 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Aug 21, 2001 - 9:34 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Spymaster
(Member)
|
Howdy,Does anybody know why the creepy musical effects are missing from Varese's "Mephisto Waltz" CD? Particularly during the first minute or so of "A New Miles", in the film there is a weird growling sound between those sustained string chords. These effects are present on the Pony Express bootleg but missing from the Varese disc. Why? :-( John
|
|
|
|
|
|
Evidently, the sound effects were omitted for the benefit of all the musical purists out there. Which might have been a bad idea. I don't object to Goldsmith's synthesizer sound effects, which were presumably masterminded by Goldsmith himself. But I suppose the MEPHISTO WALTZ sound effects were tacked on by a technician rather than by Goldsmith---which justified their omission.
|
|
|
|
|
|
These were not sound effects that were left off, but integral electronic musical effects. I seem to remember reading in FSM that the reel containing these effects (and the piano that features in the main title) were simply missing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Mephisto Waltz was discussed a little in Yavar's recent thread on the scores Varese holds the rights to. A couple of times I've quoted from an article from Soundtrack Collector's Newspaper called The Ascent of Jerry Goldsmith, by John Caps, regarding some other scores. So here's what he wrote about Mephisto Waltz.
"The Main title music features, of course, Liszt's "Mephisto Waltz", or at least the famous piano transcription thereof. Goldsmith used Liszt, cutting into different sections of it and mixing in a "dies irae", as a kind of headquarters for his score; however, his endeavor was to surround, in fact to swamp the piano parts with one of the most diabolic collections of symphonic sounds, a cauldron of creaking horns and smoking strings. He brought in his old piano teacher, Jacob Gimpel, to record the piano portions but it was the fastening together of the classical with the completely atonal so that the whole had one sound, that was a great accomplishment there. All of that mixed with a special "sweetener" track of electronic reverse signals and echoes, to lay over the score, made it a deeply unsettling experience, almost hallucinogenic on the one hand and yet, in the end when the waltz tempo comes pouring in, instinctively erotic."
It was some of the piano tracks, plus some sweeteners, that were left off the existing Varese release. Maybe our new pal John O'Callaghan could work with Varese to fill in the blanks? What's missing is not very extensive.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I wouldnt know why, but if the effects reel was missing, maybe Pony used the movie audio?
I would presume it was from a mono stem, if that's what it's called. There's a faint hint of the spoken soundtrack.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It was some of the piano tracks, plus some sweeteners, that were left off the existing Varese release. Maybe our new pal John O'Callaghan could work with Varese to fill in the blanks? What's missing is not very extensive.
It would be very rewarding and exciting to help recreate the missing tracks from THE MEPHISTO WALTZ as well as DAMNATION ALLEY. Unfortunately, we are facing a "You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink." All of us avid fans know what needs to be done to rescue these lost treasures, BUT (realistically), there's little interest or financial incentive in moving forward with projects such as these for Fox.
If things were to change, (like many talented folks who could do the job here) they wouldn't have to ask me twice, I'd be all in before they could blink; however, I'm not going to sit by the phone waiting for it to ring.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Mar 10, 2016 - 9:19 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
DavidCorkum
(Member)
|
If things were to change, (like many talented folks who could do the job here) they wouldn't have to ask me twice, I'd be all in before they could blink; however, I'm not going to sit by the phone waiting for it to ring.
Besides studio interest, another potential limiting factor is the availability of music sheets and technical information. When you recreated PLANET OF THE APES in such a painstaking manner, and wrote your book, you had access to the original handwritten material by Goldsmith, and all the information regarding the instruments, musical techniques, etc. If that where to be done by ear alone, such as what was done with QB VII and THE SALAMANDER. it would likely have been flat out impossible to do such an exacting job. What documentation exists of WALTZ, DAMNATION ALLEY, and PETER PROUD is unknown by those posting here, as far as I know.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Unfortunately we apparently wont be seeing a Blu-ray of The Mephisto Waltz from Twilight Time either. We've heard from Nick Redman that Fox don't have a HD master for this title. It's a real shame, as the isolated score track they included with The Other was a revelation compared to the old CD release.
I know that streaming HD is questionable, but it's available in HDX format on VUDU. Looks as grainy as you would expect for a 70's horror movie.
|
|
|
|
|
|
What documentation exists of WALTZ, DAMNATION ALLEY, and PETER PROUD is unknown by those posting here, as far as I know.
Reconstructing in part or in whole the scores to DAMNATION ALLEY, THE MEPHISTO WALTZ could be described as possible but monumental.
Goldsmith's original sketches (for the 3 scores you mention including THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD) are in the Academy collection; however, you'd have to get permission from the publisher and the studio to reproduce them. In addition, for any cues that haven't been already released on CD (or LP ages ago), you'd have to negotiate with the studio for permission to release a new recording (and in this situation, they can name practically any price or simply say "NO"). Also, the “completeness” of those surviving sketches is a giant, unanswered question. DAMNATION ALLEY and THE MEPHISTO WALTZ appear to have all the sketches for the separately recorded “Overlay” tracks and also include several completely revised cues—that's hopeful and exciting.
I know this doesn't sound terribly encouraging, but I harken to a saying I like:
"Anything's possible, it just costs more money!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
