Sound Track to Dryer's Joan of Arc

I tried watching Joan of Arc on the Criterion website but it was unavailable for some unknown reason. I have the film at home and haven’t seen it yet. I did manage to go over the libretto for the soundscore. I heard bit’s and pieces of it on the Criterion website and found it quite beautiful.
Any information on the composer, composition, type of vocal music used in a classical genre and if it fits into any era or is similar to other composers or compositions would be greatly appreciated.
I’m stuck at my sister and brother – in – law’s with a broken ankle and I cannot get home to get the film. I am sure that it would not go over big with my sister or brother – in – law; too heavy, too classical, no car chases, no color and no sound, except for a sound score one would hear at church at either Christmas or Easter.

Maurice: I bet that the film WOULD go over well with your relatives, especially with the choral soundtrack. I have students who HATE the same things that your relatives hate but they LOVED JOAN OF ARC!

I only have minimal info on the track:

It is called “Voices of Light,” a choral & instrumental work sung by Anonymous 4 with the Radio Netherlands Philharmonic and Choir.

It was composed by Rchard Einhorn, based in part on medieval texts.

There’s a booklet in the DVD box with some info on the libretto.

And, by tthe way, there IS a car chase at the end of JOAN OF ARC!

I suggest you buy the CD of the soundscore, (as I did, after seeing the film and finding it visually, emotionally and aurally devestating and beautiful). It is recorded in 20 bit high definition and includes a very informative essay by the composer, who created the piece over six years after being inspired by seeing a version of Dreyer’s film taken from the then recently discovered near perfect copy found in a closet in a mental institution in Oslo! It also includes the libretto in ancient European languages with English translation. There is also a special feature on the DVD which has Richard Einhorn, the composer, relating much of the same information as the essay in the form of a short documentary. I highly recommend both the CD and DVD to lovers of cinema and music as art.

In 2001, I saw a live multimedia presentation of Voices of Light and Joan of Arc, and was nearly overwhelmed. The incredible spaces and dissonance in the music really need a big hall to bring out all this amazing score has to offer. Seeing the film in a theater-sized projection was stunning. You think those close-ups are emotionally wrenching on a DVD, wait till you see them 20 feet high on the silver screen! You practically have to look away, it’s so intense. Some photos: http://www.richardeinhorn.com/VOL/VOLImagesPage.HTML

The performance featured the Anonymous 4, the same group as on the DVD recording, along with the Fairfax Choral Society under the direction of Doug Mears. Definitely a night to remember. The concert was so good, it convinced me to get back into choral singing after 15 years.

Dave,

Good observation about the impact of the film and the score in a large room. The style of singing must be very powerful when the voices have some ‘air’ to move in a good-sized space. This is one film where a “non-orchestral” score really worked out for the best.

The first time I saw “Joan”, it was in 35mm, without music. The print was beautiful, but had no soundtrack, and the intertitles were in French, so the only ‘accompaniment’ was a reader doing the titles “live” over the PA in the theatre. An unusual but powerful way to get introduced to the film. You could have heard the proverbial pin drop….

Does the Criterion DVD of the film have a score to accompany the film? I streamed it via Netflix, and it was scoreless. I tried watching it without music, but decided 20 minutes in to play the soundtrack to Air Doll in the background. Surprisingly, it worked out rather well as World’s End Girlfriend composed some rather beautiful music that had a nice dose of sorrow and lament.

Here is Einhorn’s website.

If you’re interested in “Voices,” you might want to check out the other major oratorio he’s composed, “Origins.” It’s about Darwin, and much more modern. If you’re interesting in the medieval chant and polyphony aspects, check out some of the Anonymous Four’s recordings. If you’re interested in oratorios, Handel’s a probably the best known. For more contemporary versions, try Walton’s “Belshazzar’s Feast” or Franz Schimdt’s “Das Buch mit sieben Siegeln”

Just making sure – Voices of Light is a score written to be played with the film, right? I can’t find anything that explicitly says that.

It was inspired by the film and was intended to accompany the film, yes.