Wendy Carlos and "Tron"

Synopsis

On today’s date in 1982, a sci-fi movie titled “Tron” opened in theaters across the country, targeting an audience fascinated by the then still-new craze for computer gaming. In the movie, a programmer–played by Jeff Bridges–is transported from the real world into a fantastic digital universe INSIDE a computer program, where he becomes a kind of freedom fighter for the program’s oppressed and exploited components.

OK, the plot is far-fetched, but nonetheless “Tron” became a cult classic–in part because of its musical score created by Wendy Carlos, famous for her wildly successful “Switched-On Bach” album featuring Bach played on a Moog synthesizer.

Originally the idea was for Carlos to write synthesizer music for just the “computer world” scenes, and for another composer to write a conventional orchestral score for the “real world” scenes.

But Carlos convinced the producers to let her do it all, and so orchestral portions of her score were recorded in London by the London Philharmonic; the choral parts in California by the UCLA Chorus, and the synthesizer portions created in New York City by Carlos herself, with Carlos weaving all three elements into one unified and–for 1982– ground-breaking film score.

Music Played in Today's Program

Wendy Carlos (b. 1939) Ending Titles – "Tron" London Philharmonic; Douglas Gamley, cond. Walt Disney Records B00005V8J7

On This Day

Births

• 1879 - Italian composer Ottorino Respighi, in Bologna

• 1915 - American composer David Diamond, in Rochester, N.Y.

• 1938 - Japanese-American composer Paul Chihara, in Seattle

Deaths

• 1747 - Italian opera composer, Giovanni Bonocini, age 76, in Vienna; He was the famous (and unsuccessful) rival of Handel's for the favor of the opera-loving public in London

• 1960 - American composer Edward Burlington Hill, age 87, in Francesrtown, New Hampshire

• 1984 - American composer and teacher Randall Thompson, age 85, in Boston

Premieres

• 1957 - Hartmann: opera "Simplicius Simplicissimus" (revised version), in Mannheim at the Nationaltheater; This opera was premiered in a concert version in Munich by the Bavarian Radio on April 2, 1948

• 1969 - Lennox Berkeley: Symphony No. 3, in Cheltenham, England

• 2001 - Steven Stucky: "Three Little Pieces for David," for piano (written for the 65th birthday of conductor David Zinman), by Yefim Bronfman at the Aspen Music Festival in Colorado.