Cloud Atlas Symphony
for orchestra
Music by GENE PRITSKER
based on music from the film 'Cloud Atlas' by Tom Tykwer, Johnny Klimek & Reinhold Heil

Performed by:
KRISTJAN JARVI & THE MDR SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Nov. 11, 2012

AT THE 2012 IMPULS FESTIVAL IN HALLE, GERMANY

Recording on NEscapes Records

Stream on other platforms
HERE

LIVE PERFORMANCE
AT THE 2012 IMPULS FESTIVAL IN
HALLE, GERMANY Nov. 11, 2012

The Cloud Atlas Symphony is another part in the Cloud Atlas creative universe. There is the novel, there is the film, there is the movie music and then there is my symphony. They are all connected by the story of course, and my symphony has echoes of some of the material from the film music, but each are their own expressive works of art depicting unique sentiments.

I wrote this symphony because I was inspired by this story, by this movie and by a new concept of taking music, that was created specifically for film, and re interpreting in a more abstract symphonic context. Putting some of this materials into the more conceptual world of a symphony.

As I was reading the book Cloud Atlas and simultaneously orchestrating the motion picture Tom Tykwer and the Wachowski’s were making I was inspired by the story, the musical landscape Jonny Klimek, Reinhold Heil and Tom Tykwer created and wanted to bring the essence of this story into a concert hall/symphonic setting. Yes, there was already music written to the film but this music could be part of something else and could have a more complicated structure and over all presentation, since in a concert setting I could write a symphony not restricted by supporting the movie, scoring it and not overshadowing it. For example when I heard the melody the film composers wrote called Cloud Atlas March, I really liked the melody but told them that harmonically it was not challenging enough and too simple for my ears. Of course they were correct in writing it the way they did, since it fit perfectly to the film, but they dared me to make something else out of it. I told them I heard harmonies that were not expected, that had more dissonance to them and a higher level of tension and release. This piece became the 6th movement of my Cloud Atlas Symphony, and you can for sure recognize the Cloud Atlas March melody but everything around it, from the harmonies to the very large orchestration, is different. For sure too much for a movie score, though it did make it into the closing credits, but a memorable and huge ending for the symphony.

Track List:

1. Cloud Atlas Symphony - movement: 1 ‘Evolving’