This was a mix I prepared for DJ Bleek’s ‘Urban Mutant’ programme on Hollow Earth radio, KHUH Seattle, paying tribute to the film-maker Jean-Luc Godard in his 90th year through a largely chronological spin through the soundtracks to his many films. It was first broadcast on 26th May 2021.
Godard rarely credits the music he uses in his film, so where there is not a specified soundtrack composer, I’ve had to do a fair bit of research to discover what was used. Quite often this amounts to fragments lasting a few seconds, broken into pieces, or hidden beneath dialogue and ambient noise. I’ve not attempted to identify the actual recordings of classical music used (though the actual performers are seen in films like ‘Une Femme Mariée’ and ‘Prénom Carmen’). Some things which should be identifiable (such as the rock song in ‘Vladimir et Rosa’, and the choral piece at the end of ‘Helas Pour Moi’) have proven impossible to track down. Some of the soundtracks, or songs used have turned up on record and CD over the years, and for the last 25 years he has been heavily reliant on the ECM record label for music, so much of this is findable, but later films such as ‘Re:Lear’ still throw up a number of unanswered queries.
I have used the studio recordings of certain pieces, but most of the mix’s contents have come directly from the soundtracks of the films as found on DVD, Blu-Ray or on-line, so quality can be variable.
So, this track list is very much a work-in-progress. Many of the pieces remain unidentified, others may well have been misidentified (and I’d welcome any additions or corrections). I’ve only listed pieces which appear in my mix, rather than all the music used for a particular soundtrack.
The mix was in two parts, themselves subdivided into two, relating to distinct periods of Godard’s film-making. The parts are marked by the clacking electric typewriter from ‘Histoire(s) du Cinema’.
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I – Nouvelle/Vague (1955-1967)
Alphaville (1965) – soundtrack by Paul Misraki.
A Bout de Souffle (1960) – soundtrack by Martial Solal.
Histoire(s) du Cinema (1988-98) - Arthur Honegger (Symphony no.5 ‘Di Tre Re’).
Opération Béton (1955) – G F Handel / J S Bach.
Á Bout de Souffle (1960) – soundtrack by Martial Solal / Voice: Jean Seberg.
Une Histoire d’Eau (1958) – Unidentified drums & stock music / Voice: Caroline Dim.
Les Carabiniers (1963) – soundtrack by Phillipe Arthuys.
Une Femme est une Femme (1961) – soundtrack by Michel Legrand / Voice: Anna Karina.
Le Petit Soldat (1960) – soundtrack by Maurice Leroux.
Une Femme est une Femme (1961) – soundtrack by Michel Legrand.
Vivre Sa Vie (1962) – soundtrack by Michel Legrand.
Un Femme Mariée (1964) - Ludwig van Beethoven (String Quartet op.59 no.3) / Sylvie Vartan (Quand le film est triste).
Bande à Part (1964) – soundtrack by Michel Legrand / Voice: Jean-Luc Godard.
Le Mépris (1965) – soundtrack by Georges Delerue / Voices: Jack Palance, Giorgia Moll.
Pierrot le Fou (1965) – soundtrack by Antoine Duhamel / Voice: Jean-Paul Belmondo, Alexis Poliakoff.
Alphaville (1965) – soundtrack by Paul Misraki / Voice: unidentified narrator.
Masculin Feminin (1966) - Chantal Goya (D'abord dis-moi ton Nom) / Voice: Mickey Baker.
2 ou 3 Choses Que Je Sais d’Elle (1966) - Ludwig van Beethoven (String Quartets).
Made in USA (1966) - Kyoko Kosaka / Marianne Faithful (As Tears Go By) / Voice: Claude Bakka.
II – Films/Socialisme (1967-1979)
Weekend (1967) – soundtrack by Antoine Duhamel / Voice & drums: cast members.
La Chinoise (1967) - Karlheinz Stockhausen (Zyklus) / Claude Channes (Mao Mao).
One Plus One (1969) - The Rolling Stones (Sympathy for the Devil) / Voices: Mick Jagger, Sean Lynch, Glenna Forster-Jones.
British Sounds (1969) - The Beatles (Revolution 1) / Voices: students.
Le Gai Savoir (1969) - WA Mozart (Piano Sonata no.8).
Pravda (1970) – Unidentified political song / folk singer.
Le Vent d’Est (1970) – Cast members.
Un Film Comme Les Autres (1968) – Unidentified political song.
Luttes en Italie (1971) – Voice: Cristiana Tullio-Altan.
Vladimir et Rosa (1971) - Unidentified rock band / Voice: Anne Wiazemsky, Ernest Menzer.
Shick After Shave (1971) – Advertisement soundtrack. Voice: Juliet Berto.
Tout Va Bien (1972) – Hugo Montenegro (Theme from The Fox) / Stone et Eric Charden (il y a du Soleil sur la France) / Voices: cast members.
Ici et Ailleurs (1974) – Unidentified music / Voice: Jean-Luc Godard.
Numéro Deux (1975) - Léo Ferré (Tu ne dis jamais rien).
Comment Ça Va (1976) – Jean Schwarz (Erda part 8, ‘Klook’).
Six Fois Deux (1976) – Voice: cast member.
Faut Pas Rêver (1977) - Patrick Juvet (Faut Pas Rêver).
France/Tour/Détour/Deux Enfants (1978) – Unidentified jazz band / Barbra Streisand (Lascia Ch’io Pianga).
III – Notre/Musique (1980-1990)
Suive Que Peut (La Vie) (1980) – soundtrack by Gabriel Yared / Unidentified accordion player.
Passion (1982) - Maurice Ravel (Piano Concerto for the Left Hand) / Antonin Dvorak (Piano Concerto) / Léo Ferré (Frères Humains, L’amour n’a pas d’Âge).
Prénom Carmen (1983) - Ludwig van Beethoven (String Quartet op.59 no.3) / Tom Waits (Ruby’s Arms).
Je vous salue, Marie (1985) - J S Bach.
Détective (1985) - Jean Schwarz, Charles Austin, Joe Gallivan (Broadway).
Grandeur et Décadence d'un Petit Commerce de Cinéma (1986) - Leonard Cohen (The Guests) / Arvo Pärt (Cantus in memoriam Benjamin Britten) / Bela Bartok (Concerto for Orchestra) / Janis Joplin (Me & Bobby McGee).
Re:Lear (1987) – Unidentified music / Voices: Peter Sellars, Molly Ringwald, Burgess Meredith, Jean-Luc Godard, David Warrilow.
Closed Jeans (1988) – Advertisement soundtrack.
Puissance de la Parole (1988) – Bob Dylan (When He Returns) / Unidentified montage of music and sound effects.
Soigne ta Droite (1987) - Les Rita Mitsouko (C’est Comme Ça and other tracks from the LP ‘The No Comprendo’). Voice: Jean-Luc Godard.
IV – Adieu/au/Langage (1990-2018)
Nouvelle Vague (1990) – Dino Saluzzi (Winter) / David Darling (Far Away Lights/Solo Cello and Voice) / Patti Smith (Distant Fingers) / Jean Schwarz (Chantakoa) / Werner Pirchner (Do You Know Emperor Joe?).
Allemagne Année 90 Neuf Zero (1991) – Marika Rökk (Warum, Weshalb und Wieso) / Arthur Honegger (Symphony no.5 ‘Di Tre Re’) / Ton Steine Scherben (Macht Kaputt, Was Euch Kaputt Macht) / Voices: Eddie Constantine, Hans Zischler, Claudia Michelsen.
Helas Pour Moi (1993) – David Darling (Two or Three Things (for JLG)) / Unidentified choral work.
Je vous salue, Sarajevo (1993) - Arvo Pärt (Silouans Song).
Forever Mozart (1996) - Ketil Bjørnstad & David Darling (The Sea VI) / Gyorgy Kurtag (Ligatura) / WA Mozart (Piano Concerto) / Voices: Bérangère Allaux, Vicky Messica.
Plus Oh! (1996) - France Gall (Plus Haut).
The Old Place (2000) - Tomasz Stanko (Sleep Safe and Warm) / Unidentified kinetic sculpture / Dino Saluzzi (We are the Children) / Frederic Mompou (Musica Callada).
De l'origine du XXIe siècle (2000) – Hans Otte (Das Buch der Klänge).
Eloge d’amour (2001) – Ketil Bjørnstad & David Darling (Pavane/Song for TKJD) / Maurice Jaubert (L’Atalante).
Liberté et Patrie (2002) – Serge Gainsbourg (Aux Armes Et Caetera) / Philippe Val (L’Embarquement + 1, unidentified).
Dans le noir du temps (2002) – Arvo Pärt (Spiegel im Spiegel) / Song: Anne-Marie Mieville.
Notre Musique (2004) – Hans Otte (Das Buch der Klänge) / Alexander Knaifel (In Air Clear and Unseen) / Anouar Brahem (Leila au Pays du Carrousel).
Film Socialisme (2010) – Patti Smith / Betty Olivero (Neharót Neharót) / Unidentified organ work.
Adieu au Langage (2014) – Gya Kancheli (Abii Ne Viderem) / Pino Masi (The Witch Hunt).
Livre d’Image (2018) – Anouar Brahem Trio (Aube Rouge à Grozny) / Mieczysław Weinberg (Piano Quintet).
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Selected discography
The Beatles - The Beatles (2LP, Parlophone PCS 7067/68, 1968) – includes ‘Revolution 1’ from ‘British Sounds’.
Ketil Bjørnstad, David Darling, Jon Christensen, Terje Rypdal - The Sea II (CD, ECM 1633, 1998).
Ketil Bjørnstad & David Darling - Epigraphs (CD, ECM 1684, 2000) – includes ‘Pavane’ and ‘Song for TKJD’ from ‘Eloge d’Amour’.
Anouar Brahem Trio - Astrakan Café (CD, ECM 1718, 2000) – includes ‘Aube Rouge à Grozny’ from ‘Livre d’Image’.
Anouar Brahem - Les Pas du Chat Noir (CD, ECM 1792, 2002) – includes ‘Leila au Pays du Carrousel’ from ‘Notre Musique’.
Claude Channes - Le Chinoise EP (7”, Fontana 460 227, 1967).
Leonard Cohen - Recent Songs (LP, Columbia JC 26264, 1979) – includes ‘The Guests’ from ‘Grandeur et Décadence d'un Petit Commerce de Cinéma’.
David Darling - Journal October (LP, ECM 1161, 1980) – includes ‘Solo Cello and Voice’ and ‘Far Away Lights’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
David Darling - Cello (CD, ECM 1464, 1992) – includes ‘Two or Three Things (for JLG)’ from ‘Helas Pour Moi’.
Georges Delerue - Le Mépris EP (7”, Philips 434 809, 1963).
Georges Delerue - Le Mépris - Bande Originale du Film de Jean-Luc Godard (CD, EmArcy 013 477-2, 2001).
Antoine Duhamel - Bandes Originale du Film ‘Pierrot le Fou’ EP (7”, Barclay 70 869, 1965).
Antoine Duhamel - Bandes Originale du Film ‘Pierrot le Fou’ et ‘Méditerranée’ (LP, RCA PL 37645, 1982).
Antoine Duhamel - Pierrot Le Fou / Week-End (Bandes Originales des Films de Jean-Luc Godard) (CD, Universal Music France 013 478-2, 2001).
Bob Dylan - Slow Train Coming (LP, Columbia FC 36120, 1979) – includes ‘When He Returns’ from ‘Puissance de la Parole’.
Léo Ferré - La Solitude (LP, Barclay 80 449, 1971) – includes ‘Tu ne dis jamais rien’ from ‘Numero Deux’.
Léo Ferré - La Violence et l’Ennui (LP, RCA PL 37470, 1980) – includes ‘Frères Humains, L’amour n’a pas d’Âge’ from ‘Passion’.
Serge Gainsbourg - Aux Armes Et Cætera (7”, Philips 6172 250, 1979) – from ‘Liberté et Patrie’.
France Gall - Plus Haut (CD, WEA 0630-14185-9, 1996) – from ‘Plus Oh!’.
Chantal Goya - Masculin Feminin EP (7”, RCA 86 138, 1966).
Janis Joplin - Pearl (LP, Columbia KC 30322, 1971) – includes ‘Me and Bobby McGee’ from ‘Grandeur et Décadence d'un Petit Commerce de Cinéma’.
Patrick Juvet - Faut Pas Rêver (7”, Barclay 62 228, 1976).
Giya Kancheli - Abii Ne Viderem (CD, ECM 1510, 1995) – from ‘Adieu au Langage’.
Alexander Knaifel - Svete Tikhiy (CD, ECM 1763, 2002) – includes ‘In Air Clear and Unseen’ from ‘Notre Musique’.
Michel Legrand - Une Femme est Une Femme EP (7”, Philips 432 595, 1961).
Michel Legrand - Vivre sa Vie (7”, Seven Seas HIT-244, 1964).
Les Rita Mitsouko - The No Comprendo (LP, Virgin V 2451, 1986) – includes ‘C’est Comme Ça’ and others from ‘Soigne ta Droite’.
Hugo Montenegro - Theme from The Fox (7”, RCA 47 9638, 1968) – from ‘Tout Va Bien’.
Betty Oliveros - Neharót (CD, ECM 2065, 2009) – includes ‘Neharót Neharót’ from ‘Film Socialisme’.
Hans Otte - Das Buch der Klänge (CD, ECM 1659, 1999) – from ‘De l'origine du XXIe siècle’ and ‘Notre Musique’.
Werner Pirchner - EU (2CD, ECM 1314/15, 1986) – includes ‘Do You Know Emperor Joe?’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
Marika Rökk - Frauen Sind Doch Bessere Diplomaten (7”, Telefunken UX 5603, recorded 1939) includes ‘Warum, Weshalb und Wieso’ from ‘Allemagne Année 90 Neuf Zero’.
The Rolling Stones - Beggars Banquet (LP, Decca SKL 4955, 1968) – includes ‘Sympathy for the Devil’ from ‘One Plus One’.
Dino Saluzzi - Once Upon a Time (LP, ECM 1309, 1986) – includes ‘We are the Children’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
Dino Saluzzi - Andina (LP, ECM 1375, 1988) – includes ‘Winter’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
Jean Schwarz – Erda / Symphonie (LP, INA-GRM AM 715.03, 1976) – includes music used in ‘Comment Ça Va’, notably Erda part 8, ‘Klook’.
Jean Schwarz - Surroundings (LP, Celia CL8003, 1980) – includes ‘Broadway’ from ‘Détective’.
Jean Schwarz - Chantakoa and Around (CD, Celia CL 8909-2) – includes ‘Chantakoa’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
Patti Smith - Radio Ethiopia (LP, Arista AL 4097, 1976) – includes ‘Distant Fingers’ from ‘Nouvelle Vague’.
Martial Solal - À Bout de Souffle EP (7”, Columbia ESDF 1306, 1960).
Martial Solal - À Bout de Souffle (Bande Originale du Film) (CD, EmArcy 017 183-2, 2002).
Thomasz Stanko - Leosia (CD, ECM 1603, 1997) – fom ‘The Old Place’.
Stone et Eric Charden - Il y a du soleil sur la France (7”, AMI 87 004, 1972) – from ‘Tout Va Bien’.
Barbra Streisand - Classical … Barbra (LP, CBS M 33452, 1976) – includes ‘Lascia Ch’io Pianga’ from ‘France/Tour/Détour/Deux Enfants’.
Ton Steine Scherben - Warum Geht Es Mir So Dreckig? (LP, David Volksmund Produktion SST13, 1971) – includes ‘Macht Kaputt, Was Euch Kaputt Macht’ from ‘Allemagne Année 90 Neuf Zero’.
Philippe Val - Hôtel De L'Univers (CD, Asterios 024202, 1999) – includes versions of songs shown being performed in concert in ‘Liberte et Patrie’, including ‘l’Embarquement’.
Sylvie Vartan - Quand le Film est Triste EP (7”, RCA 76 531, 1962) – from ‘Un Femme Mariée’.
Tom Waits - Heartattack and Vine (LP, Asylum 6E-295, 1980) – includes ‘Ruby’s Arms’ from ‘Prénom Carmen’.
Mieczysław Weinberg - Chamber Symphonies & Piano Quintet (2CD, ECM 2538/39, 2017) – includes ‘Piano Quintet’ from ‘Livre d’Image’.
Gabriel Yared - Musique Pour ‘Sauve Qui Peut (La Vie)’ (LP, Flarenasch 723 622, 1980).
Various - Jean-Luc Godard - Histoire(s) De Musique (CD, EmArcy 984 896-2, 2007) – includes Solal, Legrand, Delerue, Misraki, Duhamel, Channes, Yared.
Various – Passion – Original Soundtrack (LP, Erato STU 71512, 1982) – classical pieces from Ravel &c.
