Customer Reviews

Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange (1971 Film)

5 star:		(26)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This soundtrack is mostly a collection of experimental instrumentals and familiar classical pieces, and as such, works to enhance the film and also to educate people unfamiliar with synthesizer music or to give a crash course for those who want to hear the highlights of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.

The ominous opening notes of Henry Purcell's Music For The Funeral of Queen Mary-Mary II, that is, sets the tone for the then-ahead of its time synthesizer music of Walter (now Wendy after the sex change operation) Carlos. In fact, most of the music is done by Carlos, and as such, provides a wonderful forum for introducing his [at that time] music. Equally dark is "Timesteps", the music played when Alex is being fitted with the gear that will make him see the horrible films shown by the clinic. The two other Carlos numbers are brief numbers, "Overture To The Sun," played when a "cured" Alex is displayed onstage with floodlights nearly blinding him, and shown on stage, and the "Beethoviana" theme, which is repeatedly played throughout the movie in interlude moments.

The three pieces by Gioacchino Rossini include an excerpt piece from the Thieving Magpie. This alternately idyllic and bombastic piece of music was used twice, once during the fighting scene between Alex's droogs and Billy Boy's gang, and also in the slo-mo footage of Alex and his gang striding along the pier, with Alex attacking Georgie and Dim. The second is a speeded up piece from the William Tell Overture, the famous "Lone Ranger" theme, during the equally speeded up sex scene between Alex and the two girls he picks up at the record shop. And the tragic, weepy excerpt from William Tell is featured once again, in the scene when Alex realizes that Joe, the dominating lodger taken in by his family, doesn't want him back.

The second movement from Beethoven's Ninth Symphony is included twice here, one an excerpt from the symphonic original, played during Alex's violent visions in bed, the other a Carlos-adapted synthesizer version aptly titled the Suicide Scherzo, as that's what is played when the author is trying to induce Alex to kill himself. And the Ninth is visited two more times here. Carlos's innovative seven minute score march, modeled after the famous fourth movement, is included, with synthesized voices to match. The ominous bass sounds that divide the first part of this track from the second betokens greater stuff to come, which it does. This is my favourite track here. A snippet from the end of the choral movement is used to cement the understanding reached by the Minister and Alex.

When I realized that Sir Edward Elgar's "Pomp And Circumstance No. 1" was included in the CD, I thought, "OHO, so THAT's who did this, and that's what this is titled." You know, the famous graduation march that's often played... well, maybe not as much today. There's only an excerpt of his "P&C No. 4" here, as that's how much used in the scene where Alex is being transferred from jail to the clinic.

The weird oddity of this album is Erika Eigen's "I Want To Marry A Lighthouse Keeper" ditty, which is what Alex's family is listening to when he bursts in on them upon his release.

Gene Kelly's "Singin' In The Rain" done in the end credits, finishes the soundtrack, signifying Alex's cure. A veddy horrorshow soundtrack to my favourite film of all time.

The original soundtrack album for A Clockwork Orange truncates too much of the music. If you are interested in this album for the great electronic synthesizer music heard in the film, you should instead buy "Wendy Carlos' A Clockwork Orange" (5 stars) which has the same music, complete and uncut, and has also been recently digitally remastered for great sound.

Every bit of music on the cd is excellent.The only gripe is that "Timesteps" is a 4 minute excerpt of a 13 minute work.At only 46 minutes as is the cd could have easily fit the entire thing. The excerpt of "Timesteps" is the portion played in the movie,and quite an exquisite,melancholy piece it is. The "Theme"is a study in the kool and understated. The gem of the entire soundtrack is the synthesized Funeral music of Baroque composer Henry Purcell.It sets the mood for the movie perfectly.Its overwhelming and desolate sense of sadness makes it one of the most wrenching pieces of music ever written.Its amazing how much dimension the synthesizer brings to the work.This setting of the piece may be Carlos' crowning achievement. As for the synth version of Beethoven's 9th you can only smile at the goofy,quirky and primitive sound of the voices.Therein lies its charm.The iconoclastic maestro himself might have cracked a smile at the audacity of Carlos' reworking of this deservedly hallowed music. The Edward Elgar Pomp and Circumstance marches are a nice bonus to the album as is the "Overture to the Sun" and the nutty and silly "I want to marry a lighthouse keeper"."Singin in the rain",one of little Alex's personal favorites is also included.It is perfect music for stomping an old man,if you are so inclined. This soundtrack should be studied in film schools as a perfect example of matching music to scenery as every piece of music in the film fits precisely the scene it accompanies. Get this disc and Carlos' complete version.They are worth the the money. Of the probable 800-900 albums I've listened to in my lifetime I still come back to this masterpiece again and again.It is truly a magical creation.

Oh my brothers, when you slooshy this horrorshow work of art you will feel all the hairs stand up on your plot like slow malenky lizards, gravity all nonsense now. Lovely Ludwig Van's glorious ninth and Rossini's "Theiving Magpie" will sharpen you up a bit and get you ready for a little twenty to one. So comport yourself publicwise and spend some of that cutter me brothers!

The soundtrack album of CLOCKWORK ORANGE, even with its simple (and supposedly) outdated Wendy Carlos recordings, holds up far better than the actual film has over these 38 years. This story takes place in the 1990s, and we all know that today's world is nothing like Anthony Burgess' dismal and nightmarish vision . . . don't we?

Many of this soundtrack's classical selections are by Herbert von Karajan and the Berlin Philharmonic. Their spirited Beethoven and Rossini interpretations remain some of the very best ever recorded.

An excerpt of Wendy's "Timesteps" is the most compelling piece here. In the film, this stark aural collage is background to Alex's behavior modification. In order to shorten his prison sentence, the violent sociopath agrees to a course of reprogramming. He's made chemically ill while forced to view scenes of rapine and bloodshed. The choking sickness can only be arrested by replacing any natural criminal urges with passive thoughts.

It's hard to listen to "Overture To The Sun" without picturing the spotlighted naked girl who tempts an on-display Alex into a state of unwellness that he likens to "wanting to snuff it." His ability to act brutally has been taken from him, ironically through a violently imposed trigger reflex. The subsequent events precipitating Alex's restoration into a fully NON-functional member of society beset him in a fashion eerily similar to the chaos he once left in his violent wake.

The stark images and perversities of "Orange" tend to stay with a person. Perhaps watching Kubrick's A CLOCKWORK ORANGE has in some way "programmed" the viewer too, by desensitizing us to the madness that's all around.

Maybe the film holds up better than I thought. I must have a glass of choko moloko and reconsider. Meanwhile, you may buy this CD with confidence and listen to lovely, lovely Ludwig van . . .

Bolshi Yarblockos, my droggies. Viddy thou this incredible soundtrack from the film A Clockwork Orange. Cued from the novel by Anthony Burgess, the musical selections mainly focus on the Beethoven obsession of the main character Alex, however Carlos's deep knowledge of the classical repetoire and Kubrick's neurotic perfectionism combine to fill out this album. I love most of the tracks here, and have listened to them since 1972.

My personal favorite is the title music of the film, Henry Purcell's "Funeral Music for Queen Mary," a piece so appropriate to the film that Purcell must have been channelling the future when he wrote it in the late 17th century. Carlos's interpretation of this Purcell piece is astounding in its forboding textures and alientating timbres. Electronic tympani have never sounded better - and were never used like this before. Ring modualtions, filter sweeps, phased sawtooth angel trumpets and resonate devil trombones - oh bliss!

I also liked the strange music Kubrick chose - "I want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper," and "Anthem to the Sun," both obscure and perfect.

Carlos's avant-garde composition "Timesteps" appears in abbreviated form here, and for most listeners this abridgement is enough.

The concluding ironic use of "Singing in the Rain," is wonderful, and after an album (and film) full of electronics, classical music, and weirdness, a standard is shocking enough.

There is a new version of the soundtrack put out by Carlos herself, which includes only her work. Some tracks composed but not used in the film appear here, as do some track used, but not appearing on the OST as well. Timesteps in its 13:37 form is also on this album.

For those fans of Prog rock: Viddy the film when Alex visits a record store: Notice the Vertigo swirl above the main desk, also in the wrecked foyer of Alex's highrise, one of the figures on the vandalised mural has "Suck it and see" written on it, also the name of a Vertigo music sampler of the same era.

One interesting piece of trivia concerning Walter/Wendy Carlos was that he/she was undergoing his/her sex-change treatment during the recording of the "Clockwork Orange" soundtrack. The trauma of this procedure is highly evident in the music. What I really want is the original Walter Carlos soundtrack in its entirety! This record album was a separate release that contained all of the synthesizer tracks created for the movie "Clockwork Orange". The soundtrack used short clips only. I owned 3 copies of the record album but lost all of them to a burglar! Please help me find a copy of this record or CD! I think it was released on Columbia but is now out of print. It would make a great project for digital remastering...HINT HINT....

Besides being the soundtrack to perhaps Stanley Kubrick's best film, it also contains some great and thought-provoking music. I don't pay much attention to classical, unless it's been used in a film like this. But half of the album also has a synclavier sound from Walter/Wendy Carlos. Thus, if you enjoyed Brian Eno's Another Green World or Before And After Science, this recording might appeal to you. It is nice to hear some real classical music, however (particularly "Pomp and Circumstance"), and thus provides great listening to those who are really into the recording. But it's hard to digest in one gulp, just like the movie itself.

Stanley Kubrick's imagination never ceases to amaze me and I can't think of any other music than this to portray his disturbing vision of A CLOCKWORK ORANGE. Classical fans will enjoy Beethoven's Ninth, The William Tell Overture, The Thieveing Magpie. Many of these classics have been synthesized that seem like they are new compositions. Track 5, especially, you feel like you're in a dream. I would like to hear more of the "Timesteps" piece by Walter Carlos. An unusual, brilliant, and unforgettable soundtrack for your collection.

I recently purchased the soundtrack to Stanley Kubrick's controversial masterpiece A Clockwork Orange. The music on here is great. Though I like all of the tracks, the ones I particularly like are The Thieving Magpie, Beethoven's 9th Symphony (Second Movement), March from Clockwork Orange (9th Symphony, 4th Movement), Pomp and Circumstance (March No. IV), Suicide Scherzo (9th Symphony, Second Movement) and Singing in the Rain.

My only major problem with this CD is that most of the tracks are excerpts (All 9th Symphony tracks, Thieving Magpie, William Tell Overture, Timesteps). Though I am sure that the parts of these tracks on the CD are the best of those tracks, some people want to hear the full versions. There is a booklet that comes with the CD, but it is only six pages long. A more detailed and longer booklet plus the full, unabridged tracks would have better justified a retail price of $15. 99.

Nevertheless, this is a great CD that I am proud to include along my music collection