now officially the second member of
this club.<br>Now it's my turn to ask you if you can
make some recommendations as far as CDs from Alex
North is concerned. I must admit that I never heard of
him, and I am curious to find out more about him.

Welcome to the Yahoo! Message Board for The Alex North Fan Club