Carlos, Wendy

Average customer rating:

VERY switched on and total joy!
Viva Walter/Wendy
Bach, enhanced by Ms. Wendy Carlos
W. Carlos un precursore nell'uso del sintetizzatore ed un originale interprete della musica classica
Switched-On Bach

Switched-On Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach , and Wendy Carlos
Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Switched-On Bach II
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
Switched-On Brandenburgs
Hooked On Classics

ASIN: B00005ORCV
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Sinf To Cant No.29
Air On A G String
Two-Part Invention in F
Two-Part Invention in B flat
Two-Part Invention in d
Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I: Prld And Fugue No.7 in E flat
The Well-Tempered Clavier: Book I: Prld And Fugue No.2 in c
Chorale Prld 'Wachet Auf'
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: II. Adagio (First, 1968 Version)
Brandenburg Con No.3 in G: III. Allegro
Initial Experiments

Amazon.com

Wendy Carlos's Switched-On Bach is one of those rare novelty recordings that never gets boring. In the capable hands of Carlos, Bach's keyboard masterpieces sound like they were made for the otherworldly blurps, farts, and chimes of a Moog synthesizer. And, in a sense, they were. Bach's inventive music doesn't lose any of it's contrapuntal punch in these complicated arrangements and, novelties aside, the playing is great on this Grammy Award-winning classic. Whether performing Bach's "Two-Part Inventions," "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," or "Wachet Auf," Carlos offers one-of-a-kind interpretations, her synthesizers still sounding as otherworldly as they did in 1968. This is one of those weird and wonderful classical releases that anyone--classical scholar or pop enthusiast--can enjoy. A Switched-On box set exists, capturing most of Carlos's baroque-gone-berserk output, but this is the disc that started it all. In a word, fun. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

VERY switched on and total joy!.......2007-04-27

I was thrilled to see how many people like myself love this album & were introduced to it at an early age like I was. I believe the original release was in 1963 (?) and I remember as a kid I thought Walter Carlos was the guy on the cover of the album... so imagine my surprise when years later I see the same album cover with the performer listed as Wendy Carlos. Could it be the same album? Was I about to get really happy? YOU BET! I was so delighted to see this released on CD I can't even tell you. I loved this album and listened to it repeatedly as a kid. I especially love the pure, triumphant, unadulterated and unapologetic JOY of the first track, the Cantata... wow, turn THAT up in your car and just feel the tears of joy flood your eyes... well, maybe pull over if you are like me and can't see for that very same reason!

Bach is so very well suited to this medium- to hear each line like this and really have so much great color and definition-- I think Bach himself would be so very proud of Wendy's achievement. This album was such a landmark- I also was fascinated by the Tomita Planets (a synthesized version of the same composition by Gustav Holst) when I was younger- but this album will always have a special place in my heart. If you get it for only the very first track, it will be money well spent. Having said that, the whole album is just amazing- the Air on a G string is so reverent and peaceful. The inventions are all a trip! The one in F always cracks me up because that was one of the 1st pieces of his I tried to play... very tough because the hands do exactly the same thing- but 1 measure apart. Wendy's tempos are cookin' too, such virtuosity! But the love is there too on the slower movements where the time and care with the dynamics is so evident.

GREAT ALBUM, be glad it's on CD and get it! You won't regret it.

Viva Walter/Wendy.......2007-04-21

I have just ordered this item so I can't comment on its production value however I purchased the original LP in SQ Quadriphonic and it sounded great;still does -I transferred it to CD some time ago; but I wanted a 'professional' copy. I hope this 'enhanced' version lives up to its QUAD predecessor.
Edward Kerr
iegolden@shaw.ca

Bach, enhanced by Ms. Wendy Carlos.......2007-03-13

One of the attractions of this CD is that it portrays the Moog synthesizer. Its main attraction, in my opinion, is the performance in which Ms. Wendy Carlos has revealed the cosmic aspect of Bach's music. The Moog synthesizer was used as a vehicle to achieve this goal. The enormous popularity of this recording no doubt lies in the fact that Ms. Carlos has taken the best of the Bach's music and amplified it. This music is an abstraction fitting our times. Ms. Carlos has catapulted Bach to space. One can hear the cosmic fireworks, see brilliant colors, the birth and death of the stars, feel the loneliness of the infinite stretches of space, and the ultimate power of the hope that we can conquer our own mortality. I think that this beautiful music is all about the human spirit. It is Bach at his best.
I fell in love with this recording almost three decades ago. I maintain that there is no nicer performance of Bach. The genius of Ms. Wendy Carlos sparkles. It makes me reflect on the human achievements. It is wonderful that she has produced something so great, and that so many people have benefited from her talent.
My favorites are Symphonia to Cantata #29, Prelude and Fugue #7 in E-Flat Major and Prelude and Fugue #2 in C Minor (both from Book I of the Well-Tempered Clavier), and also the Brandenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major.
The recording is enhanced and it has a delightful addition of about 8 minutes in which Ms. Wendy Carlos tells us about the early beginnings of this project. The CD comes with a very attractive booklet that is artistically designed and has several informative write-ups about the history and development of this project.
This recording is a must!

W. Carlos un precursore nell'uso del sintetizzatore ed un originale interprete della musica classica.......2007-03-08

W. Carlos un precursore nell'uso del sintetizzatore ed un originale interprete della musica classica.
Credo che "Switched-On Bach" sia il primo (o uno dei primi) dischi prodotti da W.Carlos.
Molto interessante.
L'uso del sint era sicuramente più originale 30/40 anni fa che oggi

Switched-On Bach.......2007-01-24

Bach had a genius for polyphonic art as expressed in music. Hear his gift performed on the moog...the early synthesizer of the 60s...done tastefully and skillfully by Wendy Carlos. An eye opener in its time, yet still in demand some 40 years later. Why is that? Yes, questions...

A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score

Average customer rating:

A little bit misleading
Pioneering and enjoyable electronic music
'A Clockwork Orange:Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score' Movie Soundtrack (East Side Digital)
Lost pieces and extras from the gifted musician who gave A CLOCKWORK ORANGE that Moogish flavour
A Bit of the Old Ludwig Van

A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Switched-On Boxed Set
Stanley Kubrick's Clockwork Orange (1971 Film)
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ASIN: B00000DGXX
Release Date: 1998-11-03

Tracks:

Timesteps
March From A Clockwork Orange (Beethoven: Ninth Symphony: Foruth Movement, Abridged)
Title Music From A Clockwork Orange (From Purcell's Music For The Funeral Of Quenn Mary)
La Gazza Ladra (Rossini's The Thieving Magpie, Abridged)
Theme From A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana)
Ninth Symphony: Second Movement (Scherzo)
William Tell Ouverture, Abridged
Orange Minuet
Biblical Daydreams
Country Lane

Amazon.com

One of the most satisfying soundtrack "companion" pieces ever released, this collaboration between synthesist Wendy Carlos and producer Rachel Elkind manages to both logically extend and credibly expand on director Stanley Kubrick's masterfully conceived Clockwork Orange musical ethos. That shouldn't be surprising, as the pair was largely responsible for initiating those concepts with the music they'd begun as a follow-up to their successful, synthesizer-pioneering Switched on Bach collection. "Timesteps," a rich, wildly evocative, 13+ minute electronic sound and music collage, was based on impressions gleaned from Anthony Burgess's original novel (excerpts of it are liberally scattered throughout the film), while an abridged version of the fourth movement of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was an early experiment in vocal synthesis that ended up as one of the film's key motifs. Also featured here are synthesized versions of music Kubrick ultimately chose to use in orchestral form (Rossini's "The Thieving Magpie") as well as original Carlos/Elkind electronic compositions ("Orange Minuet," "Biblical Daydreams," and "Country Lane") that ended up on the cutting-room floor. Composed on primitive, monophonic analog instruments (which could play only one at a time!) long supplanted by generations of digital revolution, this work has a brooding otherworldly quality all its own. As our favorite Droog would say: "It was like a bird of rarest spun metal, or like silvery wine flowing in a space ship, gravity all nonsense now." --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

A little bit misleading.......2007-05-13

I thought I was buying the complete soundtrack to the film and not just Wendy Carlo's bits. But it was ok.

Pioneering and enjoyable electronic music .......2006-09-15

I used to have this recording on LP - the cover was a marvellous collage (the new cover is slightly naff) - and it was a very fine companion to the regular A Clockwork Orange soundtrack, which featured music which didn't fit together very well outside the context of the film.

Wendy Carlos's complete score is very satisfying and it still stands up well today (2006). I think that the standout tracks on this album are 'Timesteps' and 'Country Lane', which are powerful original compositions. Both tracks display a remarkable musical imagination.

Timesteps is a freely composed fantasia which takes us from place to place in the mind of the composer. There are moments which sound like jungle music, others which sound like sentimental film music with an ocean in the background and another second with an unnaturally sweet heavenly female choir sound. It is a unique composition and quite superb. It is a pity Wendy Carlos didn't write more music as inspired as this piece - perhaps she did and I haven't heard them!?

Country Lane is also very impressive. It is a piece which demonstrates very cruel emotions very well. The use of the ancient "Dies Irae" tune, also used very effectively by Liszt and Berlioz, "vocoded" is a brilliant touch. In fact, the vocoder was used very effectively by Wendy Carlos in Timesteps, Country Land and the Fourth Movement of the 9th Symphony of Beethoven on this disc. Perhaps the first significant use of this instrument on a recording? Kraftwerk and Zap went on to use the instrument in more popular musical styles.

The choral section of the fourth movement of Beethoven's 9th symphony recorded by Wendy Carlos is strangely beautiful and beguiling. Sort of a "reification" of a dreamt interpretation of the music? Perhaps.....

The purely "instrumental" works and Classical and Classically inspired works on this album are very interesting and represent some very effective use of the synthesizer. Of course, it would be easy for many people with a computer and some other equipment to do their own electronica versions of these works today. However, Wendy Carlos had a very personal style and understanding of this music. Her version of the 3rd, 4th and 5th Brandenburg Concertos still entertain me today, even though I am really a devotee of the HIP approach to this music.

I dare say that Wendy Carlos introduced a lot of young people to the music of Beethoven and to the idea of using synthesizers. I remember reading that Phil Oakey, from The Human League, said that Wendy Carlos was a major influence on him.

'A Clockwork Orange:Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score' Movie Soundtrack (East Side Digital).......2006-07-03

I've heard several long-time music fans boast about how this movie soundtrack is simply 'one of' THE best album releases,period!Rather they be a big-time metal head,a classic rock supporter,someone who plays easy listening material all the time,maybe an school punk fan,etc.To best describe this CD(with added bonus cuts that wouldn't fit on the original vinyl lp)I would say it's like ahead-of-it's-time new age with an experimental vibe to it.Key tracks are the unforgetable thirteen minute "Timesteps",the creative "Theme From A Clockwork Orange","William Tell Overture,Abridged" and a tune that was co-written by Carlos and movie producer Rachel Elkind "Biblical Daydreams".A must-have reissue CD of the cult masterpiece Stanley Kubrick film,that after you've seen the flick for the very first time,it MAY effect the way you look at the world from here on out.Highly recommended.

Lost pieces and extras from the gifted musician who gave A CLOCKWORK ORANGE that Moogish flavour.......2006-04-30

I own the original LP and cassette of this album ... released after the release of the "original soundtrack," this album offers the CLOCKWORK fan the "real" soundtrack. Missing are the third party tracks which Kubrick used ... included are the complete "Timesteps" which is what convinced Kubrick to hire (then) Walter Carlos to adapt the classical works for the film ... also included is the electronic rendition of "The Thieving Magpie," not finished in time for inclusion in the film ... and a piece which wasn't used, "Country Lane."

The Warner album includes an abridged excerpt of "Timesteps" (bits of it were used in the film), but the complete composition gets a deserved spotlight here. This is not a "movie soundtrack" album, but Wendy Carlos' own release of the music she prepared for the film. "Angel trumpets and devil trombones ... hear all proper now." ;)

A Bit of the Old Ludwig Van.......2005-10-21

Yes the Moogs are this album are "primitive" but their sound is vastly superior to today's synths. The Moogs were vastly more expressive and subtle. If this album were recorded on digital synths, it would just sound cheesy. Timesteps is an amazing piece that gives you the creeps even if you haven't seen the movie. As a soundtrack it perfectly mixes the themes of ultra violence and Beethoven seemlessly. If you buy this cd (and by all means do)please refer to it as "early electronica" rather than "new age". It deserves the credit for everything it helped spawn

Average customer rating:

Truly A Masterpiece!
Definitive, historical, all-in-one
Súper Colección
Walter's best
Loved It All Over Again

Switched-On Boxed Set

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Inventions | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

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Sonic Seasonings + [Enhanced CD]
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
By Request
Beauty in the Beast

ASIN: B00002DDS5
Release Date: 1999-10-26

Tracks:

Sinfonia to Cantata #29
Air on a G String
Two-Part Invention in F Major
Two-Part Invention in B-Flat Major
Two-Part Invention in D Minor
Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring
Prelude and Fugue #7 in E-Flat Major
Prelude and Fugue #2 in C
Chorale Prelude "Wachet Auf" Bradenburg Concerto No. 3 in G Major
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #3 in G: Initial Experiments

Tracks:

Orfeo Suite: Toccata/Ritornello I/Choro II/Ritornello II/Choro II/Ritor
Sonata in G Major
Sonata in D Major
Bourree
Air
Allegro Deciso
Sonata in E Major
Sonata in D Major
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: I. Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: II. Andante
Bradenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: III. Presto
Domine Ad Adjuvandum
Stereo Allignment Tones
Well-Tempered Experiments

Tracks:

Badinerie
Minuet
Bourree
Two-Part Invention in A-Minor
Two-Part Invention in a Major
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du Bei Mir
Suite from Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major
Little Fugue in G Minor
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Bradenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro

Tracks:

Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: II. Adagio
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: III. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #1 in F Major: IV. Menuuetto, Trio I, Polocca, Trio
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: II. Andante
Brandenburg Concerto #2 in F Major: III. Allegro Assai
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: I. Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: II. Adagio Ma Non Tanto
Brandenburg Concerto #6 in B-Flat Major: III. Allegro

Amazon.com

In 1968, keyboardist-composer Wendy Carlos released Switched-On Bach, her bestselling LP featuring baroque music performed on the Moog synthesizer. Carlos intended to spread the gospel of electronic classical music through this quirky release; instead, she sold more albums than Karlheinz Stockhausen could ever dream of, released a few follow-ups, and paved the way for Hot Butter's "Popcorn." Carlos has since become well known for more than just these wacky classical interpretations--she recorded the soundtracks to A Clockwork Orange and Tron and released new works--but the Switched-Ons are the goofy synthesizer recordings that most of us still remember.

No less than Glenn Gould proclaimed, "Carlos's realization of the Fourth Brandenburg Concerto is, to put it bluntly, the finest performance of any of the Brandenburgs--live, canned, or intuited--I've ever heard." We're not sure what he meant by that, but if you have half the enthusiasm Gould did for this music, check out this box set. All four of Carlos's baroque-gone-space-age LPs from the '70s are included here--Switched-On Bach, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer, Switched-On Bach II, and Switched-On Brandenburgs--completely remastered in all their stereophonic glory and containing bonus tracks (the fourth CD is even enhanced for use on your computer). The liner notes weigh in at around 150 pages, filled with photos and background information even on the evolution of Carlos's studio (you get the original LP notes in their entirety, too). The music? It's hilarious, absolutely riveting, and--whether Scarlatti, Bach, Handel, or Monteverdi--played successfully by Carlos and her battery of special effects. For the lover of the eclectic or the classical fan who knows how to let loose, this is a box set to get. --Jason Verlinde

Customer Reviews:

Truly A Masterpiece!.......2007-05-11

This collection is a treasured addition to our music library here at home, in part because I have long been a fan of the artist. Also, because we all enjoy the spin that Wendy puts on many of the classical works of the old masters of music. I heartily recommend this boxed set to any listener who wants to be delighted by the sounds of the Moog synthesizer, played in a masterful way by Wendy Carlos...

Definitive, historical, all-in-one.......2007-03-04

If you've loved the Walter/Wendy Carlos recordings over the years, this is a great way to get them all in one place. If you are at all interested in the production process, this is a _must have_ item.

Some have complained about the discussion tracks at the end of some CDs; I guess I can see how some might find them annoying. For pure ambience, you'll want to program your CD player to not play them, or just rip these CDs and burn a new copy minus those tracks.

One minor complaint I have is that the Brandenburgs are scattered throughout. I don't think it should have been all that bad to just have some of them duplicated. But I do understand the rationale, including them as is on the albums where they appeared individually, and then only putting the rest on the actual Brandenburgs pair of CDs. Personally, I love being able to listen to all the Brandenburgs straight through, so again I just made new versions of CD for my own use with them all together in their original order.

And of course, these days so many people aren't even listening to their CDs on the CD player. The music is ripped and then played using an MP3 player, computer, or similar device. Making playlists for your preferred track arrangements obviates any of the above complaints.

Regardless, I think that the value of having an all-in-one collection of these classic electronic instruments and performances far outweighs any minor issues regarding one's opinion of the choice of production arranagement.

Súper Colección.......2007-01-03

Una joya de arte, en su estuche y con un gran contenido de los primeros volúmenes de esta gran interprete.
Simplemente una gran colección para los fanaticos de Wendy

Walter's best.......2006-06-09

I know record and CD covers have been reprinted to reflect that Walter goes by the name of Wendy now. But this is all his best stuff in one collection. If you never had "Switched-On Brandenburgs Vol. 1 & 2" on LP and didn't get them either on CD back in 1987, then this is your chance to get them along with bits from his other works. Also get his other masterpiece "By Request" and the soundtrack of the movie "A Clockwork Orange". That's all you need if you are a fan of 60's analog synthesizer classical music, which only Walter was doing at that time.

Loved It All Over Again.......2005-08-03

When I heard the first piece from the first album as a young boy, I was completely hooked. I don't think Wendy could have picked a better song to start with. The power and expansiveness of the Sinfonia is surely what Bach must have heard in his head when he wrote it over 300 years ago.

Honestly, some of the music on these albums is so good you may never hear Bach, Handel, or Scarlatti the same way again.

When I saw this boxed set for sale, I purchased it with a little trepidation, unsure if it would live up to my memory of it and not sure what my wife or daughter would make of it. I'm glad I got it, though. It's a wonderful recording and the two bonus tracks are fun to listen to. In fact, I wish CDs had the same "commentary" tracks that DVDs have as I would have enjoyed hearing more about how this recording was put together.

Average customer rating:

Tech issus
Switched-On Bach II
30 years later, still controversial
Bach at his best!
Understand what it is before you buy...

Switched-On Bach II

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Switched-On Bach
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Switched-On Brandenburgs
A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
By Request

ASIN: B0000641BM
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Tracks:

Suite #2 in B Minor: Badinerie
Suite #2 in B Minor: Minuet
Suite #2 in B Minor: Bourree
Two-Part Invention in A Minor
Two-Part Invention in A Major
Sheep May Safely Graze
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Musette in D Major
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Minuet in G Major
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Bist du bei mir
Suite From Anna Magdalena Notebook: Marche in D Major
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Affettuoso
Brandenburg Concerto #5 in D Major: Allegro

Customer Reviews:

Tech issus.......2006-01-30

I bought this album because I enjoyed the LP version I bought back in the 70's. The music is still very good but this CD version would not play in our DVD player / burner. Instead of playing in the newer technologies, it gave us access to some not so good art and photography by W. Carlos. It was necessary to copy the music from the cd to my PC and then burn a fresh CD to get it to play.

Switched-On Bach II.......2005-09-24

Once again, a great experience! Will continue to do business with you whenever the opportunity arises. Thanks.

30 years later, still controversial.......2004-05-26

Upon reviewing my predecessors' comments, I am amazed at the degree to which Wendy's orchestrations and performances still provoke listeners!

I was given the vinyl version for Christmas when I was ten years old, and basked in it regularly for years (the Brandenburg particularly made for fascinating headphone listening, and still does). Personally, this CD release is a joy long awaited, especially because of all the TLC lavished on those original analog masters. These recordings shimmer more than they ever did years ago.

On artistic merit: While the original "S-OB" contains inspired musicality and novelty in equal doses, and "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer" reflected a maturing of vision, I believe "S-OB II" represents the most consistently musical effort of Wendy's four Baroque releases. Even the inevitable "special effects" timbres here are more wry, and just plain feel natural. For example, the sly suggestion of a snare drum in one of the two-part inventions is a delightful auditory pun unique to Carlos' sensibilities. The treatment of "Sheep May Safely Graze" falls within the realm of a solo organ performance, but oh, for an organist to have these stops at their disposal!

Speaking of organs, Carlos has already acknowledged the role of her Yamaha Electone E-5, apparently acquired sometime between S-OB I and II. It was responsible for click tracks and continuo parts, and even those marvelous runs in the Brandenburg's cadenza section. Not to shatter anyone's romantic notions of Wendy exclusively slaving over a single-note instrument... but really, so what? A masterpiece is still a masterpiece.

Bach at his best!.......2004-05-19

I have long been a fan of this series by W. Carlos. I own all of this on vinyl, cassette and now CD. This is not an automated reproduction of some of Bach's fabulous works. Rachel Elkind and Carlos worked their fingers to the bone to get this music correct. Layer after layer; no loops. Thanks to the different sounds assigned to each voice, it is easier than ever to fully appreciate Bach's genius. The person who made the "Yamaha Organ" comment needs to do a little homework.

Understand what it is before you buy..........2003-11-30

This was one of my favorite albums when I was a kid. It opened up my creativity and launched my appreciation not only for Bach, but also for electronic music.

Don't listen to the reviews that say it's not as good as an acoustic orchestra. Duh: it's not intended to sound like that! And there are no "Yamaha organs" as another reviewer stated. This was all done way back on the original Moog: analog modules with actual patch cords, the height of analog subtractive synthesis. It's a unique sound that's distinctive from digital synths and is something of a lost art.

Combined with Wendy's (Walter at the time) masterful keyboard performances, the Switched-On Bach series is a really nifty thing.

The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Average customer rating:

Kudo's for Wendy Carlos

Difficulty in placing an order

interesting concept, skillful interpretation, but sounds very dated now

Great Album, but. . .

As good as I remembered it!

The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Wendy Carlos
Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Computer | Electronic | Instruments | Classical | Styles | Music
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Switched-On Bach

Switched-On Bach II

A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score

Switched-On Brandenburgs

By Request

ASIN: B00005OKS2
Release Date: 2001-10-02

Tracks:

Monteverdi: Orfeo Suite
Scarlatti: Sonata In G Major
Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major
Handel: Water Music: Bourree
Handel: Water Music: Air
Handel: Water Music: Allegro Deciso
Scarlatti: Sonata In E Major
Scarlatti: Sonata In D Major
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Allegro
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Andante
Bach: Brandenburg Concerto #4 in G Major: Presto
Monteverdi: Domine Ad Adjuvandum
Stereo Alignment Tones
Well-Tempered Experiments

Customer Reviews:

Kudo's for Wendy Carlos.......2007-01-16

Wendy Carlos does an excellent job of updating all of the Classical pieces on this CD, as well as on all of her other CDs. I originally had this on Open Reel Tape, and am really happy that she has ported it over to the CD format! All of the selections on this CD can only be termed as "stirring" and it is enjoyable to hear each time it is played.

Difficulty in placing an order.......2007-01-04

Because I had difficulty navigating through the purchase process, I ended up receivibg two and I only wanted one. I gave one away. You need to review the purchase process and have a "done" or something to indicate that Amazon has received the purchase request and will act upon it. Or else I will find someone else with whom to do business!!!!

interesting concept, skillful interpretation, but sounds very dated now.......2006-12-26

As a performance, the music here is fantastic, and considering the challenges of monophonic sythesizers it is very impressively and skillfully performed. That said, if like me you were born after electronic music became commonplace, this will sound incredibly dated. The problem is that the sound programming abilities of the first moogs were limited, so the sounds are not very fitting to the music, creating a slightly comical kitschy mock-futuristic effect. Part of this effect is the womp womp womp beep beep beep sounds that now sound corny. While interesting, it sounds very anachronistic and less evocative than real instruments. I think I'll go back to orchestral performances of classical music. I'll keep this in case I ever want to make a campy future film spoof. Wow, I sure said "sound " a lot. Well, this really is all about the sounds.

Great Album, but. . ........2006-08-08

I have always enjoyed this album and Switched on Bach ever since they came out in LP form when I was young.
The thing that ruins the CD for me is the very last track on both albums, where Wendy discusses the making of the album, called Well-tempered experiments.
I think that is fun to listen to the first time you play it, but then it is obnoxious when you are playing it as you work around the house. Your home is filled with music, then suddenly, there is talking and some obnoxious noises. It just shouldn't be there.
And to do this to both albums is very disappointing. It is hard to ignore, as it is a 9 minute track!
I solved this by burning both albums onto another CD and eliminating the experiment tracks. But I would rather have the original CD's and eliminate those tracks.

As good as I remembered it!.......2006-03-03

I heard "The Well-Tempered Synthesizer" when it was first issued; like many people I was stunned by the strange, beautiful sound created by a "machine". Then I read about the difficulty of making the recordings, which took tremendous time and thoughtfulness, and this made me appreciate the human element more than the technology.

Imagine someone who, to cook breakfast, designs a henhouse, raises chickens, gathers the eggs, grinds wheat to make bread, picks fresh strawberries...all for a breakfast that could be made more easily using traditional sources or methods. Pardon the clumsy metaphor, but this is what Carlos had done: giving me Bach, by creating a new kind of chicken to get to the egg.

The sounds one hears in this recording are not as sophisticated as more modern synthetic voices, but they are still pristine and haunting. There is a sort of lonely, cosmic emptiness to the sound, but this is not discomforting; in fact, the music triumphs over the strangeness that no human hand or throat moved during the process, except at the keyboard and the 747-cockpit looking control panel of the Moog synthesizer.
Having a CD of this music is a joy, and the music delights.

Average customer rating:

Six Decades of Film Music
Excellent collection with fine performances
"essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music"

The Incredible Film Music Box

Manufacturer: Silva America
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Epics: The History of the World According to Hollywood
The Ultimate Movie Music Collection
Simply the Best Movie Themes

ASIN: B0007S687Y
Release Date: 2005-05-10

Tracks:

Gone With The Wind: Overture
Citizen Kane: Overture
Casablanca: As Time Goes By
It's A Wonderful Life: It's A Wonderful Life
The Third Man: The Harry Lime Theme
The Searchers: Suite
The Bridge On The River Kwai: Colonel Bogey March
Vertigo: Prelude
Touch Of Evil: Main Title
Ben-Hur: Parade Of The Charioteers
North By Northwest: Prelude
Psycho: Suite
The Magnificent Seven: The Magnificent Seven
Lawrence Of Arabia: Overture

Tracks:

To Kill A Mockingbird: Suite
The Great Escape: Main Title
Doctor Zhivago: Main Title & Lara's Theme
The Good, The Bad And The Ugly: The Good, The Bad And The Ugly
Once Upon A Time In The West: Jill's Theme
2001: A Space Odyssey: Also Sprach Zarathustra
Midnight Cowboy: Midnight Cowboy
Get Carter: Main Title
A Clockwork Orange: Ode To Joy
The Godfather: Waltz & Love Theme
Jaws: Jaws
Rocky: Gonna Fly Now
Taxi Driver: Suite
Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope

Tracks:

Superman: Main Theme
Alien: End Title
Raging Bull: Intermezzo From Cavalleria Rusticana
Raiders Of The Lost Ark: Raiders March
Blade Runner: End Titles
E.T.: The Extraterrestrial: Adventures On Earth
Once Upon A Time In America: Deborah's Theme
Back To The Future: Main Theme
Witness: Building The Barn
Aliens: Main Title
Cinema Paradiso: Cinema Paradiso
Glory: Charging Frot Wagner
Dances With Wolves: The John Dunbar Theme
Unforgiven: Claudia's Theme

Tracks:

The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First
Schindler's List: Main Theme
Braveheart: End Credits
Titanic: My Heart Will Go On
Saving Private Ryan: Hymn To The Fallen
American Beauty: Any Other Name
Gladiator: Now We Are Free
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Ring: The Fellowship
The Girl With The Pearl Earring: Griet's Theme
Pirates Of The Caribbean: The Curse Of The Black Pearl: Suite
Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban: Suite
Lemony Snicket's A Series Of Unfortunate Events: The Letter That Never Came
Finding Neverland: Impossible Opening
The Incredibles: Overture

Customer Reviews:

Six Decades of Film Music.......2007-05-13

This is film music for the classical music lover. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra presents excellent arrangements of a number of classic film themes (although several pieces of the 56 film classics selected for this 4 CD set are not orchestral arrangements, but rather specialty arrangements). Besides great film composers such as John Williams, Elmer Bernstein, Ennio Morricone, and James Horner, classical composers such as Richard Strauss and Pietro Mascagni make an appearance. On several of the numbers the Crouch End Festival Chorus adds the human voice to the power of the full symphonic orchestra to create true movie magic. If you like the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing some of the most recognized themes ever written, you'll love these CDs.

Excellent collection with fine performances.......2007-03-28

Silva Screen Records, based in England, has been issuing some fine collections of film scores, more in one box than we have the right to expect. This four-CD box contains scores by many of the best writers, including Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, Dimitri Tomkin, Kenneth J. Alford (The Bridge on the River Kwai), Elmer Bernstein, Maurice Jarre, Ennio Marricone, John Barry, Nino Rota, John Williams, James Horner, and more. We can all think of additional film scores we wished were included, but then there's no way this collection could be all-inclusive. The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, supplemented by Crouch End Festival Chorus on some numbers, does a very competent job...The liner notes give the basic information without any commentary, and as far as I can see, contain only one error. Am I wrong or are tracks 9 and 10 on the fourth CD mislabeled? Track 9, which runs 7:33, seems to have the excitement of "Pirates of the Caribbean" (which I did not see) and track 10, which runs 4:22, the more sedate "The Girl with the Pearl Earring (which I also did not see). Listings seem to have them reversed.

"essential film scores from 1939 to 2004 ~ Incredible Music".......2005-05-16

When I think of the "Golden Age" of Hollywood, many composers come to mind...you gave the usher your ticket in the theater and sat down, knowingly you were going to get your moneys worth...when the curtain opened and you heard those first few notes...you sat back, watched and listened as the film score and orchestra worked their magic...now we have the ultimate from Silva Screen Classics "The Incredible Film Music Box", featuring a four disc set of the essential film scores of the past 60 years...covering several decades from 1939 through and up to the present 2004

There are compilations and then there are "Compilations" beginning with a classic that even the youngsters today recognize "GONE WITH THE WIND" (1939) (Max Steiner), sweeping score that captures the tragic history of the South during the Civil War, one great cue after another, it doesn't get any better than this, nominated by the Academy for Best Original Score...and closing on Disc 4 with "THE INCREDIBLES" (2004) (Michael Giacchino), the big hit in computer animation from Walt Disney & Pixar that once again pit Super-Heroes against the forces of evil...our family of five Supers prove crime doesn't pay, but box-office receipts do...gotta love it!

Silva Screen Classics as usual, has put quality into this 4-CD-Set featuring The City Of Prague Philarmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, Bill Ashton, Paul Bateman, James Fitzpatrick, Mario Klemens, Derek Wadsworth, and Nic Raine. Recorded in "Dolby Surround" with the new technology of "HDCD", this is a "film-score-buffs" dream, one to treasure now and years to come.

Some selections are missing, but when you think of what Silva has included, it is impossible to please everyone...was happy to see "TOUCH OF EVIL" (1958) from composer Henry Mancini, as I feel this composer deserves all the recognition that has been overlooked recently in the music world...This collection is aimed directly at the "Serious Film Score" music fans and collectors...Silva is as always, perfect in every way...just the way we like 'em!

Total Time: 4-CD-Set ~ Silva America 1181 ~ (5/10/2005)

Average customer rating:

Fun music
Still Crazy After All These Years

By Request

Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Secrets of Synthesis
Switched-On Boxed Set
A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
Rediscovering Lost Scores, Vol. 1

ASIN: B0000E32XC
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

Russian Dance
Dance Of The Sugar-Plum Fairy
Dance Of The Reed-Pipes
Dialogues For Piano And Two Loudspeakers
Episodes For Piano And Electronic Sound
Geodesic Dance (Electornic Etude)
Brandenburg Concerto No.2 In F Major (1st Movement)
'Little' Fugue In G Minor
What's New, Pussycat?
Eleanor Rigby
Wedding March
Pompous Circumstances

Customer Reviews:

Fun music.......2006-06-28

Now, with so many electronic musical instruments, it is fun to listen to one of the origanals.

Still Crazy After All These Years.......2004-01-21

As the Ultimate Carlos Fan and an analog synthesist, I was elated to discover that By Request, which I've had since it appeared on vinyl, was at last available on CD. I'm happy to report that it is just as good now as it was almost three decades ago. That's right--three decades!

The music on this well-remastered CD still shines even though songs like "What's New Pussycat?" are no longer in vogue. The CD is a hodgepodge of various tunes from Bach to Beatles supposedly requested by listeners after The Well Tempered Synthesizer was released. The result may only only be mildly interesting to the occasional listener, but to followers of electronic music, it's like rediscovering a lost gem.

The three dances from The Nutcracker aren't particular standouts by Carlosian standards, nor are some of the other selections. Suffice it to say of the album that when it is good, it is very very good, and when it is bad it is merely good. Here are random notes on some of the more interesting pieces:

"Dialogues" and "Episodes" are early piano/synth pieces in the academic style. They will NOT appeal to some listeners, but they are well composed and extremely well performed, given the difficulty of creating electronic music back then.

"What's New Pussycat?" of Bacharach fame is another early Moog piece that is about as "Moogy" as Carlos has ever gotten. The Moog waa-waa filter cliche normally shunned by Carlos is here put to playful use in a chorus of drunken cats. I can't listen to this piece without smiling at the obvious good humor and sense of fun behind it.

"Geodesic Dance" remains one of my all-time favorites and appears here in all its modernistic glory. The piece is beautifully composed and full of the spatial and dynamic subtleties that set Carlos' analog work leagues above the rest. It ranks with "Timesteps" and "Country Lane" from the later Clockwork Orange album as thoroughly competent and quintessentially Carlos.

The CD's Big Finale, of course, is "Pompous Circumstances," a playful send-up of the Elgar classic performed in a wide variety of styles. Once again, Carlos' talent as a composer and consummate synthesist shine through, along with a dose of good humor. It's a pastiche, but not without it's serious moments, which might be why it's such a satisfying work.

Given the extreme difficulty and tedium of recording on a monophonic analog synthesizer--where changing a sound means striking a patch that may have taken hours to create and starting all over again--it's a wonder that the outcome could sound so good. But Carlos is a perfectionist and it shows on this album as it does on all of the Moog works. I confess that Carlos' digital music sounds flat and mundane to me and doesn't stand up to repeated listening. The analog works, for all their difficulty, continue to sound fresh and spirited. My request for Wendy's next "By Request" album would be to do another one like this--all analog.

Sonic Seasonings + [Enhanced CD]
Average customer rating:

Wow

Just great

Sonic Seasonings

Amazing Audio Journey

The Wonderful Worlds of Wendy Carlos

Sonic Seasonings + [Enhanced CD]
Wendy Carlos
Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score

ASIN: B00000DGXY
Release Date: 2003-11-11

Tracks:

Spring
Summer
Fall

Tracks:

Winter
Winter (Out-take)
Aurora Borealis
Midnight Sun

Amazon.com

Before there was ambient music, in a time before the New Age, there was Wendy Carlos's Sonic Seasonings, a double LP released in 1972. Taking the form of Antonio Vivaldi's The Four Seasons, Carlos orchestrated four side-long soundscapes designed, according to producer Rachel Elkind, to be "part of the decor." Using only her Moog synthesizer and environmental sounds, Carlos created prototypical ambient music, predating Brian Eno's similar work by a few years. Carlos weaves gentle, often reedy synthesizer melodies through chirping birds on "Spring," phase-shifted church organ drones across crystalline bells and wind on "Winter," and she seems to simulate an alien space landing on "Summer," mimicking nature with her synthesizer. An added treat on this special double CD is a 40-minute, unreleased, two-part suite from 1986 called "Land of the Midnight Sun." Using her Synergy synthesizers, Carlos orchestrates slow-motion melodies and overlapping minimalist layers that recall Steve Roach's "Structures from Silence." Sonic Seasonings is the first wave of a batch of Wendy Carlos reissues. While many of Carlos's classical, "Switched-On" orchestrations have an antique, dated charm, this original composition sounds fresh and current. In attempting a music that wouldn't draw attention to itself, Carlos achieved a prescient work of subtlety and depth on Sonic Seasonings. --John Diliberto

Customer Reviews:

Wow.......2006-07-19

This CD is awesome. My favorites on the 2 cds are Winter, Aurora Borealis and Midnight Sun. What an incredible album.

Just great.......2006-06-25

After, what, 30 years, i am still knocked out by this record. It is a fascinating piece of work, involving and truly innovative. The bonus tracks are also extremely good. Why isn't it available on dts or SACD?

Sonic Seasonings.......2005-10-07

Wendy Carlos gives her musical impressions of the various "Seasons" of the year -- Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall, plus a few other related topics that have never been released until this disc. Very eclectic, but enjoyable. (Have not viewed the stuff available on the Enhanced CD part of the disk.)

Amazing Audio Journey.......2005-01-23

I first discovered this wonderful album as a two disk vinyl set checked out from the public library. Synthesizers were my high school fascination and I'd already discovered Tomita's "Pictures at an Exhibition" & Wendy's (then Walter Carlos') "Switched on Bach". But this... there was nothing like this, nothing I could even compare it to. Each side of the two albums was a season (Sonic Seasonings), winter, spring, summer, fall; Each a unique tapestry of sound exploration, like a sound track for your imagination. Summer is one of my favorites, the sounds of frogs and crickets flowing by creates the mental image of flying low over a planet of ponds and swamps. Wendy was so far ahead of her time with this spectacular album that there weren't even terms for it yet. I wore out the library's copy and eventually the copy I bought. I was overjoyed to discover it was finally available on CD, in the digital format it was meant to be heard in. The new "bonus" tracks compliment the original work... the sound of a rocking chair and a cat purring in your lap! If you like music that broadens your mind, you'll love this masterpiece of sonic wizardry.

The Wonderful Worlds of Wendy Carlos.......2004-06-11

'Sonic Seasongings' is definitely one of my desert island picks. Having been a fan of Wendy Carlos from her soundtracks to 'Tron' and 'A Clockwork Orange,' I came across this 2CD set almost accidentally while doing a search for ambient music on Amazon. When I discovered that Wendy actually released a 1972 album that nowadays is classified as ambient, I was very intrigued and purchased the set without hesitation. Little did I know what I was in for when the music met my ears for the first time!

'Sonic Seasonings' is a tranquil yet lively album that gives new meaning to the term background music. Wendy creates portholes to worlds that are familiar but also odd. If you like Brian Eno, Steve Roach or Harold Budd -- you will be in heaven when you hear these tracks! I often play them quietly at work and it's not unusual for someone to ask me "WHAT'S THAT," with raised eyebrows when they hear the swirling sounds during "Summer," or the wolves of "Winter" coming from nowhere and everywhere all at once.

In addition, the two 1986 bonus tracks that make up 'Land of the Midnight Sun' are just as essential, and they compliment the "seasonal tracks" quite well.

Tracks:

Colorado - 'The Shining'
The Rocky Mountains - 'The Shining'
Chase Music - 'The Shining'
Nocturnal Valse Triste - 'The Shining'
Greetings Ghosties - 'The Shining'
Horror Show - 'The Shining'
A Haunted Waltz - 'The Shining'
Psychic Shout #237 - 'The Shining'
Danny - 'The Shining'
Heartbeats And Worry - 'The Shining'
Subliminal Ballroom - 'The Shining'
Thought Clusters - 'The Shining'
A Ghost Piano - 'The Shining'
Visitors - 'The Shining'
Dark Winds And Rustles - 'The Shining'
Bumps In The Wind - 'The Shining'
Setting With Medea - 'The Shining'
Two Polymoog Improvisations - 'The Shining'
Fanfare And Drunken 'Dies' - 'The Shining'
Clockworks (Bloody Elevators) - 'The Shining'
Danny Bells Ascending - 'The Shining'
Postlude - 'The Shining'
Stately Purcell - 'Clockwork Orange'
Pop Purcell - 'Clockwork Orange'
Trumpet Voluntary - 'The Shining'
The Children Of Peru - 'UNICEF Films'
Shanty Town And Farewell - 'UNICEF Films'
Daycare And The Colonel - 'UNICEF Films'
Two Distant Walks - 'UNICEF Films'
Ethiopian Life - 'UNICEF Films'
Tanzanian Scenes - 'UNICEF Films'
Three Hopeful Places - 'UNICEF Films'

Customer Reviews:

The (second) soundtrack that never was..........2005-08-13

Let me start out by saying that I (and probably most people) bought this for the Shining portion of music, and is what I am discussing here. Wendy's original score to the Shining was mostly left on the cutting room floor and only a few tracks made it into the final film. (The same happened to her Clockwork Orange soundtrack, although more of that was used.)

Once I heard that all of her original score to the Shining was being released I immediately became excited about the prospect of finally hearing the high-pitched music while Halloran "shines" on his bed, the long suite of twisted vocals and heartbeats as Jack yells at Wendy, dismantles the radio, etc. Upon receiving the CD I was a little disappointed, however.

There are basically 3 tracks on the CD that sound even remotely like her music in the movie:

*Track #2 ("Rock Mountains") - This is the music that can be heard while the family drives to the Overlook and continues throughout the Donna Party discussion. This track is a SHORTENED VERSION of the one heard in the film, but covers the main musical points.

*Track #10 ("Heartbeats & Worry") - This is SIMILAR to the music heard at various points throughout the film, (during Jack's "Shoveling out driveways" speech, Wendy trying to wake Danny up, Halloren on the plane, etc) but is much shorter and lacks many of the musical elements heard in the film. This track is the same general idea, and has some extra layers not heard in the film version.

*Track #21 ("Danny Bells Ascending") - This track also has ELEMENTS of the music heard in the scenes above, just without the heartbeats. (It also has some extra layers thrown in.)

That's about it from the movie. I kind of figured I would be disappointed because I usually am with any commercial releases of film scores. I always expect to get ALL the cues exactly as they appear in the movie, but this very rarely happens. Most soundtracks usually have certain cues omitted (usually my favorite ones) and they either join several cues into a suite of music or add extra stuff into the cues. Why they do this I'll never understand. In the case of the Shining, the music editor may have combined several different Carlos cues for the movie, but one thing I am certain - all of Wendy's music from the film is not on this CD. (I'm pretty sure they won't be on the second volume either, based on the samples I've heard.)

Another criticism I have is that I wish they released just the Shining music from both Volumes 1 and 2 as "Wendy Carlos's score to the Shining" (as they did with A Clockwork Orange), and put the UNICEF and Clockwork Orange stuff on a separate release.

Having said all that, the music on this CD is top notch, as is anything Wendy Carlos has done. I'm glad this stuff has finally seen the light of day! But if you're expecting a note-for-note version of the music from your favorite scenes in the film, you may be in for a disappointment...

Treasure Trove of Cinemagic.......2005-06-07

In between her pioneering classical transcriptions and her groundbreaking explorations of new timbres and tunings, Carlos was also called upon to score a few films. Of these only one, "A Clockwork Orange," has been adequately represented by an official soundtrack album and a second album of original music written for the movie. Her score for "Tron" wasn't released on CD by Disney until 2001, NINETEEN YEARS after the film. All of the other scores have been, lamentably, totally missing.

Until now.

Carlos is no stranger to neglect. She has had to single-handedly rescue her classical pieces from the dumpster, and most of the rest of her catalog never saw Original Master re-releases until she herself undertook the project. It seems her New England stubbornness is triggered by disrespect, which in a way is lucky because nobody does Wendy better than Wendy herself.

She's done it once again with these soundtrack albums, volumes 1 and 2. Most of her fans know she wrote a complete score for Stanley Kubrick's "The Shining," although only two short pieces made it to the soundtrack LP (which has never been reissued). Here she FINALLY shares the rest of her score (minus the two tracks in legal limbo), and they are just as wonderful as everyone suspected. Witty and urbane classical reworkings are interposed with original horror music of astonishing power. Of particular note is a track where she overdubs and treats Rachel Elkind's voice until it sounds like a swarm of bumblebees!

She's also discovered three more "Clockwork Orange" cues, which are a delightful addition to the existing canon.

Volume 2 includes additional music from "Tron" and her unreleased score to "Woundings," and both volumes include several shorter pieces for various independent films.

Overall these discs are everything you'd expect and hope for in documenting Carlos's cinematic career.

Average customer rating:

Wendy Carlos - 'Tales Of Heaven & Hell' (East Side Digital)
A musical classic
my apologies for getting it wrong the first time.
trippy?Indeed,sir!
Sonic bliss squared!

Tales of Heaven & Hell
Wendy Carlos
Manufacturer: East Side Digital
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Beauty in the Beast
Digital Moonscapes
Sonic Seasonings + [Enhanced CD]
A Clockwork Orange: Wendy Carlos's Complete Original Score
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ASIN: B00000DCVY
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Transitional
Heaven Scent
Clockwork Black
City Of Temptation
Memories
Afterlife
Seraphim

Amazon.com

Carlos wrote and recorded this atmospheric album for those twentysomethings who feel shunned by the modern corporate music mentality, and she proves once again that she has her own special artistic merits. The epic 18-minute "Clockwork Black" is a sequel to her Clockwork Orange work and maintains an appropriately sinister air, recontextualizing the soundtrack's classical motifs into a more gothic brew. Tales contrasts dramatic crescendos with ambient placidity, ominous themes with more optimistic ones. All manner of sound is brought in--strange Gregorian chants, synthesized orchestrations, subliminal effects, eerily processed voices--all to aurally balance good with evil, shadow with light. For younger listeners weaned on three-minute pop ditties, the intriguing Tales of Heaven and Hell will be challenging listening, but in the end there is much to discover from it. --Bryan Reesman

Customer Reviews:

Wendy Carlos - 'Tales Of Heaven & Hell' (East Side Digital).......2006-08-30

As HARD as I really tried to get into this work by composer Wendy Carlos,I simply could not. 'Tales Of...' is JUST too strange. Just call the music on this CD 'weird electronic'.Liked the reissue for the 'Clockwork Orange' movie soundtrack SO much better(see my review). It's obvious that the music here is classically influenced.Two cuts here I thought were so-so are "Transitional" and "City Of Temptation". Seven tracks,duration is 57:27. I mean if you enjoy several of Carlos's other releases,you get nearly a full hour of true oddness here. Just might appeal to patient fans of Tomita,Kraftwerk,Mother Mallard's Portable Masterpiece Co. and Carl Craig.

A musical classic.......2005-04-28

I recently purchased TALES OF HEAVEN AND HELL by WENDY CARLOS and it is a true classic of music. I truly adore listening to this cd. Any work by Wendy Carlos is wonderful but this is exceptonal. I have purchased this cd for my friends too and they all savour it.

my apologies for getting it wrong the first time........2004-07-29

When I first heard this album a few years ago, I honestly was a little disappointed. To summarize the review I posted at that time (which Amazon was kind enough to remove at my request), I felt the album to be a little contrived. It felt "overworked" to my ears, as it was something of a contrast to the (seeming) simplicity of many of Ms. Carlos' earlier efforts. I also felt the more "humorous" aspects of some pieces detracted from the overall emotional continuity (or "mood") of the album.

I do agree with at least one of the reviewers here that most American listeners do not have an appreciation for "serious humor". I would include myself in that category. However, I've since learned to recognize the "tongue in cheek" aspect of the album as a desirable part of the album's character. And I will also admit that I allowed the "tongue in cheek" aspect of the album (particularly in the first piece, 'Transitional'), to color my judgment for the entire album. This was obviously not an intelligent response on my part, but most of all, it was clearly not fair to Ms. Carlos.

If I have any real complaints about this album, I would level them almost exclusively at the piece 'Clockwork Black'. There are segments in this (nearly 18 minute long) composition that are nothing short of the very best sound "collages" I have ever heard. This piece contains some amazing musical material as well, but even these are sometimes dwarfed by Ms. Carlos' astounding technical prowess. (I guess I still feel this particular piece is over-worked.) Which brings me to my main complaint about many of the musical transitions in this piece. While I believe these are intended to bring the listener to one part of hell to another, instead, I find that they do a good job of repeatedly interrupting the emotional "flow" of the piece. At these points, my attention is drawn to the "mechanics" of the music itself, and I am temporarily taken away from my emotional journey. I am also not at all fond of some of the voice acting, which by itself is not convincing, but taken in the context of the piece, does not feel (to me) "in tune" with the emotional mood of the piece. (I found myself annoyed by the "crying" people, particularly by the woman at the end of the piece.) However, I found the "latin"-spoken passages very effective. And as I said, parts of this piece are as immersive and lush as anything I've ever heard. (Please do not listen to it without a good set of headphones...)

Apart from that, I get a firm impression that the pieces 'Clockwork Black' and 'City of Temptation' contain subtle commentary on the state of our society/civilization. There is a tragic aspect that I believe Ms. Carlos basically alludes to, that states that humanity, as a whole, has created a hell here on earth through attitudes we hold that encourage/perpetuate suffering in both our own lives and those of others. I am sure you could accuse me of looking too deeply into this, but I am not sure the vocoder-spoken lyrics in 'Clockwork Black' ("Let us prey -- on those who are different. Let us pray -- we never are wrong.") and the liner notes for 'City of Temptation' ("This is music of a large, populous city of our era, or perhaps in the near future.") could be interpreted in any other way.

I am particularly fond of the pieces 'Afterlife' and 'Seraphim' (which are the final two tracks on the album), which I feel are both inspired and superbly well-crafted without being at all contrived. In 'Afterlife', Ms. Carlos appears to work effortlessly with the unusual temperament(s?) used in this piece, and creates, at least to my ears, a piece that is both beautiful and genuinely haunting. The musical transitions, unlike 'Clockwork Black', are first-rate, which gives this piece an immersive flow that is lacking in the former. 'Seraphim' is a powerful answer to the emotional "uncertainties" of 'Afterlife', and I agree with Ms. Carlos' assessment that this piece is certainly the most sublime of any piece on the album. It is an excellent and fitting end to this album.

Overall, I am ashamed that it took me three years to recognize this album for what it is, and that instead, I chose to neatly itemize it with the prevalent social misconception that Ms. Carlos' artistry was waning in lockstep with her increasing age. This album is among Ms. Carlos best work to-date. And while I still very much enjoy her early/"immature" work (from the first twelve or so years of her career), Ms. Carlos' artistry and technical mastery has indeed matured with the digital technologies that have so enabled her.

Through my serious misjudgment of Ms. Carlos' work, I have also become aware of the true nature of the devoted critic. The critic, sometimes in the safety of his/her own home, can assume the role of a destroyer. And while not ever capable of creating anything of his/her own, will, for whatever reason, repeatedly and thoughtlessly indulge themselves in wrecking havoc on those who assume the role of creators.

But, please do not misinterpret what I am saying. There is a definite need for the critic, and there is a definite time and place to be a merciless destroyer. But in this era we are living in, which by definition is an artistic famine, there appears to be no shortage of critics! (Just consider the sheer quantity of harsh/blasting reviews on a site like Amazon.com.) Watch how politicians get "off the hook" after subverting the law and destroying the rights of the common man time after time. Yet, nothing is said or done. But, apparently, we have no qualms about keeping our own "in check", and will happily throw dirt on the tiny embers of creativity that is expressed publicly/commercially by innocuous and generally well-intentioned people.

Either way, I again apologize to Ms. Carlos. I hope she has continued on her way since the release of this album, and was not discouraged from doing more work in this vein by the many unfortunate reviews (like the one I originally offered).

trippy?Indeed,sir!.......2004-05-12

this is every bit as good as the Clockwork Orange score,and it doubles as a great halloween album that won't scare the kiddies TOO much.(I had some visitors last year that found the "death cube k" cd a bit too frightening though,unfortunatly.) I like putting on this cd while the backlight and strobe are going in my room for a cool effect.also,"trendy"folks that think old 60,70,80's electronic music is lame should steer clear of this,cause trippy as it is,I could see how some could find it cheesy-stick with bill laswell,paul van dyke,etc if you do.otherwise,the only complaint I have about the album are the robot voices at the start of "clockwork black",but they only go on for about a minute or two and the track is perfect other than that(and 17 minutes long to boot!)

get it if you're a true "tripper"!

Sonic bliss squared!.......2002-01-25

If you liked the music from A Clockwork Orange, then you should enjoy this CD. Wendy Carlos is a master of the synthesizer and creates enveloping soundscapes. My favorite tracks are 1, 3, 6 and 7. The other are decent but don't stand out as much. Get this CD if you have any interest in this type of music, even if only for her 17+ minute opus, Clockwork Black. Visit her website to learn more about her. ...

Music Composers:

Music Composers

Music Composers