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New Intrada: Wolfen by Craig Safan (Unused score)


Jay

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INTRADA Announces:

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WOLFEN

Music Composed and Conducted by CRAIG SAFAN

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 206

I felt Wolfen was the perfect film in which to break away from

traditional melody and harmony and try something new.- Craig Safan

The 1981 Orion production Wolfen was unusually and extraordinarily complicated, resulting in upheaval that affected both its final direction and its musical scoring. Unfortunately, Safan’s score proved to be one of the many casualties of the film’s lengthy and turbulent post-production process—the film was re-edited and re-scored after he had composed and recorded his music with a 100-piece orchestra. The resultant score was, in fact, something new and a departure from what you would expect from such a large orchestra. As Safan best describes:

I felt Wolfen was the perfect film in which to break away from traditional melody and harmony and try something new.To that end I spent time with all the woodwind and brass players to learn about new techniques such as multiphonics (playing more than one note at the same time), and playing their instruments without a mouthpiece. Also, I would have each player in the 40-piece string section play a different note, then move to each other player’s notes, all within a specific time-frame. I used two grand pianos tuned a quarter tone apart and often playing the inside instead of the keys. Looking back over the scores I see directions such as “low growl,” “like a strangled animal,” and “babbling.”

In the end, Safan had composed a massive, complex work...something on an intellectual level to challenge the listener, and embodying the mythological aspects of the film dropped from the final version.

For this release, Intrada was given access to the original multi-track elements stored in the Warner Bros. vaults. The sound preserved on these masters is simply stunning, allowing Safan's score to shine in all its detail and complexity. Sometimes great film music can't even be heard within the film for which it was composed, and Craig Safan's score to Wolfen is one of them.

INTRADA Special Collection Vol. 206

Retail Price: $19.99

Available Now

For track listing and sound samples, please visit

http://store.intrada.com/s.nl/it.A/id.7686/.f

WOLFEN (UNUSED SCORE)

Label: Intrada Special Collection Volume 206

Date: 1981

Tracks: 14

Time = 60:42

Before young James Horner scored classic 1981 Michael Wadleigh horor movie with Albert Finney, filmmakers engaged also-young Craig Safan to tackle the music. He responded with incredibly intense, complex orchestral score. Tiny three-note germ anchors work, expands into variety of complicated musical ideas - but always stays within reach. Neat, sophisticated musical architecture! Highlights are many but deserving special attention is massive build-up to final confrontation on Wall Street ("Wall Street And Wolfen Finale".) Safan engages all of his advanced harmonic vernacular, follows path already forged, then instead climaxes in closing moments with series of powerhouse fortissimo major chords, lending brief heroic feel to hour-long work. A goosebump moment! Safan composes a major work with such strong shape that it plays like a massive concert piece for large orchestra. All film music should be so lucky! Another asset: extremely well-performed, crisply recorded sessions are presented in dynamic stereo from original three-channel stereo masters courtesy Warner Bros. If you're a fan of Horner's exciting score (also released on Intrada), enjoy its "big brother", born first from the pen of Craig Safan. Craig Safan conducts. Intrada Special Collection release available while quantities and interest remains!

01. Main Title And First Killings 9:26

02. The Body 2:23

03. The Morgue 4:11

04. Run To Church 2:21

05. Run From Church 5:25

06. Wilson And Pearl 2:10

07. Thinking Of The Kill 4:50

08. Shape Shifting 2:14

09. At The Zoo 3:50

10. The Dream And Love Scene 3:55

11. Whittington Gets Snuffed 6:13

12. Indian Bar 4:17

13. Discovery And Penthouse 3:45

14. Wall Street And Wolfen Finale 5:21

Craig Safan

Price: $19.99

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