The Agony And The Ecstasy | Soundtrack Suite (Alex North)

Original Motion Picture Soundtrack (1965). Composed and Conducted by Alex North. "Prologue / The Artist Who Did Not Want To Paint" Composed and Conducted by Jerry Goldsmith.

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Music Awards:
- None
Nominations:
Academy Award - Best Score - Substantially Original

Playlist:
00:00 Prologue / The Artist Who Did Not Want To Paint
02:17 Prelude / The Mountains Of Carrara
04:15 The Warrior Pope
05:38 The Medici
06:39 The Sketch Of The Apostles
08:23 Genesis
09:16 The Sistine Chapel
10:18 The Agony
11:20 The War
11:45 New Cardinal
12:55 Michaelangelo's Magnificent Achievement and Finale

Music Source:
Varèse Sarabande CD Club VCL 1104 1032

More Information:

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[TheStockwell]

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. 🐧

[ronnowack]

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

[rbu]

This guy is such a legend. I miss soundtracks like his

[MrVoronoi]

simply beautiful. makes you feel elated and emotional.

[pankajshah]

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.

[amymalina]

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.

[kengingrich]

Extraordinary and superb movie, soundtrack and, of course, magnificent actors.

[tsf-productions]

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!

[jimmyhope]

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!

[FriendofRamblinJack]

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

[stephensorenson]

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!

[SoundtrackFred]

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!

[MisterUptempo]

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.

[MyTroubadour]

Une partition tout à fait à la hauteur de ce très grand film. Superbe !

[victorsigalov]

BRILLANTE ALEX NORTH. PARA DISFRUTARLO VARIAS VECES. GRAN ARREGLO ORQUESTAL GRACIAS FRED. MUY BUENO!!!

[notaire]

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!

[ramialrami]

Thank you fredrick i love you'r chanell...

[osvaldokarpov]

Qué hermoso ! Es la obertura, cuando el introductor del film presenta a MIGUEL ANGEL .

[amymalina]

Jerry Goldsmith not listed on IMDB nor for the Oscar nomination for the score.

[Autostade]

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?