Wendy Carlos
Encyclopedia
Wendy Carlos is an American composer and electronic musician. Carlos first came to notice in the late 1960s with recordings made on the Moog synthesizer
, then a relatively new and unknown instrument; most notable were LPs of synthesized Bach
and the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick
's film A Clockwork Orange
. Several years prior, two Carlos compositions using classical (pre-Moog) electronic techniques had been issued on LP (Variations for Flute and Tape and Dialogues for Piano and Two Loudspeakers). Although the first Carlos Moog albums were interpretations of the works of classical composers, she later resumed releasing original compositions.
Switched-On Bach
(1968) was an early album demonstrating the use of the synthesizer as a genuine musical instrument. As an early user of Robert Moog
's first commercially available synthesizer modules (Moog assembled these as custom installations that differed greatly from user to user), Carlos helped pioneer the technology, which was significantly more difficult to use than it is today. Multitrack recording
techniques played a critical role in the time-consuming process of creating this album. Switched-On Bach was the last project in her four-year-long collaboration with Benjamin Folkman and won gold records for both Carlos and Folkman. The album then became one of the first classical LPs to sell 500,000 copies, going gold
in August 1969, and platinum in November 1986.
A sequel of additional synthesized baroque music
, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
, followed in 1969. (Its title is a play on Bach
's Well-Tempered Clavier.) A second sequel, Switched-On Bach II, was released in 1973, continuing the style of the previous two albums, adding a Yamaha
Electone organ to the Moog for certain florid passages in Bach's 5th Brandenburg Concerto.
Sonic Seasonings
(1972) was packaged as a double album, with one side dedicated to each of the four seasons, and each side consisting of one long track. The album blended recorded sounds with synthesized sounds, occasionally employing melodies, to create an ambient effect. Not as popular as some other Carlos albums, it was influential on other artists who went on to create the ambient
genre. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for A Clockwork Orange
. Portions of her work for this film in addition to its classical material re-appeared in her Tales of Heaven and Hell in 2003 in movement 3 A Clockwork Black. She worked with Stanley Kubrick
again on the score for The Shining
, though in the end Kubrick mostly used pre-existing music cues by other composers.
In 1982, she scored the film Tron
for The Walt Disney Company
. This score incorporated orchestra, chorus
, organ
, and both analog and digital synthesizers. Some of her end-title music featuring the Royal Albert Hall Organ
was replaced with a song by Journey
, and the music that originally was composed for the lightcycle scene was dropped. Digital Moonscapes (1984) switched to digital synthesizers from the analog synthesizers that were the trademark of her earlier albums. Some of the unused material from the Tron
soundtrack was incorporated into it.
Beauty in the Beast
(1986) saw Carlos experimenting with various tunings, including just intonation
, Balinese scales and several scales she invented for the album. One of her scales, the Harmonic Scale
, involved setting a "root note", and retuning all of the notes on the keyboard to just intonation intervals from the root note. There are a total of 144 possible notes per octave in this system: 12 notes in a chromatic scale times 12 different keys. Other scales included Carlos' Alpha
, Beta
& Gamma scale
s, which experimented with dividing the octave into a non-integral number of equally-spaced intervals
. These explorations in effect supplemented the more systematic microtonal studies of the composer Easley Blackwood, Jr., whose etudes on all twelve equal-tempered scales between 13 and 24 notes per octave had appeared in 1980.
Secrets of Synthesis (1987) is a lecture by Carlos with audio examples (many from her own recordings), expounding on topics she feels to be of importance. Some of the material is an introduction to synthesis, and some (e.g., a discussion of hocket
) is aimed at experienced musicians.
Beginning in 1998, all of her catalogue was remastered. In 2005, the two-volume set Rediscovering Lost Scores was released, featuring previously out-of-print material, including the unreleased soundtrack to Woundings, and music composed and recorded for The Shining, Tron and A Clockwork Orange that was not used in the films.
, Rhode Island
and began musical education at age six with piano lessons. Following undergraduate studies of music and physics at Brown University
accompanied by early explorations of electronic music, Carlos earned a master's degree in composition at Columbia University
, studying there with Vladimir Ussachevsky
, a pioneer in electronic music (other teachers included Otto Luening
and Jack Beeson
).
Remaining in New York after graduation, Carlos met Dr. Robert Moog
and was one of his earliest customers, providing feedback for his further development of the Moog synthesizer
. Carlos convinced Moog to add touch sensitivity to the synthesizer keyboard, to allow a greater level of dynamics and musicality.
Around 1966, Carlos met Rachel Elkind, who went on to produce Switched-On Bach
and other early albums. With the proceeds of Switched-On Bach, the two renovated a New York brownstone
, which they shared as a home and business premises, installing a studio for live and electronic recording on the bottom floor. Carlos took the unusual step of enclosing the entire studio in a Faraday cage
, shielding the equipment from radio and television interference.
The artist's first recordings were released under the name Walter Carlos. Carlos underwent sex reassignment surgery
in 1972 after living as a woman beginning in May 1968. Her album By Request (1975) featured the name "Walter", and the first release credited to her as "Wendy" was Switched-On Brandenburgs
(1979). (The earlier albums have since been re-released under the Wendy Carlos name.) Carlos' first public appearance after her gender transition was in an interview in the May 1979 issue of Playboy magazine. In it, she states "I was about five or six...I remember being convinced I was a little girl, much preferring long hair and girls clothes, and not knowing why my parents didn't see it clearly". Carlos chose to be interviewed in Playboy because "The magazine has always been concerned with liberation, and I'm anxious to liberate myself", but she later came to regret the decision because of the unwelcome publicity it brought to her personal life, notably in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, where her surgery was described in anatomical detail. On her official site, her transition
is discussed in an essay stating that she values her privacy on the subject.
In 1998, Carlos sued the songwriter/artist Momus
for $22 million for his satirical song "Walter Carlos" (which appeared on the album The Little Red Songbook
), which suggested that if Wendy could go back in time she could marry Walter. The case was settled out of court, with Momus agreeing to remove it from the CD and owing $30,000 in legal fees.
Carlos is also an accomplished solar eclipse
photographer.
In 2005, Carlos was the recipient of the SEAMUS
Lifetime Achievement Award
"in recognition of lifetime achievement and contribution to the art and craft of electro-acoustic music" by the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
.
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
, then a relatively new and unknown instrument; most notable were LPs of synthesized Bach
Bạch
Bạch is a Vietnamese surname. The name is transliterated as Bai in Chinese and Baek, in Korean.Bach is the anglicized variation of the surname Bạch.-Notable people with the surname Bạch:* Bạch Liêu...
and the soundtrack for Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
's film A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. Several years prior, two Carlos compositions using classical (pre-Moog) electronic techniques had been issued on LP (Variations for Flute and Tape and Dialogues for Piano and Two Loudspeakers). Although the first Carlos Moog albums were interpretations of the works of classical composers, she later resumed releasing original compositions.
Work
Carlos' first release was entitled "Moog 900 Series – Electronic Music Systems" (R. A. Moog Company, Inc., 1967) and it was an introduction to the technical aspects of the machine.Switched-On Bach
Switched-On Bach
-Details:The album consists of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed on a Moog synthesizer, a modular synthesizer system, one of which can be seen at the back of the room on the album cover. "Switched-On Bach," or "S-OB" as Carlos referred to it, was recorded on a custom-built 8 track recorder...
(1968) was an early album demonstrating the use of the synthesizer as a genuine musical instrument. As an early user of Robert Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
's first commercially available synthesizer modules (Moog assembled these as custom installations that differed greatly from user to user), Carlos helped pioneer the technology, which was significantly more difficult to use than it is today. Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording
Multitrack recording is a method of sound recording that allows for the separate recording of multiple sound sources to create a cohesive whole...
techniques played a critical role in the time-consuming process of creating this album. Switched-On Bach was the last project in her four-year-long collaboration with Benjamin Folkman and won gold records for both Carlos and Folkman. The album then became one of the first classical LPs to sell 500,000 copies, going gold
RIAA certification
In the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in August 1969, and platinum in November 1986.
A sequel of additional synthesized baroque music
Baroque music
Baroque music describes a style of Western Classical music approximately extending from 1600 to 1760. This era follows the Renaissance and was followed in turn by the Classical era...
, The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer
The Well-Tempered Synthesizer is a 1969 album released by Wendy Carlos following the groundbreaking Switched-On Bach in the previous year. The album consists of a selection of pieces by Monteverdi, Domenico Scarlatti, and Handel as well as Bach whose music was exclusively featured on the first...
, followed in 1969. (Its title is a play on Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
's Well-Tempered Clavier.) A second sequel, Switched-On Bach II, was released in 1973, continuing the style of the previous two albums, adding a Yamaha
Yamaha
Yamaha may refer to:* Yamaha Corporation, a Japanese company with a wide range of products and services** Yamaha Motor Company, a Japanese motorized vehicle-producing company...
Electone organ to the Moog for certain florid passages in Bach's 5th Brandenburg Concerto.
Sonic Seasonings
Sonic Seasonings
Sonic Seasonings is the third album by synthesizer pioneer Wendy Carlos. It was released in 1972. Each side of the double LP was a single piece which was a musing on each of the seasons. The compositions combined music with field recordings, such as rushing wind , birdsong , and insect noises...
(1972) was packaged as a double album, with one side dedicated to each of the four seasons, and each side consisting of one long track. The album blended recorded sounds with synthesized sounds, occasionally employing melodies, to create an ambient effect. Not as popular as some other Carlos albums, it was influential on other artists who went on to create the ambient
Ambient music
Ambient music is a musical genre that focuses largely on the timbral characteristics of sounds, often organized or performed to evoke an "atmospheric", "visual" or "unobtrusive" quality.- History :...
genre. In 1971, Carlos composed and recorded music for A Clockwork Orange
A Clockwork Orange (film)
A Clockwork Orange is a 1971 film adaptation of Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name. It was written, directed and produced by Stanley Kubrick...
. Portions of her work for this film in addition to its classical material re-appeared in her Tales of Heaven and Hell in 2003 in movement 3 A Clockwork Black. She worked with Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick
Stanley Kubrick was an American film director, writer, producer, and photographer who lived in England during most of the last four decades of his career...
again on the score for The Shining
The Shining (film)
The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
, though in the end Kubrick mostly used pre-existing music cues by other composers.
In 1982, she scored the film Tron
Tron
-Film:*Tron , a franchise that began in 1982 with the Walt Disney Pictures film Tron** Tron , a 1982 science fiction film by Disney, starring Jeff Bridges, Bruce Boxleitner, Cindy Morgan, Dan Shor and David Warner...
for The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
. This score incorporated orchestra, chorus
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
, organ
Organ (music)
The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, and both analog and digital synthesizers. Some of her end-title music featuring the Royal Albert Hall Organ
Royal Albert Hall Organ
The Grand Organ situated in the Royal Albert Hall in London, is the second largest pipe organ in the United Kingdom. It was originally built by Henry "Father" Willis and most recently rebuilt by Mander Organs, having 147 stops and 9,997 speaking pipes....
was replaced with a song by Journey
Journey (band)
Journey is an American rock band formed in 1973 in San Francisco by former members of Santana. The band has gone through several phases; its strongest commercial success occurred between the 1978 and 1987, after which it temporarily disbanded...
, and the music that originally was composed for the lightcycle scene was dropped. Digital Moonscapes (1984) switched to digital synthesizers from the analog synthesizers that were the trademark of her earlier albums. Some of the unused material from the Tron
Tron (soundtrack)
-Cover versions:Chiptune artists 8 Bit Weapon released their 8 bit music tribute to the original Tron soundtrack. The tribute was made using vintage computers and video game consoles such as Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Apple II, and Atari 2600.-External links:* ...
soundtrack was incorporated into it.
Beauty in the Beast
Beauty in the Beast
Beauty in the Beast is an album by Wendy Carlos using alternate tunings and scales and influenced by jazz and world music. On the back she includes a quote by Van Gogh: "I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it."...
(1986) saw Carlos experimenting with various tunings, including just intonation
Just intonation
In music, just intonation is any musical tuning in which the frequencies of notes are related by ratios of small whole numbers. Any interval tuned in this way is called a just interval. The two notes in any just interval are members of the same harmonic series...
, Balinese scales and several scales she invented for the album. One of her scales, the Harmonic Scale
Harmonic Scale
The Harmonic Scale is a "Super-Just" musical scale allowing extended just intonation, beyond 5-limit to the 19th harmonic , and free modulation through the use of synthesizers...
, involved setting a "root note", and retuning all of the notes on the keyboard to just intonation intervals from the root note. There are a total of 144 possible notes per octave in this system: 12 notes in a chromatic scale times 12 different keys. Other scales included Carlos' Alpha
Alpha scale
The α scale is a non-octave-repeating musical scale which splits the minor third into two equal parts, or four equal parts of approximately 78 cents each . This totals approximately 15.39 steps per octave...
, Beta
Beta scale
The β scale is a non-octave-repeating musical scale which splits the perfect fourth into two equal parts, or eight equal parts of approximately 64 cents each . This totals approximately 18.75 steps per octave...
& Gamma scale
Gamma scale
The γ scale is a non-octave repeating musical scale which splits the neutral third into two equal parts, or ten equal parts of 35 cents each...
s, which experimented with dividing the octave into a non-integral number of equally-spaced intervals
Equal temperament
An equal temperament is a musical temperament, or a system of tuning, in which every pair of adjacent notes has an identical frequency ratio. As pitch is perceived roughly as the logarithm of frequency, this means that the perceived "distance" from every note to its nearest neighbor is the same for...
. These explorations in effect supplemented the more systematic microtonal studies of the composer Easley Blackwood, Jr., whose etudes on all twelve equal-tempered scales between 13 and 24 notes per octave had appeared in 1980.
Secrets of Synthesis (1987) is a lecture by Carlos with audio examples (many from her own recordings), expounding on topics she feels to be of importance. Some of the material is an introduction to synthesis, and some (e.g., a discussion of hocket
Hocket
In music, hocket is the rhythmic linear technique using the alternation of notes, pitches, or chords. In medieval practice of hocket, a single melody is shared between two voices such that alternately one voice sounds while the other rests.In European music, hocket was used primarily in vocal...
) is aimed at experienced musicians.
Beginning in 1998, all of her catalogue was remastered. In 2005, the two-volume set Rediscovering Lost Scores was released, featuring previously out-of-print material, including the unreleased soundtrack to Woundings, and music composed and recorded for The Shining, Tron and A Clockwork Orange that was not used in the films.
Personal life
Carlos was born as Walter Carlos in PawtucketPawtucket, Rhode Island
Pawtucket is a city in Providence County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 71,148 at the 2010 census. It is the fourth largest city in the state.-History:...
, Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and began musical education at age six with piano lessons. Following undergraduate studies of music and physics at Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
accompanied by early explorations of electronic music, Carlos earned a master's degree in composition at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
, studying there with Vladimir Ussachevsky
Vladimir Ussachevsky
Vladimir Kirilovitch Ussachevsky was a composer, particularly known for his work in electronic music.-Biography:...
, a pioneer in electronic music (other teachers included Otto Luening
Otto Luening
Otto Clarence Luening was a German-American composer and conductor, and an early pioneer of tape music and electronic music....
and Jack Beeson
Jack Beeson
Jack Beeson was an American composer. He was known particularly for his operas, the best known of which are Lizzie Borden, Hello Out There! and The Sweet Bye and Bye.-Biography:...
).
Remaining in New York after graduation, Carlos met Dr. Robert Moog
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog , commonly called Bob Moog was an American pioneer of electronic music, best known as the inventor of the Moog synthesizer.-Life:...
and was one of his earliest customers, providing feedback for his further development of the Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer
Moog synthesizer may refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for older-generation analog music synthesizers. The Moog company pioneered the commercial manufacture of modular voltage-controlled...
. Carlos convinced Moog to add touch sensitivity to the synthesizer keyboard, to allow a greater level of dynamics and musicality.
Around 1966, Carlos met Rachel Elkind, who went on to produce Switched-On Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach was a German composer, organist, harpsichordist, violist, and violinist whose sacred and secular works for choir, orchestra, and solo instruments drew together the strands of the Baroque period and brought it to its ultimate maturity...
and other early albums. With the proceeds of Switched-On Bach, the two renovated a New York brownstone
Brownstone
Brownstone is a brown Triassic or Jurassic sandstone which was once a popular building material. The term is also used in the United States to refer to a terraced house clad in this material.-Types:-Apostle Island brownstone:...
, which they shared as a home and business premises, installing a studio for live and electronic recording on the bottom floor. Carlos took the unusual step of enclosing the entire studio in a Faraday cage
Faraday cage
A Faraday cage or Faraday shield is an enclosure formed by conducting material or by a mesh of such material. Such an enclosure blocks out external static and non-static electric fields...
, shielding the equipment from radio and television interference.
The artist's first recordings were released under the name Walter Carlos. Carlos underwent sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery
Sex reassignment surgery is a term for the surgical procedures by which a person's physical appearance and function of their existing sexual characteristics are altered to resemble...
in 1972 after living as a woman beginning in May 1968. Her album By Request (1975) featured the name "Walter", and the first release credited to her as "Wendy" was Switched-On Brandenburgs
Brandenburg concertos
The Brandenburg concertos by Johann Sebastian Bach are a collection of six instrumental works presented by Bach to Christian Ludwig, margrave of Brandenburg-Schwedt, in 1721 . They are widely regarded as among the finest musical compositions of the Baroque era...
(1979). (The earlier albums have since been re-released under the Wendy Carlos name.) Carlos' first public appearance after her gender transition was in an interview in the May 1979 issue of Playboy magazine. In it, she states "I was about five or six...I remember being convinced I was a little girl, much preferring long hair and girls clothes, and not knowing why my parents didn't see it clearly". Carlos chose to be interviewed in Playboy because "The magazine has always been concerned with liberation, and I'm anxious to liberate myself", but she later came to regret the decision because of the unwelcome publicity it brought to her personal life, notably in Baker's Biographical Dictionary of Musicians, where her surgery was described in anatomical detail. On her official site, her transition
Transitioning (transgender)
Transitioning is the process of changing one's gender presentation to accord with one's internal sense of one's gender - the idea of what it means to be a man or woman...
is discussed in an essay stating that she values her privacy on the subject.
In 1998, Carlos sued the songwriter/artist Momus
Momus (artist)
Nick Currie , more popularly known under the artist name Momus , is a songwriter, blogger and former journalist for Wired...
for $22 million for his satirical song "Walter Carlos" (which appeared on the album The Little Red Songbook
The Little Red Songbook
The album The Little Red Songbook was released by Momus in 1998. This CD features a number of karaoke versions of the songs that were used for a singing contest. The winners of the contest appear on the CD Stars Forever.The original release of this CD contained a controversial song entitled...
), which suggested that if Wendy could go back in time she could marry Walter. The case was settled out of court, with Momus agreeing to remove it from the CD and owing $30,000 in legal fees.
Carlos is also an accomplished solar eclipse
Solar eclipse
As seen from the Earth, a solar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes between the Sun and the Earth, and the Moon fully or partially blocks the Sun as viewed from a location on Earth. This can happen only during a new moon, when the Sun and the Moon are in conjunction as seen from Earth. At least...
photographer.
Awards and honors
Switched-On Bach was the winner of three 1969 Grammy Awards:- Album Of The Year, Classical
- Best Classical Performance – Instrumental Soloist Or Soloists (With Or Without Orchestra)
- Best Engineered Recording, Classical
In 2005, Carlos was the recipient of the SEAMUS
Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States is a nonprofit US based organization founded in 1984 which aims to promote electro-acoustic music...
Lifetime Achievement Award
SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award
The SEAMUS Lifetime Achievement Award acknowledges the important contributions of its recipients to the field of electro-acoustic music. The recipient is selected by the Board of Directors of SEAMUS...
"in recognition of lifetime achievement and contribution to the art and craft of electro-acoustic music" by the Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States
The Society for Electro-Acoustic Music in the United States is a nonprofit US based organization founded in 1984 which aims to promote electro-acoustic music...
.
Discography
(Albums released during years 1965–1975 were originally released under name "Walter Carlos". Later albums and all re-issues have been released under the name "Wendy Carlos".)- Electronic Music (1965) LP. Vox Turnabout. Includes two compositions by Walter Carlos: Dialogues for Piano and Two Loudspeakers (with Phillip Ramey, pianist) and Variations for Flute and Tape (with John Heiss, flutist).
- Switched-On BachSwitched-On Bach-Details:The album consists of pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, performed on a Moog synthesizer, a modular synthesizer system, one of which can be seen at the back of the room on the album cover. "Switched-On Bach," or "S-OB" as Carlos referred to it, was recorded on a custom-built 8 track recorder...
(1968) - The Well-Tempered SynthesizerThe Well-Tempered SynthesizerThe Well-Tempered Synthesizer is a 1969 album released by Wendy Carlos following the groundbreaking Switched-On Bach in the previous year. The album consists of a selection of pieces by Monteverdi, Domenico Scarlatti, and Handel as well as Bach whose music was exclusively featured on the first...
(1969) - Sonic SeasoningsSonic SeasoningsSonic Seasonings is the third album by synthesizer pioneer Wendy Carlos. It was released in 1972. Each side of the double LP was a single piece which was a musing on each of the seasons. The compositions combined music with field recordings, such as rushing wind , birdsong , and insect noises...
(1972) - A Clockwork Orange (soundtrack) (1972)
- Wendy Carlos' Clockwork Orange, (1972), all the music composed or realized for the film.
- Switched-On Bach II (1974)
- Bach: Brandenburg Concertos No.3, 4 & 5 (1975)
- By Request (1975)
- Switched-On BrandenburgsSwitched-On BrandenburgsSwitched-On Brandenburgs is a 1979 double album by Wendy Carlos. It was the seventh album released by Carlos, and the fourth and final album in her project of classical music which also included Switched-On Bach , The Well-Tempered Synthesizer , and Switched-On Bach II .Switched-On Brandenburgs is...
(1979) - The ShiningThe Shining (film)The Shining is a 1980 psychological horror film produced and directed by Stanley Kubrick, co-written with novelist Diane Johnson, and starring Jack Nicholson, Shelley Duvall, and Danny Lloyd. The film is based on the novel of the same name by Stephen King. A writer, Jack Torrance, takes a job as an...
: Score Selections (soundtrack) (1980) - TronTron (soundtrack)-Cover versions:Chiptune artists 8 Bit Weapon released their 8 bit music tribute to the original Tron soundtrack. The tribute was made using vintage computers and video game consoles such as Commodore 64, Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo Game Boy, Apple II, and Atari 2600.-External links:* ...
(soundtrack) (1982) - Digital Moonscapes (1984)
- Beauty In the BeastBeauty in the BeastBeauty in the Beast is an album by Wendy Carlos using alternate tunings and scales and influenced by jazz and world music. On the back she includes a quote by Van Gogh: "I am always doing what I cannot do yet, in order to learn how to do it."...
(1986) SYNCD 200, Jem Records, South Plainfield, NJ - Land of the Midnight SunLand of the Midnight SunThe Land of the Midnight Sun may refer to any of the world's northern regions above the Arctic Circle including:* Canada, including the Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut* Denmark * Finland* Iceland* Lapland* Norway* Russia* Sweden...
(1986 composition, released on the 1998 Sonic Seasonings reissue) - Secrets of Synthesis (1987) CBS RecordsCBS RecordsCBS Records is a record label founded by CBS Corporation in 2006 to take advantage of music from its entertainment properties owned by CBS Television Studios. The initial label roster consisted of only three artists; rock band Señor Happy and singer/songwriters Will Dailey and P.J...
, MK42333. - Peter and the Wolf (1988) (with "Weird Al" Yankovic"Weird Al" YankovicAlfred Matthew "Weird Al" Yankovic is an American singer-songwriter, music producer, accordionist, actor, comedian, writer, satirist, and parodist. Yankovic is known for his humorous songs that make light of popular culture and that often parody specific songs by contemporary musical acts...
) - Switched-On Bach 2000 (1992) Telarc Int. Co., CD80323.
- Tales of Heaven and Hell (1998): (contains a track using 15 equal temperament15 equal temperamentIn music, 15 equal temperament, called 15-TET, 15-EDO, or 15-ET, is the tempered scale derived by dividing the octave into 15 equal steps . Each step represents a frequency ratio of 21/15, or 80 cents...
) - Switched-On Boxed Set (1999)
- Rediscovering Lost Scores, Volume 1 (2005) (The Shining, A Clockwork Orange, UNICEFUnited Nations Children's FundUnited Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
) - Rediscovering Lost Scores, Volume 2 (2005) (The Shining, Tron, Split SecondSplit Second (1992 film)Split Second is a 1992 British science fiction film starring Rutger Hauer, Kim Cattrall, and Neil Duncan. The film is directed by Tony Maylam and Ian Sharp.-Plot summary:...
, Woundings)
External links
- Wendy Carlos in conversation with Frank J. Oteri NewMusicBox, April 1, 2007. (includes video)
- 1979 Playboy interview