Alex North was one of the most revered composers in his day--no less personages than the maestros John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith have showered adulation upon North's music. His scores strike a delicate balance between original, challenging modernism and robust, emotional themes. Notable works of his include A Streetcar Named Desire, Cleopatra, John Ford's Cheyenne Autumn, The Agony and the Ecstasy, and Good Morning Vietnam. His vigorous score to Stanley Kubrick's Spartacus received an elaborate 6-CD release from Varese Sarabande, including interpretations of the film's love theme from esteemed composers such as Lalo Schifrin, Alexandre Desplat, John Debney, Brian Tyler, Patrick Doyle, and more. Kubrick notoriously rejected North's score to 2001: A Space Odyssey, opting instead to use classical music; Jerry Goldsmith was infuriated by this decision and released a re-recording of North's score. Dragonslayer, one of his later triumphs, features a complex, challenging, and unconventional score that eschews all the cliches of fantasy scoring. It may not be the easiest listen, but its genius is unmistakable. North received a Lifetime Achievement Oscar in 1986 and died in 1991.
Death of a Salesman
Dragonslayer
Viva Zapata
