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She has a really nice website: www.wendycarlos.com. Extensive writings there, so she might have actually answered your question.
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I got this message clicking on your link:
The url contained a malformed video id.
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Er...
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For example, she sheds light on an age-old controversly and reveals that she had to release her early albums under the pseudonym "Walter Carlos" so that she would be taken seriously as an artist (because a female moog player would not be taken seriously by the electronic music establishment).
Does her web site actually say that? Because as American Nightmare reveals, she actually was born a man and was still one when she did those early albums. The Playboy interview was something she later regretted doing.
A brilliant musician in any case, who should be scoring more high-profile films. Tron is one of the best scores of the 80s.
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There was a doc, MOOG, about the inventor of the synthesizer bearing his name.
Carlos refused to participate and thretened to sue if she was included!
One can only assume that she did not want current audiences to become aware of Walter" which is what s/he was listed as on the"Switched on Bach" best sellers.
She sounds like a person not comfortable with her new persona or, more likely someone who wants to bury her old one.
I read the PLAYBOY interview when it came out.
Most astonishing to read that the genius behind A CLOCKWORK ORANGE was no longer "Walter"
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I've a lot to thank Wendy Carlos for. After buying the "A Clockwork Orange" soundtrack in '71, I went on to buy "Switched-On Bach" & "The Well Tempered Synthesizer" it was my "in" to the classical world. I went on to discover lots of composers from Lully to Shostakovich. The Well Tempered Synthesizer is still a favorite album (the CD sounds very good).
At the time I also bought "The Moog Strikes Bach" by Hans Wurman (on RCA) very good, but unfortunately has never been released on CD.
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Posted: |
Aug 4, 2007 - 6:46 AM
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By: |
OnyaBirri
(Member)
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Does her web site actually say that?
From www.wendycarlos.com
Q: Why do some of the old LP's have a different name on them?
A: Please be assured that these are all Wendy Carlos albums, and were so when they were first completed. But-- to cut to the chase, in those less enlightened times strong selfish opinions were voiced (synthesizers are a "male" enterprise, don't you see...?). I was flabbergasted to be denyed fair credit (the first S-OB's had no cover credit at all, in fact, just: "Performed on the Moog Synthesizer," creating another misconception: that the Moog synth did it all. CBS signed our instrument, not us, to a contract -- talk about getting no respect...). Well, politically incorrect fears and dissembling perpetuated a fictionalized identity including faked pictures, for 10 years (grrr...). I naively let them run amok, forced to hide from the public until 1979, when fed up, I pulled the plug on the whole mess. Yes, a depressing tale -- old "news" by now. People can be cruel.
On the other hand many female authors have used male pseudonyms, especially if it was believed their writings might be received "more eagerly" with a male image in front of it. Think of George Sand, Sig-O to composer Frederic Chopin, and many more up through Alice Sheldon, the writer whose excellent SF novels were credited: James Tiptree, Jr. A few men have recently written us in (threatened?) outrage, insisting we should perpetuate the folly, and still refuse accurate album credit, "to maintain consistency" (once wrong, always wrong?). Unbelievable cheek (proof we haven't come so far?). Arrgh! Please feel free to bop a few heads for us...
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WELL, NOW WE KNOW WHY she doesn't work more...
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I think she's a fantastic composer and would love to hear more from her at the movies.
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So lets get this straight. Walter didn't have the "snip" & become Wendy. He was a she all along, is that right?
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From her homepage:
"Wendy Carlos is one of the most important composers living today. While primarily connected to the fields of electronic music, sound design, and alternate tunings, her compositions transcend these genres. It is certain that her music will be included among the major milestones of 20th century music."
http://www.wendycarlos.com/
That's some statement.
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So lets get this straight. Walter didn't have the "snip" & become Wendy. He was a she all along, is that right?
No. http://www.wendycarlos.com/pruri.html
Thanks for that. I read it twice & am none the wiser (& i'm not really that bothered).
I'm sure Wendy Carlos is very good at a lot of things, but writing isn't one of them. Reading that lot was like trying to swim through treacle.
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I should add that in addition to being creeped out by the revisionist history thing, I lost respect for W. Carlos after the lawsuit against Momus.
Who or what is MOMus?
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