SOUNDTRACKS FOR WERNER HERZOG 3CD 1996 Spalax 14703, France (limited edition of 1000 copies) CD1 Aguirre, Der Zorn Gottes (1972) (P) 1976 (C) 1996 Tempel marked by Spalax 14974 CD2 Herz aus Glass (1976) (P) 1977 (C) 1992 Tempel marked by Spalax 14214 CD3 Nosferatu, Phantom der Nacht (1978) (P) 1978 (C) 1992 Tempel marked by Spalax 14212 This box contains 3 CDs and an 8 pages booklet.

 

Booklet essay

Florian Fricke was born by Lake Constance in 1944. From 1959 till 1963 he studied music in Freiburg and Munich, where he was a pupil of Rudolf Hindemith, Paul Hindemith's brother. At the age of 19 he gave up studying, "just so that I could live", as he said. At the age of 25 he became acquainted with the Moog synthesizer, which led to the founding of Popol Vuh. Foreign travels took him, among others, to Africa and to the Curds on the Euphrates, to India and Nepal. And in the eastern Himalayas he studied Tibetan communal singing. He once described his hobbies as the epics and myths of the various as well as archaeology.
In 1978 Fricke founded the "Working group for creative singing" and became a member of the society for breathing therapy. He holds lectures all over the world on his work in this field.
Since 1972 Florian Fricke has been working with the director Werner Herzog, whose films acquired increased intensity thanks to Fricke's musical trademark. The film director's "audio interpreter" composed the sound-tracks to the films "Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes" (Aguirre, the Wrath of God), "Herz aus Glas" (Heart of Glass"), "Nosferatu", "Fitzcarraldo" and "Cobra Verde". The independent nature of his music has continually proved to be a great asset to Herzog's films, which often have a somnambulistic character. And this independence could already be seen in the film "Nosferatu" in 1978 was not marketed under the film name but as "Brüder des Schattnes - Söhne des Lichts" (Brothers of the Shadows - Sons of Light).

Manfred Gillig-Degrave

Reviews

A limited metal box edition of the Herzog soundtrack albums: Aguirre, Herz Aus Glass, & Nosferatu. The CDs are identical to the individual shrinkwrapped Spalax single CD releases; plus it comes with an 8-page booklet of photos & a brief bio outlining the Herzog/Fricke axis. Nothing essential if you already have the regular CDs, but it's no accident that this has arrived just in time for Christmas..

Forced Exposure catalogue

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Three soundtracks of original music for one of the most atmospheric directors in film today. Herzog requested Popol Vuh to do his soundtracks for this atmosphere. My friends and I would see the movies just to hear this awe inspiring music.While many call themselves New Age,this is the real thing. This music takes you places,sacred places. I have listened to these records for twenty years now and they are just as fresh. Packaged in this beautiful film box it is truly one of my prized possessions. And what a value! Three discs for this price!!!

L.A.Hanes on May 27, 1999 for CDWorld Catalogue

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Three definitive Popol Vuh soundtrack albums

This box set contains the soundtracks for Nosferatu, Aguirre, and Coeur de Verre on CD. It is in a fun "film reel" tin box. Still "out there somewhere" are the soundtracks for Fitzcarraldo and Cobra Verde, which (to the best of my knowledge) has never been released.

Susan R. Matthews from Seattle, WA , October 7, 1998