He also chose to use a 4-meter time signature with most of the score expressed in a march like 4/4 time. Religiosity was paramount and so he chose to compose a modal score utilizing the Dorian and Lydian modes, which were frequently employed in Medieval liturgical music. Given the setting of early 16th century Rome, North understood the need for infusing his soundscape with sensibilities of the Renaissance and so studied the music of the influential composer Giovanni Gabrielli. Zanuck and Reed wanted an epic score for their film, were impressed by North’s accomplishments, and so hired him for the project. His music brought Michelangelo’s handiworks to life and fully matched their beauty, achieving a sublime cinematic confluence.Īlex North’s career was ascendent in the early 1960s with universal praise reaped for his epic scores to Spartacus (1960) and Cleopatra (1963). But what sets it apart was Goldsmith’s exquisite writing for strings and woodwinds, which I believe may be the most classical and elegant in his career. An eight-note Fanfare Memoriam by either horns reverenziale, maestoso or di omaggio underpins the composition. I believe Goldsmith’s composition to be one of the finest in his canon, a view shared by Robert Townson and the late Nic Redman who decided to include it in their magnificent six CD box set “Jerry Goldsmith at 20th Century Fox” by Varese Sarabande. The twelve-and-a-half-minute documentary would consist of five movements “Rome”, “Florence”, “The Crucifix”, “The Stone Giants” and “The Agony of Creation”. With Alex North’s recommendation, rising talent Jerry Goldsmith was hired for the project. To that end they conceived a documentary, which would be titled “The Artist Who Did Not Want To Paint”. Post production the creative team decided that to fully understand the film they needed to ‘educate’ the public of just who Michelangelo was – a sculpturer who never wanted to paint. It nevertheless earned five Academy Award nominations for Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction, Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Film Score. It was also not a critical success, with Heston’s unsympathetic performance criticized and the script deemed “too wordy”. The film was a commercial flop, losing the studio $5.28 million dollars. In an act of love Michelangelo’s offers to resume work sculpting his tomb, which Pope Julius gratefully accepts. At a celebratory Mass the Pope, who is now in failing health, revels at what he sees. Michelangelo does so, the Pope restores his position and the project is finally completed. Raphael is awed by what he sees and counsels Michelangelo to show contrition to the Pope so as to complete his handiwork. In time the Pope, whose health is declining becomes impatient and threatens to replace him with fellow artist Raphael. Yet the Pope is resolute and Michelangelo proceeds, overcoming self-doubt and initial failure. He tasks Michelangelo to fulfill his vision, yet Michelangelo resists as he is known for his sculpting, not his painting. The Pope conceives of painting the celling vaults of the Sistine Chapel with biblical imagery. The film explores the contentious relationship between Pope Julius II, AKA the Warrior Pope, and artisan Michelangelo Buonarroti. A stellar cast was hired including Charlton Heston as Michelangelo, Rex Harrison as Pope Julius II, Diane Cilento as Contessina Antonia Romola de Medici, Harry Andrews as Donata Bramente and Albert Lupo as the Duke of Urbino. Carol Reed was hired to both produce and direct the film with a $7.2 million budget. This allowed him to move “The Agony and the Ecstasy” into production. Zanuck was brought in to save the studio, and within 12 months it was again operating in the black. He purchased the film rights for $125,000, yet was unable to proceed with the project as the studio suffered significant financial reversals in 1962 due to cost overruns on several films, most notable “Cleopatra”. 20th Century Fox Studio executive Peter Levathes took notice of Irving Stone’s best-selling novel 1961 The Agony and the Ecstasy with almost 51 million copies sold and saw opportunity.
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