I watched the film recently. It's an amazing production, a look at how, in the pre-CGI era, everything was real and a copy of the Sistine Chapel was built, not computer generated. The film is all the more impressive because of that. It looks authentic and real because it is. As a side note, buried in the film's credits is the fact that orchestrations were done by the great Alexander Courage. 🐧
Great classic film! Epic in scope, an excellent biopic of Michelangelo Buonnaroti with Charlton Heston giving it everything he had in an excellent performance. Rex Harrison shines also as Pope Julius. The music score is dynamic, rich and full of vigor. The movie really brings the Renaissance world of Italy alive as it actually was 500 years ago.
Very highly talented n knowledgeable composer of Hollywood golden era followed by such greats like Max Steiner,Mikolos Rosza,Alfred Newman,Dimitri Tiomkin,Bernard Herrman n Franz Waxman.He made his own indetity against these stalwarts comoposers.
Thank you Fred. I adore Alex North, everything he did had such integrity and imagination. I also love reading the comments on your channel. A lot of knowledgeable people.
What a stirring piece of composition! Alex North & Jerry Goldsmith seemed to have seen "the face of God" as they wrote the score for this historical Renaissance era of making one of the world's greatest awe wonders in paintings: The Sistine Chapel. The time this was made, was a unique era of the cinemas best religious inspired movies for the world to enjoy. Great selection, Fred! And, as you had stated: "...one of the best roles for Charlton Heston..." And Rex Harrison as Pope Julius - who was "eager to leave behind works he will be remembered by." (IMDb movie review). Harrison had a fantastic acting style and tone of voice that is, what I call, a one-of-a-kind. I love this score...so invigorating!
Sound track always sound better in a large auditorium played on huge Altec Voice of the Theatre speakers with the picture on a giant Cinema scope screen and the acoustics of the room adding another dimension to the experience!
this is a great epic about a great artist.i must have the DVD.by the way,when my mother and father were alive and we lived in the NY suburbs,they went one night in 1966 to see"the agony and the ecstasy"in a theatre in new rochelle,NY in a double feature with the 1966 remake of"stagecoach"with ann-margret.they loved it!
Alex North would return to the Vatican just three years later, providing the soundtrack for 1968's, "The Shoes of the Fisherman", starring Anthony Quinn and Laurence Olivier.
Oh FAR out. Thank you, Fred! I still have this film - in VHS, lol. I left the Roman catholic religion 43 yrs ago and became a saved born-again Christian, but at 17 walked through all the museums -- and got yelled at by the polizia for sitting on the floor of the Sistine Chapel below God creating Adam- I was so overwhelmed that my eyes beheld Michaelangelo's genius... This score brings back those memories.. miss Charlton Heston a LOT... Thank you and God bless you, Fred. -- US Coast Guard mom
The Agony And The Ecstasy is considered one of Charlton Heston's best roles, and he played in quiet some biggies! Rex Harrison is fantastic also, (always will be remembered as the lovely Doctor Dolittle). Alex North provides, as usual a fantastic score, however the first 12 minutes of the picture are scored by Jerry Goldsmith. Unfortunately, as good as the piece is, it could find just a good two minutes running time in this video. But please check it out in its entirety. It marks one of Goldsmith's finest compositions and a personal favorite of his, too. Enjoy!
Soundtrack Fred Great! We were long overdue for an Alex North score to be showcased. As for Jerry Goldsmith, would you consider doing a suite on another score that he considered a personal favorite, Islands in the Stream?
One of my top 5 favorite movies! Heston i'm not a big fan of, but here I think he's great. He's less heroic than usual, but never the less commands the screen in a good way. Old Rex ain't bad in Doctor Dolittle, but for me his best work is this movie and the dead captain in Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Have to rewatch Cleopatra to be sure.
Every time I hear the phrase "agony and ecstasy", it curiously reminds me of the phrase "ebony and ivory". Anyway, a beautiful rendition of beautiful film music!
Does anyone know why these ginormous talents both ended up composing for this film - was the prologue a studio afterthought and North busy with another project? Those were the days; are there two such talents today (of the new breed - I'm not talking the Mandarins who are still with us) who might offer such an embarrassment of riches in a single film?
For anyone who might be interested, the reason Goldsmith composed the Prologue (one of the best things he ever did) was because the studio decided they wanted a longer film that they could present with an Intermission. The only way to lengthen the film was to add a documentary/prologue, but by that time North had left the project. Consequently Goldsmith, an admirer of North, stepped in and did a magnificent job.
@@pp312 No offense intended, but the prologue was added to give audiences an introduction to Michaelangelo's life and works. That's all. Making a film longer and adding an intermission makes no sense financially as it would cut down the number of daily showings. Source: several reputable film music websites - and the liner notes for the soundtrack. 🐧
@@TheStockwell Don't mean to argue, but I have as many sources for my contention. But the best evidence is the fact that the Prologue was added well after the film was finished---in other words, an afterthought---and thus Alex North was long gone and working on another project. As for the restricted number of showings, that didn't seem to hinder the profitability of Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia etc etc. A Chuck Heston film in those days was expected to be an epic, and an epic meant an Intermission. A similar thing happened with The War Lord, which was meant to be a small film but with Heston present the Studio insisted on more battles etc. In those days epics were de rigueur.
Michaelangelo had many enemies in the clergy cardinals included so he had a cute idea he would paint them all in hell burning and stepped in sewage and he did it in a small spot in his frescoes hardly noticeable but they saw it the Pope liked it and did nothing
The music in an early scene with the adoration of the Christ Child in the Mass was by Hans Leo Hassler late Renaissance /early Baroque composer in a Christmas motet.Alex North composed the piece "Festivity in Saint Peter's Square" when Pope Julius admires Raphael's work from scratch using models of late 16th century music. Utter genius!
I watched the film recently. It's an amazing production, a look at how, in the pre-CGI era, everything was real and a copy of the Sistine Chapel was built, not computer generated. The film is all the more impressive because of that. It looks authentic and real because it is.
As a side note, buried in the film's credits is the fact that orchestrations were done by the great Alexander Courage. 🐧
Awesome and beautyfull soundtrack, excelent !! In everythimg congrats to Alex north !
Great classic film! Epic in scope, an excellent biopic of Michelangelo Buonnaroti with Charlton Heston giving it everything he had in an excellent performance. Rex Harrison shines also as Pope Julius.
The music score is dynamic, rich and full of vigor. The movie really brings the Renaissance world of Italy alive as it actually was 500 years ago.
This guy is such a legend. I miss soundtracks like his
The great Chuck Heston, and his great story of a great man who panted Sistine Chapel.times were not easy for the art to be done But it was compleated
simply beautiful. makes you feel elated and emotional.
Very highly talented n knowledgeable composer of Hollywood golden era followed by such greats like Max Steiner,Mikolos Rosza,Alfred Newman,Dimitri Tiomkin,Bernard Herrman n Franz Waxman.He made his own indetity against these stalwarts comoposers.
Thank you Fred. I adore Alex North, everything he did had such integrity and imagination. I also love reading the comments on your channel. A lot of knowledgeable people.
What a stirring piece of composition! Alex North & Jerry Goldsmith seemed to have seen "the face of God" as they wrote the score for this historical Renaissance era of making one of the world's greatest awe wonders in paintings: The Sistine Chapel. The time this was made, was a unique era of the cinemas best religious inspired movies for the world to enjoy.
Great selection, Fred! And, as you had stated: "...one of the best roles for Charlton Heston..." And Rex Harrison as Pope Julius - who was "eager to leave behind works he will be remembered by." (IMDb movie review). Harrison had a fantastic acting style and tone of voice that is, what I call, a one-of-a-kind.
I love this score...so invigorating!
Sound track always sound better in a large auditorium played on huge Altec Voice of the Theatre speakers with the picture on a giant Cinema scope screen and the acoustics of the room adding another dimension to the experience!
Yes, absolutely!
Extraordinary and superb movie, soundtrack and, of course, magnificent actors.
this is a great epic about a great artist.i must have the DVD.by the way,when my mother and father were alive and we lived in the NY suburbs,they went one night in 1966 to see"the agony and the ecstasy"in a theatre in new rochelle,NY in a double feature with the 1966 remake of"stagecoach"with ann-margret.they loved it!
Wishes from India..🙏
Alex North would return to the Vatican just three years later, providing the soundtrack for 1968's, "The Shoes of the Fisherman", starring Anthony Quinn and Laurence Olivier.
Oh FAR out. Thank you, Fred! I still have this film - in VHS, lol. I left the Roman catholic religion 43 yrs ago and became a saved born-again Christian, but at 17 walked through all the museums -- and got yelled at by the polizia for sitting on the floor of the Sistine Chapel below God creating Adam- I was so overwhelmed that my eyes beheld Michaelangelo's genius... This score brings back those memories.. miss Charlton Heston a LOT... Thank you and God bless you, Fred. -- US Coast Guard mom
The Agony And The Ecstasy is considered one of Charlton Heston's best roles, and he played in quiet some biggies! Rex Harrison is fantastic also, (always will be remembered as the lovely Doctor Dolittle).
Alex North provides, as usual a fantastic score, however the first 12 minutes of the picture are scored by Jerry Goldsmith. Unfortunately, as good as the piece is, it could find just a good two minutes running time in this video. But please check it out in its entirety. It marks one of Goldsmith's finest compositions and a personal favorite of his, too. Enjoy!
Soundtrack Fred Great! We were long overdue for an Alex North score to be showcased. As for Jerry Goldsmith, would you consider doing a suite on another score that he considered a personal favorite, Islands in the Stream?
Hello Mychal, of course it is possible! We will concentrate on that one in a few weeks.
All the best!
One of my top 5 favorite movies! Heston i'm not a big fan of, but here I think he's great. He's less heroic than usual, but never the less commands the screen in a good way. Old Rex ain't bad in Doctor Dolittle, but for me his best work is this movie and the dead captain in Ghost and Mrs. Muir. Have to rewatch Cleopatra to be sure.
Une partition tout à fait à la hauteur de ce très grand film. Superbe !
The Pope..."When will you make an end?!" Michelangelo..."When I am finished."
Every time I hear the phrase "agony and ecstasy", it curiously reminds me of the phrase "ebony and ivory". Anyway, a beautiful rendition of beautiful film music!
BRILLANTE ALEX NORTH. PARA DISFRUTARLO VARIAS VECES. GRAN ARREGLO ORQUESTAL GRACIAS FRED. MUY BUENO!!!
Thank you fredrick i love you'r chanell...
Que prólogo el de Jerry goldsmith !
"To work, my son!"
Qué hermoso ..... ! Es la obertura , cuando el introductor del film presenta a ..... MIGUEL ANGEL .
Does anyone know why these ginormous talents both ended up composing for this film - was the prologue a studio afterthought and North busy with another project? Those were the days; are there two such talents today (of the new breed - I'm not talking the Mandarins who are still with us) who might offer such an embarrassment of riches in a single film?
For anyone who might be interested, the reason Goldsmith composed the Prologue (one of the best things he ever did) was because the studio decided they wanted a longer film that they could present with an Intermission. The only way to lengthen the film was to add a documentary/prologue, but by that time North had left the project. Consequently Goldsmith, an admirer of North, stepped in and did a magnificent job.
@@pp312 No offense intended, but the prologue was added to give audiences an introduction to Michaelangelo's life and works. That's all. Making a film longer and adding an intermission makes no sense financially as it would cut down the number of daily showings. Source: several reputable film music websites - and the liner notes for the soundtrack. 🐧
@@TheStockwell Don't mean to argue, but I have as many sources for my contention. But the best evidence is the fact that the Prologue was added well after the film was finished---in other words, an afterthought---and thus Alex North was long gone and working on another project. As for the restricted number of showings, that didn't seem to hinder the profitability of Ten Commandments, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia etc etc. A Chuck Heston film in those days was expected to be an epic, and an epic meant an Intermission. A similar thing happened with The War Lord, which was meant to be a small film but with Heston present the Studio insisted on more battles etc. In those days epics were de rigueur.
Jerry Goldsmith not listed on IMDB nor for the Oscar nomination for the score.
I'm a fan of the Agony, but I must admit - I prefer the Ecstasy a little more. Thank you.
I believe the tag line for the film's original release was, "The world of Michelangelo - come for the agony, stay for the ecstasy!" 😉 😸
You really can't have one without the other lol.
Wow. The Warrior Pope is actualy Pierre Phalese’s bataille composition
Michaelangelo had many enemies in the clergy cardinals included so he had a cute idea he would paint them all in hell burning and stepped in sewage and he did it in a small spot in his frescoes hardly noticeable but they saw it the Pope liked it and did nothing
I wonder why
Anyone know the names of the songs sung by the choir during the movie.
The music in an early scene with the adoration of the Christ Child in the Mass was by Hans Leo Hassler late Renaissance /early Baroque composer in a Christmas motet.Alex North composed the piece "Festivity in Saint Peter's Square" when Pope Julius admires Raphael's work from scratch using models of late 16th century music. Utter genius!