Just watched this again. Have seen it so many times and i still think its an amazing film that rewards on every viewing. I wondered if anyone could tell me where the moments that Jack Nitzsche composed actually are in the film? There's a very brief bit of music played when Father Karras and Father Merrin are getting ready before going up the stairs to do battle. Is that a bit of his? Its only the original cut of the film Im talking about as,although i enjoyed the extra dramatic scenes in the re-worked cut, the extra atmospheric music and silly effects bits ruined it for me.
I'm going by the credits on the back of the CD that came with my DVD box set. According to those notes, he is credited with the opening track "Iraq". The track itself starts with some eerie tones, before it segues into the ethnic chanting that takes up the rest of the track. Whether he wrote the whole track, or just the "eerie tones" intro, who can say? The whole score (as it plays in the movie) is such a patchwork quilt that we may never definitively know.
The only other source for info is the movie's end credits, and they don't provide a whole hell of a lotta help. I haven't watched the extended cut in donkey's years. I should pull it out to hear the section you refer to (unless that bit is also in the regular cut--which, incidentally, is the one I prefer too). Except that the Missus won't allow me to ever put it on when she's around.
I think you'll find that the crystal glass tones were the only actual contribution from Jack Nitzsche that appeared in the film. I believe they appear on the opening sequence, during Father Merrin's arrival and the Karras Merrin conversation before the exorcism.
It can also be heard on various trailers and TV spots.
Thanks folks. Thought that was probably it but wanted to check. There's a couple of source pieces used i haven't managed to locate yet ( one of the Penderecki pieces) so i thought that might have been it.the scene with the priests i referred to was in the old cut. Have to say that the sparse music moments are used perfectly in the film. This is one of the reasons i hated the new cut. It just seemed to be catering more to the standard 'horror film' market with its extra ominous rumblings. The Exorcist is no standard horror film!
I read in Music in the Horror Film that Nitzsche composed 193 seconds of music called 'Crystal Glass and Voices', all of it used as bridges and transitions. Of the 'Iraq' piece the beginning is by Nitzsche (19 seconds), followed by 10 seconds of Penderecki and the ethnic chant.
Just got through the new Perseverance EXORCIST soundtrack which answers a lot of my questions. Its still annoying that the actual parts used in the film of the longer works is so hard to find out though. I think that with the combination of the source pieces in many cases, its probably almost impossible to identify the actual bits. I may be a score fan but what I love most about this film is the sparseness of the music. I can't imagine that this would ever have worked as well if they had gone another way..no offence to Lalo Schifrin or even, god forbid Tangerine Dream! I guess a lot of folk would say its almost sound design and not actual music.
The "ethnic chant" everyone is referring to in the opening, when the title "The Exorcist" appears in red letters, is called the Takbir, consisting of the common Arabic phrase "Allahu akbar" which usually translates to "Lord is the greatest".
I read in Music in the Horror Film that Nitzsche composed 193 seconds of music called 'Crystal Glass and Voices', all of it used as bridges and transitions. Of the 'Iraq' piece the beginning is by Nitzsche (19 seconds), followed by 10 seconds of Penderecki and the ethnic chant.
Does that means it could be a contender for the category: shortest score ever composed for a Hollywood movie? Unless his own score to Stand By Me is shorter? But I doubt that. Heck, it even beats Elmer Bernstein`s score to An American Werewolf In London.
The "ethnic chant" everyone is referring to in the opening, when the title "The Exorcist" appears in red letters, is called the Takbir, consisting of the common Arabic phrase "Allahu akbar" which usually translates to "Lord is the greatest".
Yes, that's the 'Azaan' - the call to our prayer or Salah! The 'Takbeer' is just the phrase' Allah u Akbar'-Allah is Greatest. Its just apart of the whole Azaan.
It's become a cliche for the muslim world in films and is referenced when ever the location is middle eastern etc.
I was never allowed to watch the film on the big screen until I was 14+ and it was considered a cult classic and one of those movies that scared you for real (aand thankfully still does!) So when I watched it for the first time- I was thinking that -Hey ! this film is so uber scary that they put the 'Azaan' in it to ward of the evil. LOL.
I've managed to find the full versions of almost all of the music pieces used for the film online, as I don't care much for the re-recorded versions on the official soundtrack album (especially Penderecki's and Henze's work). Would love to one day get hold of the full recording of "Crystal Glass and Voices" and David Borden's "Study No.1 / Study No.2."
Can anyone identify where Borden's work is used in the film? Someone said that it is what's heard in the iconic scene as Merrin arrives at the house, but i always thought that was a portion of "Crystal Glass and Voices."(?)
Also, does anyone know where the Webern piece is used?
Any chance that the idea of an expanded reissue will gain some traction with the film's 50th anniversary, and with the new sequel coming out later this year?
I've managed to find the full versions of almost all of the music pieces used for the film online, as I don't care much for the re-recorded versions on the official soundtrack album (especially Penderecki's and Henze's work). Would love to one day get hold of the full recording of "Crystal Glass and Voices" and David Borden's "Study No.1 / Study No.2."
Can anyone identify where Borden's work is used in the film? Someone said that it is what's heard in the iconic scene as Merrin arrives at the house, but i always thought that was a portion of "Crystal Glass and Voices."(?)
Also, does anyone know where the Webern piece is used?
Has anyone ever contacted Borden about releasing his pieces? Cuneiform Records has a number of Borden's albums on Bandcamp. Perhaps they could facilitate a digital release.
One thing that always miffed me about The Exorcist was the demon. Pazuzu is an ancient Mesopotamian wind demon used to ward off other demons from babies. It’s not part of the Christian demon mythology. Aside from that, it’s a great movie. Shot in a quasi documentary style which makes it seem very authentic (until the last act which is the least scary part). Sound and music choices were solid.
One thing that always miffed me about The Exorcist was the demon. Pazuzu is an ancient Mesopotamian wind demon used to ward off other demons from babies. It’s not part of the Christian demon mythology.
They should have stuck with "Captain Howdy." Or "Talking Tina" which has a nice alliteration. She doesn't have an origin story in the Twilight Zone so she could have been a demon, if you really need a more white-bread name for one.
Unlike A Clockwork Orange, where all the different cues are sustained and easily identifiable, the headlong, kaleidoscopic plot of The Exorcist is better served by the piecemeal placement of cues by William Friedkin and his editors.
One thing that always miffed me about The Exorcist was the demon. Pazuzu is an ancient Mesopotamian wind demon used to ward off other demons from babies. It’s not part of the Christian demon mythology. Aside from that, it’s a great movie. Shot in a quasi documentary style which makes it seem very authentic (until the last act which is the least scary part). Sound and music choices were solid.
Yes, first third of the film is the best, really unsettling. Once we get to the triggers-for-Catholics parts, it gets silly.
By the way, it may or may not be of interested, but I have some further info' of Jack's work, and on David's work, on my Rejected Film Scores website: http://rejectedfilmscores.125mb.com/list.html
Jack is under Lalo's entry, and David is under DEMOS.
And then under the Supposedly Rejected page (rumors, scores that didn't happen, unsolved mysteries, etc.):
