Before young James Horner scored classic 1981 Michael Wadleigh horror movie with Albert Finney, filmmakers engaged also-young Craig Safan to tackle the music. He responded with incredibly intense, complex orchestral score.
Before young James Horner scored classic 1981 Michael Wadleigh horror 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!
Composed and Conducted by Craig Safan. Recorded on May 13, 26, 27, 28, and 29, 1981, at CBS Studio Center (Radford Studios), Studio City, California, and Evergreen Recording Studios, Los Angeles, California.
VIOLIN Gerald Vinci
Thelma L. Beach
Dixie Blackstone
Mari Tsumura Botnick
Thomas R. Buffum
Stuart V. Canin
Doris Carr
Assa Drori
Henry Ferber
Ronald Folsom
David Frisina
Reg Hill
William Hymanson
Karen Jones
Norma Leonard
Marvin Limonick
Constance Meyer
Irma Neumann
Don Palmer
Nathan Ross
Bob Sanov
Sheldon Sanov
Robert Sushel
Ilkka Talvi
VIOLA David Schwartz
Pamela Goldsmith
Marilyn H. Baker
Myer Bello
Denyse N. Buffum
Alan De Veritch
Allan Harshman
Louis Kievman
Michael Novak
Gareth D. Nuttycombe
Kazi Pitelka
Leonard Selic
David Stockhammer
CELLO Dennis Karmazyn
Barbara H. Badgley
Andrea Comsky
Christine Ermacoff
Marie Fera
Anne Goodman Karam
Raymond J. Kelley
Jerome A. Kessler
Ronald A. Leonard
Harry L. Shlutz
David H. Speltz
Mary Louise Zeyen
BASS Buell Neidlinger
Tim Barr
Steven G. Edelman
Richard Feves
Peter A. Mercurio
Bruce Morgenthaler
Margaret Storer
FRENCH HORN Vincent De Rosa
James Atkinson
James A. Decker
David A. Duke
Richard Gus Klein
Brian D. A. O’Connor
Henry Sigismonti
WOODWINDS Phillip W. Ayling
Donald O. Christlieb
William Criss
Earle D. Dumler
John Heitman
James M. Kanter
Jack Marsh
John J. Mitchell
John Neufeld
Michael O’Donovan
David W. Riddles
David M. Sherr
David Shostac
Sheridon Stokes
TRUMPET Jerry Hey
Malcolm McNab
Michael S. Carl
Larry G. Hall
TROMBONE Lew McCreary
Charles Loper
William F. Reichenbach
TUBA John T. Johnson
HARP Gayle Levant
KEYBOARDS Michael A. Lang
Ralph Grierson
Peter M. Bernstein
PERCUSSION Larry Bunker
John Kaye
Emil Radocchia
Robert J. Zimmitti
COPYIST Phil Azelton
Mainerd Baker
Robert Bornstein
Glen N. Clement
Gerald Dolin
Julia A. Eidsvoog
Emmett L. Estren
Kenneth W. Mitchell
Edwin L. Robinson