Terrence Malick's To The Wonder

Terrence Malick's latest film To The Wonder has a remarkable sound track, not only using a large amount of classical music but contemporary pieces as well. I was alerted to this by the latest issue of the Nordic Highlights magazine produced by Fennica Gehrman who publish the music of Einojuhani Rautavaara. That composer's Cantus Arcticus, Op. 61, ‘Concerto for Birds and Orchestra’ (his 1972 orchestral work which incorporates taped birdsong) features at a key moment in the film, notably the third movement Joutsenet Muuttavat (Swans Migrating). The work is performed by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.


Also included are Arvo Part's Fratres, Henryk Gorecki's Third Symphony: Song of Sorrowful songs. Plus music by Rachmaninov, Wagner, Shostakovich, Berlioz, Haydn, Bach, Respighi and much else besides. There's a complete track listing at Filmstage.com. The film, which stars Ben Affleck, Olga Kurylenko, Rachel McAdams and Javier Bardem, opened at the Venice Film Festival last year and went on UK release earlier this year, to rather mixed reviews.

Elsewhere on this blog:

• Ariadne auf Naxos at Glyndebourne
• Madama Butterfly at OHP
• Singing the Changes
• The Nibelung Ballad
• JAM - onwards and upwards
• Vivat Brahms! - CD review
• Carmelites at Grange Park
• These New Puritans - Field of Reeds
• Eugene Onegin at Grange Park
• I Puritani at Grange Park
• Owen Wingrave at GSMD
• Home