Alex North and 2001: The Unused Score

An Interview with Alex North by Randall D. Larson

Originally published in Soundtrack Magazine Vol.10 / No.40 / 1991

Text reproduced by kind permission of the editor Luc Van de Ven and Randall D. Larson

When you first got involved with 2001, what kind of input did you get from Stanley Kubrick as far as the kind of score he wanted?
I worked very closely with him, I went to see him in his home, we spoke a lot about it and unfortunately he had a temp score, which is always detrimental to a composer. He eventually used it. Well, you know the story of the temp score; he’d been listening to it for 4 years… He seemed interested in what I had done and actually suggested coming to a particular moment in the score… apprehending horror or preceding the moment on the screen instead of hitting it right on the nose. So I assumed that he liked what I had done and was naturally surprised and somewhat shocked at the turn of events.

Did you have any idea before you saw the finished film that your score wasn’t used?
I had no inclination. There was another composer before me…

Frank Cordell…
Cordell, right, and he had used Mahler, I think, or something which wasn’t in the temp track version that I saw. But no, I felt that since I had this top-notch kind of relationship on SPARTACUS and I respected his judgment and taste… what can I say?

When you first got on the film, do you remember what your initial impressions were as far as the kind of music you felt proper for the film?
I just thought it would be something more up-to-date in style. Not that I’m critical as to what Stanley used, each one has his own particular point of view and reaction to the style of music for a film. I can just assume, like many other directors, he got married to the original (temp) score – that was the case here.

How would you describe the music that you wrote?
I would say it’s more contemporary, or much more rhythmic, pulsating… much more dynamic in contrast to the music that he eventually used. Instead of going along with the visuals, I emphasized counterpoint.

Were there any conceptual elements of the film you were trying to emphasize?
No, because there was no personalized story involved. Therefore the music is what I refer to as objective kind of writing, and more impersonal, so that allowed me to make broad statements, musically.

I don’t recall your having scored a big science fiction film before… Did that give you any particular ideas or affect your writing of a futuristic kind of film score?
No, I didn’t consider that a challenge. It was probably the happiest moment of my career out here, doing music for a film that had no sound effects, so in that sense I was very anxious and extremely happy about getting that assignment, but I don’t think having not done any science fiction films prior to that had any effect.

Do you remember how large an orchestra was used for the part of your score that was recorded?
I think it was about 108 musicians. And I didn’t use any synthesizers. I did use a huge organ…

What kind of instrumentation did you emphasize?
I had more than your average share of woodwinds and brass, that’s why reworking the score (into a symphony for concert performance) is essential, because I go for what’s needed in a film rather than thinking of a future concert performance. But it was overloaded with percussions – I think I used six or eight men.

Now you’re trying to use some of this music in your Symphony?
Right, I’m trying when I have the time. I was busy last year, I did 3 films, and had very little time, but I’m still working on it.

Do you know what happened to the recorded tracks of your score?
I have no idea, that’s one of the big mysteries.

I’d like to ask a moment about your latest score, THE DEAD, which I really like. What was your initial impression on that film score?
First of all, it was so beautiful in its own way, and I did days and nights of research on that. I went through at least three thousand or four thousand ancient Irish folk tunes and more Turn-of-the-Century folk tunes and used those as a basis for the score. It was a real challenge in a sense to make it simple and unobtrusive, because of the beautiful language involved.

It struck me as a very delicate score and yet it underlined the characterizations in a very strong way.
Yes, I was happy with the results.

You’ve worked with John Huston quite a bit. How closely had you two worked on this score and others?
Very close. This is the fifth film that I had done with him, starting back with THE MISFITS, UNDER THE VOLCANO, PRIZZI’S HONOR… and we had a great working relationship with a lot of mutual respect for each other. I feel very fortunate (having worked with him); he was such a gifted man.