I saw Altered States on TV when I was a teenager, but I can't say the score made a major impact on me. However, a couple of years later, my parents rented Revolution, and I was knocked over by Corigliano's score for that movie. (What a disappointment to discover that no soundtrack was available for that film.)
Fast-forward a few more years, and John Corigliano actually visits my college for a few weeks as a guest instructor. I was film student, but I attended as many of his lectures as I could, and even got him to sit down and let me interview him for the Goldsmith Society magazine. (He is a wonderful man too -- kind, unpretentious, totally down-to-earth).
It was at this point that I acquired my admiration for Altered States, renting the movie to re-acquaint myself with it (and the score) before the interview, and also hearing the composer's in-depth account of his work on the picture, when he gave a talk on music for films. Naturally I bought the CD as well -- and constantly drove my parents insane by playing it all the time!
Here is a brief interview with Corigliano where he reminisces about his score...
Paul, pretty sure a soundtrack for Revolution was released--at least I have one.
It was a thrill speaking to Corigliano for the LLL Altered States release. But it was also frustrating because I almost had him talked into releasing the complete score and I think some material that didn't make it into the film as well. He had the materials and seemed to be entertaining the possibility with some enthusiasm for a while and then finally decided he wanted to stick to the original album presentation.
I don't remember a Revolution LP coming out. I recall it was planned, but after the box office sinking and critical backlash of the film, it was cancelled. Maybe Jeff got a promo copy or some such?
I don't remember a Revolution LP coming out. I recall it was planned, but after the box office sinking and critical backlash of the film, it was cancelled. Maybe Jeff got a promo copy or some such?
edit. Oh. Ok. Paul said no soundtrack was released. He obviously meant at the time of the film. The LP was cancelled. Varese released it on CD in their CD Club series years later. That's what Jeff was saying he had. Ok. That's that sorted. What's next.
I love Corigliano's music, and like a lot of us, my first exposure was Altered States, which came out the same year as The Elephant Man and Somewhere in Time. Three pretty fair scores.
I read an interview with Corigliano years ago; I can't remember the source, but I think it was Fanfare Magazine. He made a really interesting comment about film composers and I'm going to paraphrase from memory. He said that a lot of film composers limit themselves when composing for films to match their conducting abilities, which was why Corigliano did not conduct Altered States. Any thoughts?
edit. Oh. Ok. Paul said no soundtrack was released. He obviously meant at the time of the film. The LP was cancelled. Varese released it on CD in their CD Club series years later. That's what Jeff was saying he had. Ok. That's that sorted. What's next.
Thanks Kev, that's pretty much what I was going to say!
A soundtrack was announced at the time of the film's release (there was even the customary blurb at bottom of the movie poster "Original Soundtrack featuring James Galway Available on RCA Records and Tapes") but it was canceled because the film did so poorly. According to the composer there were even test pressings made, but nothing was actually released. Talk about a disappointment!
In the late 1980s, when BMG was going to release Altered States on CD, the original plan was to fill-out the remaining space on the CD with music from Revolution. Unfortunately Goldcrest wanted a ludicrous amount of money to license the score (since they'd lost their shirts financing the film), and when I found the newly released Altered States CD in the record bin, it sadly contained nothing from Revolution. Talk about ANOTHER disappointment!
Happily Revolution was ultimately released (albeit 24 years after it was written!).
I read an interview with Corigliano years ago; I can't remember the source, but I think it was Fanfare Magazine. He made a really interesting comment about film composers and I'm going to paraphrase from memory. He said that a lot of film composers limit themselves when composing for films to match their conducting abilities, which was why Corigliano did not conduct Altered States. Any thoughts?
I never heard that. Though what I heard (when I attended his lecture on film music) was that while most film composers choose to conduct their scores, they are not, in Corigliano's estimation, "real conductors" (presumably in the accomplished sense of Bernstein, Ozawa, Slatkin, etc.). However, their skills are adequate for recording in a studio.
Corigliano (who can himself conduct, and frequently leads the student orchestra at Lehman College where he teaches) prefers to have a "real conductor" for his scoring sessions, because someone who specializes in conducting brings a different perspective to the performance. And he's certainly recruited the top people -- Keene, Salonen, Slatkin.
It would surprise me if any composer with a true sense of professionalism would "dumb down" his music in order to make it easier to conduct. Jerry Goldsmith certainly wrote very complex music, but he was not what you'd call a "great conductor".
I do think you kind of need to take Corigliano's statements like this, if it is indeed attributable to him, with a a grain of salt. Concert-centric composers who occasionally score films have often spoken derisively of those for whom film composition is a primary gig. Ever read any of Andre Previn's woefully condescending comments on the medium...?
He had the materials and seemed to be entertaining the possibility with some enthusiasm for a while and then finally decided he wanted to stick to the original album presentation.
I do think you kind of need to take Corigliano's statements like this, if it is indeed attributable to him, with a a grain of salt. Concert-centric composers who occasionally score films have often spoken derisively of those for whom film composition is a primary gig.
Mr. Corigliano told me personally he was a great admirer of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. He also spoke highly of Leonard Rosenman.
He has also stated on numerous occasions he'd like to score more films, if he feels he is the right fit for the project.
I suspect if he had been born in Los Angeles and not New York, he might well have become primarily a film composer. He actually worked in television (in a production, not musical, capacity) when younger.
Mr. Corigliano told me personally he was a great admirer of John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. He also spoke highly of Leonard Rosenman.
He has also stated on numerous occasions he'd like to score more films, if he feels he is the right fit for the project.
That's interesting to hear about Williams. Goldsmith doesn't surprise me because of all the academia-oriented psuedo-Bartok leanings in his most prolific scores, but I did assume Corigliano to be the kind of guy to diss on the good ol' JW since he's, you know, the most commercially successful orchestral composer probably of all time. But I'm glad to hear that was mere speculation on my part and isn't actually true.
Rosenman, on the other hand... Well, we all have our guilty pleasure I guess!
Rosenman, on the other hand... Well, we all have our guilty pleasure I guess!
I bl
suspect he confused him with Larry Rosenthal
Ha-ha-ha!
No...I do respect Rosenman's talent and technique (but I have to be honest, I'm not a fan of most of his scores).
Mr. Corigliano specifically mentioned East of Eden when I met him, and praised Rosenman for coming up with an Americana-style theme "which even Aaron couldn't have done better" (or words to that effect).
I only just remembered that he also offered high praise for Rozsa, and pointed particularly to his brass writing.
I also read an interview with Corigliano where he spoke of when he first met John Williams, and told him how much he loved Jaws. Williams later commissioned a work from Corigliano for the Boston Pops, the "Promenade Overture".
