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So... why the weird juxtaposition of terms?
As far as I know, back in 1977 Chris Küchler's "Varèse International Records" and Tom Null's "Sarabande Records" joint to "Varèse Sarabande Records". Scot Holton came to the label in 1979.
This is almost correct. I don't know if my memory is really accurate, but I believe Dub Taylor and Chris had Varese and Tom may have had Sarabande - but it was the amalgamation of the two labels. They were doing only classical music. I've told the story before, but Tom, who was working at Vogue Records in Westwood, chatted me up frequently, since I was there two or three times a week. He told me they were starting a label and I was offered a third of it for $2500 or something like that. And, in the stupidest decision EVER, I didn't do it. What I did do is convince them that classical wasn't going to do the trick and that they should get into soundtracks. I was quite passionate about it, and I guess it worked, since that's what they did. And, as some of you know, the very first Varese Sarabande LP was the soundtrack to my film, The First Nudie Musical.
Scot came around a year later. Over the years, I got them them several good titles - Bloodline, An Almost Perfect Affair, and, most importantly, A Little Romance which, because of my inundating the Academy with copies of the LP, won the Academy Award that year for score (over Mr. Goldsmith's Star Trek!). I also got them The Twilight Zone series of LPs because one fine day I simply picked up the phone and called the CBS Music library and asked for it.
Only some fifteen years later would I actually go to work there.
One other little-known fact: After Richard Kraft decided to leave, I was the first one offered the soundtrack job - I was too busy doing other things at the time, but I sort of wonder what would have happened had I taken it. I'm sure Mr. Townson wonders, too 
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I always said Va-reese Sara-bond-day.
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I really liked Varese's classical releases. I've got the early Liszt, Copland, Dvorak releases, and they're terrific.
Theoretically, they released a Toru Takemitsu's "In an Autumn Garden", too, but I've never actually SEEN a copy of it. Back in the day, I special ordered it from my local record stores to no avail, and I've tried finding in eBay with the same lack of results.
Takemitsu is one of my favorite composers. I'd really like to have a copy of this disc in my collection someday.
I know that Varese will, from time to time release some classical works (like the Bernard Herrmann disc re-releasing material from the CLASSICAL HOLLYWOOD series), but it's been a while.
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Posted: |
Jun 14, 2008 - 11:18 AM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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Wow, I've been into film music for almost two decades and I never knew that the name hails from a merger of two companies! Thanks for the info.
Also, why did the original Varese company call themselves just that? Any particular connection to the modernist composer? (it's like a label calling itself "Mozart" or "Beethoven"...kinda weird).
As far as the pronounciation is concerned, American Nightmare, that may be the AMERICAN pronounciation you cite, but not the original. I think the composer's last name is pronounced "Vares-eh", as in the Italian city (then again, he was born in France, not Italy, so there may be some difference).
Likewise, Sarabande does not have a silent 'e' at the end in its original language. It's pronounced "Saraband-eh".
So I've always said "Vares-eh Saraband-eh". Sounds better than if you cut the ends off, IMO.
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