soundtrack to excalibur...
Kurt Roithinger
i know that john boorman's 'excalibur' uses some wagner and the
carmina burana by orff, but does anyone know what exact cues of
wagners it uses?
i think i could spot 'liebestod' from 'tristan und isolde', but other
then that i'm drawing blanks.
what further muddies the waters (a bit) for is the fact that i
distinctly recognized some of the major cues used in excalibur while
watching a movie called 'royal flash' (filmed in '75, based on the
great novels by george maconald fraser).
can anyone help me out with this?
-kurt-
Kurt Roithinger
---------------
gr...@teleport.com
MRH
Here are the complete liner notes from the Bootleg CD of Excalibur:
EXCALIBUR
Music By
TREVOR JONES
EXCALIBUR
John Boorman had dreamed of bringing the legend of King Arthur and
the Knights of the Round Table to the screen for over a decade. No
doubt spurred on by the successes of "Star Wars" and other fantasy
pictures of the time, Orion Pictures finally gave the project a green
light. Boorman's adaptation, with screenwriter Rospo Pallenberg, of Sir
Thomas Malory's classic novel Le Morte d'Arthur debuted on theatre
screens in Europe and America in April of 1981. While it met with mixed
critical reactions, the film was a tremendous popular success at the
box-office.
"Excalibur" was a landmark in the fantasy genre, making all
previous attempts to realise this story seem pale by comparison.
Although the film omitted certain aspects of the Arthurian legend in
favour of highlighting others, it retained and emphasised the most
well-known themes of the tale; love and betrayal, truth and honour, the
defense of the realm and the quest for enlightenment. "Excalibur"
quickly became a cult favourite; a standard for sword-and-sorcery films
against which all others to come must be measured.
The music of "Excalibur" proved to be no less than landmark
itself. Unlike other films where an original composition is thrown out
in favour of a classical temp-track ("2001: A Space Odyssey", notably),
composer Trevor Jones was contracted with the knowledge that Boorman
intended to score the film primarily with classical music. Opera by
Wagner and Orff based on the stories of Arthur and the Grail had
appropriately been chosen as themes for the major characters and Jones
was to create the supporting musical atmosphere for the film. Boorman
went one step further, however, and asked Jones to compose both a main
theme and an end credit suite to be used in the event that specific
performances of the classical music he had chosen were unavailable for
licencing. This music was recorded for the film, but in the end Boorman
chose to re-record many of the classical selections using the London
Philharmonic under the direction of Norman Del Mar.
In retrospect, John Boorman defined the fantasy genre with
"Excalibur". And like the film it accompanied, the music of "Excalibur"
created a lasting impression on its audience. This collection will
hopefully renew those impressions of the film and of the legend it
tells.
The Dark Ages...
1. Theme from "Excalibur" - "The land was divided and without a King."
The film begins with a nocturnal battle between the armies of Lords
Uther and Cornwall, and introduces the Sorcerer, Merlin. The theme, a
motif from Siegfried's Funeral March from Richard Wagner's opera "The
Ring", accompanies the rising of Excalibur from the lake and comes to
symbolise the sword of power and the King who wields it. This theme
resurfaces in varying forms a total of nine times throughout the
picture.
2. Igrayne's Dance - A truce between the warring clans of England and a
blood vow between Uther and Cornwall are soon broken as Uther is
obsessed with lust for Cornwall's lady, the dancer Igrayne. This dance,
played predominantly on lute and mandolin, escalates as Uther's passion
builds and the tension between the two warlords rises. Composer Jones
would adopt a similar style of composition in his later work for the Jim
Henson film, "The Dark Crystal".
3. Merlin's Spell - Under duress, Merlin conjures a mist to rise about
Lord Uther, allowing him to take on the image of Cornwall in order to
enter his enemy's castle and conceive a child with Igrayne. Merlin's
price is high, however, and Uther soon falls victim to his own greed. A
portion of this chorale is used as Uther rides "on the dragon's breath"
and sets the coming of King Arthur in motion. The piece is reprised
later in the film during Sir Percival's search for the Holy Grail, and
similar tracks are used throughout the film to convey the powers of
darkness and the magic of the age.
4. The Siege of Camylarde - Arthur, having come of age and drawn the
sword from the stone, is proclaimed King by some of the new generation
of warlord knights and a counterfeit by others. Advised of his destiny
by Merlin, Arthur rides with his allies to the castle of Leondegrance
where opposition forces are laying siege. The rousing O Fortuna from
Carl Orff's cantata "Carmina Burana" is used in three places in the
film, usually as Arthur charges into battle. (It also bears mentioning
that the role of Leondegrance comes early in the career of popular actor
Patrick Stewart.)
5. A Dance at the Court of King Arthur - In the period of celebration
following the knight's allegiance to the King, Arthur meets Guinevere,
the daughter of Leondegrance. As the two fall in love, Merlin sees the
future take shape and warns Arthur of the dangers of blindly following
his heart. This cue is similar to Igrayne's dance at Castle Cornwall,
but is lighter in tone to reflect the happiness of the moment.
6. The Lady of the Lake - Unjustly calling upon the powers of Excalibur
to defeat Sir Lancelot, Arthur finds the weapon broken and his faith
shattered, until the Lady of the Lake rises to restore the sword and his
brave adversary's life. This piece is used frequently in the film,
including a lengthy excerpt to underscore the death of the knight,
Uryenes; an ally to both Arthur and his father, Uther.
7. Lancelot and Guinevere - Sir Lancelot, now the King's champion,
escorts Guinevere to Arthur's camp, where she is to become his Queen.
Wagner's Prelude to the opera "Tristan and Isolde" accompanies the
meeting between the two lovers-to-be. It is also used for Lancelot's
and Guinevere's meeting in the woods, for Lancelot's death many years
later, and three other times in the film where it conveys the passion of
the illicit lover's relationship.
8. The Wedding - With all of his knights in attendance, Arthur marries
Guinevere in a woodland ceremony. Not all of his subjects are happy,
though, as his half-sister, Morgana, schemes to learn the secrets of the
dark arts from Merlin. The use of early plainsong set a particularly
effective mood for this scene.
9. Camelot - Lancelot returns from battle with the young Percival, who
is to be trained as his squire. As Percival explores the exotic courts
of his new home, he hears the light music of lute, bells and hammered
dulcimer in a piece significantly longer here than was used in the film.
10. Knights of the Round Table - As Percival continues his wanderings,
he encounters a meeting of King Arthur and his Knights of the Round
Table. This brief fanfare begins their ceremony.
11. A Challenge to Honour - In the idleness of peacetime, Morgana's plot
to disrupt the kingdom takes shape as she convinces Sir Gawain to accuse
the Queen of infidelity. With the King unable to defend Guinevere's
honour, young Percival rises to the occasion and is knighted in the
process. This tranquil piece can be heard in the background of the
Round Table banquet. A brief scene following this which shows Gawain
and Morgana as lovers was cut from the final film. (The role of Sir
Gawain marks the film debut of actor Liam Neeson.)
12. Quest for the Holy Grail - Arthur's reign is faltering and his
knights set out on a quest to reclaim the Holy Grail, a symbol of the
lost faith in their cause. The opening of this track, with its strong
percussion and brass, accompanies the knights as they begin their
journey, while later portions reflect the troubled path of Sir
Percival. This selection is in some areas similar to the composer's
unused main theme.
13. Mordred's Lair - Percival's travels lead him to the camp of Morgana
and her bastard son, Mordred, who are building an army to challenge King
Arthur. An abbreviated version of this cue is used in the film when
Percival enters mordred's lair and is attacked by the enslaved spirits
of his fallen comrades.
14. Percival - Having seen the last of his fellow knights fall and
having been left for dead by a band of nomads, Percival believes that he
has failed his holy mission, until he is given a second chance to solve
the secret of the Grail. Wagner's Prelude to "Parsifal" shows the inner
peace that Percival attains after enduring so many years of hardship.
The piece appears once more in the film, as Arthur stands in the ruins
of a druid circle on the eve of battle, and Merlin returns from "the
land of dreams" for one last time.
15. The Land and The King - Mordred and his army are defeated, and while
Arthur has been mortally wounded, he will die with the knowledge that he
has united the land into one kingdom. This music was not used in the
completed picture, but was intended to track from Mordred's death
through to the end of the film. It is one of the more elaborate
compositions in this score and includes thematic material from Jone's
original score and a variation on Wagner's "Ring" motif, which the
director had always intended as a theme for King Arthur.
16. The Death of Arthur - As his final act, Arthur dispatches Percival
to return the sword Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake. Percival returns
from his errand to find that Arthur had died and a legend has come to
and end. Siegfried's Funeral March by Wagner is used again as a theme
for King Arthur and Excalibur, and a longer version of it played out
here for the end titles of the film.
17. Alternate Theme - The composer wrote this main title theme at the
director's request with the knowledge that a classical selection would
most probably be used in its place. This theme is a powerful, exciting
piece that reflects both the Richard Wagner and Carl Orff compositions
included in the film, but perhaps does not give the same dark and
brooding atmosphere to the opening nocturnal battle scenes as now
viewed.
18. Alternate End Titles - The end suite that Trevor Jones composed is a
variation on his title theme and, considering the somber ending of the
film, might have been more uplifting than John Boorman's own vision
dictated.
Original Music
Composed and conducted by
TREVOR JONES
Recorded and mixed at The Music Centre, London
November 1980 by John Richards and Richard Lewzey
Published by Contemporary Media Music Productions
Additional music by
Richard Wagner
The London Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Norman Del Mar
and Carl Orff
The Liepzig Radio Symphony Orchestra and Chorus
conducted by Herbert Kegel
Artwork and Photography 8 1981 Orion Pictures International
This is a special limited edition release
and is not licensed for public sale
8 1994 Old World Music, Ltd.
EXCALIBUR
1. Theme from "Excalibur" (2:50)
composed by Richard Wagner
2. Igrayne's Dance (2:07)
3. Merlin's Spell (3:14)
4. The Siege of Camylarde (2:37)
composed by Carl Orff
5. A Dance at the Court of King Arthur (1:17)
6. The Lady of the Lake (1:32)
7. Lancelot and Guinevere (10:34)
composed by Richard Wagner
8. The Wedding (1:05)
9. Camelot (3:27)
10. King of the Round Table (0:41)
11. A Challenge to Honour (3:04)
12. Quest for the Holy Grail (3:57)
13. Mordred's Lair (1:49)
14. Percival (11:50)
composed by Richard Wagner
15. The Land and The King (4:10)
16. The Death of Arthur (6:38)
composed by Richard Wagner
17. Alternate Theme (1:28)
18. Alternate End Titles (3:31)
Total Time (65:53)
"There's always something more clever than yourself!"
Please no comments about to much time on my hands! ;)
Mark
--
MRH
p1...@ccnet.com
Bryan Douglas
> Please no comments about to much time on my hands! ;)
>
>Mark
No smart remarks here. Indeed, what an impressive answer. I, too was
curious about the music from that wonderful film.
Good question, great answer.
Karl Morton IV
> i know that john boorman's 'excalibur' uses some wagner and the
> carmina burana by orff, but does anyone know what exact cues of
> wagners it uses?
>
> i think i could spot 'liebestod' from 'tristan und isolde', but other
> then that i'm drawing blanks.
>
"Siegfried's Death" from "Gotterdammerung" is used whenever something
happens with the sword, i.e. the Lady of the Lake holds it aloft or Arthur
pulls it from the stone. Bits of the prelude of "Parsifal" are used when
the Holy Grail stuff starts happening. Can't think of anything else now.
--
Karl Morton IV km...@ix.netcom.com