Wendy Carlos scores on ultra Hi-D 20-bit CD - AMAZING (1 Viewer)

[ReggieW]

I just wanted to recommend to those interested in film scores, the 20 bit CD releases of Tron and the Original Clockwork Orange score out by Eastside Digital. I have been listening to both soundtracks very critically the past week, and must say that this is about as good as redbook cd gets, especially considering the masters to 'Clockwork' were in poor condition, and now 30 years old. Tron was recently released for the first time ever on CD by Disney, and in the liner notes, Carlos spoke of how badly the original masters has degraded, and had recently been rescued from unplayable condition. I should state that Carlos' score for Clockwork sounds much better than the poorly mastered Warner version on CD currently available which Carlos had never been satisfied with. Her original score CD also contains a synthesized version of La Gazza Ladra which Kubrick opted not to use in this form. There are several other cues which Kubrick opted not to use, and they are all quite good and on the CD. Now if we can only get Wendy and Warner to do for THE SHINING what they did for Clockwork, especially since THE SHINING has never been released on CD, I would be the first in line to pick it up if it sounds as well as Tron and Clockwork. I also picked up her SWITCHED ON boxset which were also mastered by Eastside Digital in hi-def 20-bit, and some of the tracks even have commentaries by Carlos giving exposition on some of the pieces. She was so adamant about the representation of her work, that she bought the rights to it from Sony/Columbia and had it completely re-mastered by herself and Eastside Digital. Well done Wendy.

Reg

 

[ReggieW]

Well, anyone else have these? Don't tell me I'm the only one here who has heard/own them.

Reg

 

[John Watson]

Do these disks play on conventional cd players?

Naive, but I skipped quadrophonics, and have no time for newer formats, but always loved the "switched on" Beethoven of Clockwork Orange, and would add a new cd of that type of music, as I gather it contains more Carlo's work than was on the CO movie soundtrack music albums.

 

[Greg_Y]

Where did you purchase these?

 

[Andrew Chong]

I'm a proud owner of the Clockwork Orange soundtrack music including Timesteps in its entirety on 12-inch record back when she used the moniker Walter Carlos. One day, if I can find a good deal, I'd like to pick up the remastered CD you mentioned in addition to everything else she has officially re-released, ReggieW.

Many months ago, I bought the Switched-On Boxed Set and love it. Getting all of Wendy's Brandenburg Concerto realizations in one package pleases the completist in me.

By the way Greg Yurkovic, most, if not all of Wendy's personally directed remasters are available at hmv.com. To me, their prices on the single CDs aren't that great but their service is good. I bought the boxed set online from them because they had the best price at the time.

Yes, John Watson, they are regular CDs, they should play on any machine. A bonus on one of the Switched On Boxed Set discs is a truckload of CD-ROM content produced and provided by Wendy including a large portion of her ever-evolving Web site as it stood at the time and MIDI files she created.

 

[Christ Reynolds]

THE SHINING has never been released on CD

was it released anywhere, vinyl? this reason alone, i'd buy a turntable. i love the clockwork orange score, i have the soundtrack too, but the score is wonderful, timesteps takes a different turn when played in its entirety. love wendy carlos, (had to know this was coming) she's the man.

CJ

 

[Greg_Y]

Yes, the Shining soundtrack was indeed released on LP:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...item=908097174
(I'm not in any way affiliated with that auction, just using it for reference.)
There's a CD released with music from some of the Kubrick films called Dr. Strangelove. Unfortunately, it's re-recordings, not originals.

 

[Javier_Huerta]

Sorry for the stupid question... but I always assumed Wendy Carlos was a "he"... at least he / she is closer to being a "he" than the alternative... oh, well. Now I'm confused.

Still, I didn't know Tron was now available on CD. I'll go look out for it.

 

[Greg_Y]

Javier,
It's not a stupid question.
Short answer from http://www.hipsurgerymusic.com/Carlos/

Walter Carlos began piano lessons at age 6 and had mastered the organ just ten years later. He was drawn to the field of electronic music while at Brown University, and went on to earn a master's degree at the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center in New York. Nights were spent experimenting with tape recorders and mixers, leading to a stint as a tape editor at Gotham Recording. It was here that Carlos met a young music instrument engineer named Robert Moog, who was just developing his eponymous keyboard synthesizer.
Determined to bring electronic music outside the avant garde, where it had chiefly resided at universities and music studios, Carlos worked on mastering the new Moog synthesizer. *SNIP*
1972's Sonic Seasonings was the first original work from Carlos, composed in four sections to correspond with the seasons. The double LP mixed his synthesizer work with nature sound effects, and it is often cited as one of the precursors to New Age music. In the fall of that year, Walter Carlos underwent a sex change operation and then legally became Wendy. Since childhood, Carlos had suffered from gender dysphoria, and for two years prior to the procedure had been receiving estrogen treatment. Fearful of how the media would receive this news and worried for her musical career, she continued releasing records under the name of Walter Carlos for several years.
She shunned public appearances and avoided performing live until 1979, when she finally revealed her new identity in an interview with Playboy magazine. Her career resumed with more film soundtrack work for Stanley Kubrick's The Shining in 1980 and Disney's Tron in 1982. Carlos began working with the Crumdar GDS/Synergy machine at this time, and her releases throughout the next decade found her embracing new digital technologies.

Longer answer from Wendy herself:
http://www.wendycarlos.com/pruri.html

 

[Greg_Y]

Reggie, for some reason I thought you were referring to a new(er) Clockwork Orange soundtrack than what I have. I do indeed own the Complete Original Score on ESD. It is quite fantastic. I'll have to add some of Wendy's other selections to my wanted list including the Switched On series.

 

[Javier_Huerta]

Greg, thanks for the info. I was always confused about Wendy Carlos, since she (I think that's the correct gender now ) had a male and a female name. Now I understand.
I hope the Tron CD sounds as good as I expect... the 20th anniversary restoration of the film was quite good.

 

[Kevin M]

I have several Wendy Carlos CD's (and a few Walter Carlos LP's...sorry Wendy) anyway I think both the new TRON and the older 1997/98 re-mastered Clockwork Orange CD's sound wonderful, well worth the money.
Try her 1984 Digital Moonscapes CD, IMO very unappreciated in it's time.

 

[ReggieW]

Kevin or Greg,

Just out of curiosity, have any of you ever seen any photos of Walter Carlos? I too was confused for a longtime as the original WEA Clockwork Orange CD had Walter Carlos as the composer, and then it became Wendy Carlos on the ESD reissues. I to was under the misteaken impression for a long time that Walter was always a woman but adopted a male name because of the difficulties of being a female prodigy/engineer in the music business. Man was I shocked when I discovered what happened. Needless to say, she is an extremely gifted musician who has deeply influenced the direction of all electronic music. I will make an attenpt to get her sonci landscapes and lookforward to her compilation of unused film music - according to her website.

Reg

 

[Kevin M]

No, I was a big fan of his when he was a he so when Wendy appeared I pretty much knew that he became she because of gender confusion/desire/necessity, however you wish to phrase it.
It never bothered me too much and I still loved the music and talent so I was supportive. It's her life, it's "our" music.