I'm sure this has come up before, but where is the complete original score? Like most of you, I have owned the Polish disc release for years, part of a collection of Komeda volumes, which is devoid of music from the final act of the film (Abronsius on the battlement, the dance sequence, etc.). The sound quality on this disc always seemed a bit muddy to me.
Plus what's the deal with the last track on the disc featuring dialogue from another film soundtrack?
I have the early Harkit release and it's much the same situation. I have to say until you mentioned it I was unaware it was incomplete. I wonder are the tapes lost? Now that it's been highlighted I really want a complete version. That last stitched together track Herbert's song doesn't make it any better.
I am still hopeful the missing tapes will still turn up but labelled as "cartoon music" or promotional music. The domestic US release had a cartoon prologue done in the style of Ronald Searle's caricatures of vampire hunters hunting vampires. I assume so that we, the North American audience, would know we were about to watch a comedy instead of an outright horror film. This was scored with the baroque dance music from the last reel. There was also a live-action promotional short of a professor in a mansion discussing vampires. This also included the music that is missing. The short was included on the DVD. The cartoon short was only an extra on the laser disc (I think). So I think the music might still exist. It's just stored separately under ... who knows what sort of title? Cartoon? Promo?
The studio had no music assets—believe me, we checked!
The Polish release was unauthorized and came from whatever tapes the Komeda estate had.
Lukas
Very sad to read this as it sounds like there’s very little chance of a good release. I remember asking MV in his questions thread about it ages back and I don’t think he’d even heard of the film. No chance of a Lalaland surprise release there then. I guess at least what we have is better than nothing but I’d love at least improved sound. There’s just something about this score that gets me every time. Same with the film. Love it!
Sadly, it does appear to be a pretty hopeless situation. If the studio doesn't have tapes and Komeda's estate has made available all they had then where else is there to look?
I too love the film and it's score and enjoy what we have of Komeda's music.
I've always wondered if Polanski has the complete score recordings. Has anyone ever asked him?
