Lara's Theme
Encyclopedia
"Lara's Theme" is the generic name given to a leitmotif
written for the film Doctor Zhivago (1965) by composer Maurice Jarre
. Soon afterward, it became the basis of the song "Somewhere My Love."
was asked by director David Lean
to come up with a theme for the character of Lara, played by Julie Christie
. Initially Lean had desired to use a well-known Russian song but could not locate the rights to it, and delegated responsibility to Jarre. After several unsuccessful attempts at writing it, Lean suggested to Jarre that he go to the mountains with his girlfriend and write a piece of music for her. Jarre says that the resultant piece was "Lara's Theme", and Lean liked it well enough to use it in numerous tracks for the film. In editing Zhivago, Lean and producer Carlo Ponti
reduced or outright deleted many of the themes composed by Jarre; Jarre was angry because he felt that an over-reliance on "Lara's Theme" would ruin the soundtrack.
Jarre's esthetic fears proved unfounded commercially, however, as the theme became an instant success and gained fame throughout the world. By special request of Connie Francis
, Paul Francis Webster
later took the theme and added lyrics to it to create "Somewhere My Love". Francis, however, retired from the project when the lyrics were presented to her because she thought of them as too "corny". A few weeks later, Francis reconsidered her position and recorded the song nonetheless, but by then Ray Conniff
had also recorded a version of his own, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100
chart in 1966
. Conniff's version of the song also topped the "Easy listening
" chart in the U.S. for four weeks. Despite Conniff's success, Francis also had her version released as a single, and although it failed to chart in the US, it became one of her biggest successes internationally, becoming one of the "Top 5" in territories such as Scandinavia
and Asia
. In Italy, her Italian version of the song, "Dove non so", became her last # 1 success.
Various other versions of it have since been released. Italio-American tenor, Sergio Franchi
covered the song as "Somewhere, My Love" in his 1967 RCA Victor album From Sergio - With Love. "Lara's Theme" remains to this day one of the most recognizable movie themes ever written.
and orchestra.
One of the main reasons the theme is featured in so many tracks is that Lean had hired an impromptu balalaika orchestra from several Russian Orthodox Church
es in Los Angeles; the musicians could only learn 16 bars of music at a time, and could not read written music. Although never credited, Edgar Stanistreet, a street musician of Philadelphia, claimed that he was asked to play the song over the phone to an MGM executive, and was later taken into the studio to record.
Tracks which feature it include (from the 1995 Extended Soundtrack release):
This soundtrack also includes jazz, rock 'n' roll, and swing versions of "Lara's Theme" which were performed by the MGM Studio Orchestra between takes.
Leitmotif
A leitmotif , sometimes written leit-motif, is a musical term , referring to a recurring theme, associated with a particular person, place, or idea. It is closely related to the musical idea of idée fixe...
written for the film Doctor Zhivago (1965) by composer Maurice Jarre
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
. Soon afterward, it became the basis of the song "Somewhere My Love."
Original composition
While working on the soundtrack for Doctor Zhivago, Maurice JarreMaurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre was a French composer and conductor.Although he composed several concert works, he is best known for his film scores, and is particularly known for his collaborations with film director David Lean. Jarre composed the scores to all of Lean's films since Lawrence of Arabia...
was asked by director David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
to come up with a theme for the character of Lara, played by Julie Christie
Julie Christie
Julie Frances Christie is a British actress. Born in British India to English parents, at the age of six Christie moved to England, where she attended boarding school....
. Initially Lean had desired to use a well-known Russian song but could not locate the rights to it, and delegated responsibility to Jarre. After several unsuccessful attempts at writing it, Lean suggested to Jarre that he go to the mountains with his girlfriend and write a piece of music for her. Jarre says that the resultant piece was "Lara's Theme", and Lean liked it well enough to use it in numerous tracks for the film. In editing Zhivago, Lean and producer Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti
Carlo Ponti was an Italian film producer with over 140 production credits, and the husband of Italian movie star Sophia Loren.-Career:...
reduced or outright deleted many of the themes composed by Jarre; Jarre was angry because he felt that an over-reliance on "Lara's Theme" would ruin the soundtrack.
Jarre's esthetic fears proved unfounded commercially, however, as the theme became an instant success and gained fame throughout the world. By special request of Connie Francis
Connie Francis
Connie Francis is an American pop singer of Italian heritage and the top-charting female vocalist of the 1950s and 1960s. Although her chart success waned in the second half of the 1960s, Francis remained a top concert draw...
, Paul Francis Webster
Paul Francis Webster
Paul Francis Webster was an American lyricist who won three Academy Awards for Best Song and was nominated sixteen times for the award.-Biography:...
later took the theme and added lyrics to it to create "Somewhere My Love". Francis, however, retired from the project when the lyrics were presented to her because she thought of them as too "corny". A few weeks later, Francis reconsidered her position and recorded the song nonetheless, but by then Ray Conniff
Ray Conniff
Joseph Raymond Conniff was an American bandleader and arranger best known for his Ray Conniff Singers during the 1960s.-Biography:...
had also recorded a version of his own, reaching #9 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart in 1966
1966 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Hullabaloo shows promotional videos of The Beatles songs "Day Tripper" and "We Can Work it Out".*January 8 – Shindig! airs for the last time on ABC, with musical guests the Kinks and the Who...
. Conniff's version of the song also topped the "Easy listening
Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks
The Adult Contemporary chart is a weekly chart published in Billboard magazine that lists the most popular songs on adult contemporary and "lite-pop" radio stations in the United States...
" chart in the U.S. for four weeks. Despite Conniff's success, Francis also had her version released as a single, and although it failed to chart in the US, it became one of her biggest successes internationally, becoming one of the "Top 5" in territories such as Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
and Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
. In Italy, her Italian version of the song, "Dove non so", became her last # 1 success.
Various other versions of it have since been released. Italio-American tenor, Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi
Sergio Franchi was an Italian tenor.Franchi was born in Cremona, Italy. His father wanted him to become an electrical engineer, so he studied both music and engineering simultaneously. The family moved to South Africa in 1952, where Sergio worked part-time as a draftsman, while continuing to study...
covered the song as "Somewhere, My Love" in his 1967 RCA Victor album From Sergio - With Love. "Lara's Theme" remains to this day one of the most recognizable movie themes ever written.
Variations
On the soundtrack album for Zhivago, there is no one track listed as "Lara's Theme". A variation of the piece appears in numerous sections, however. Some tracks briefly cite it, while others are composed entirely from the motif. The orchestration is varied, most notably with balalaikaBalalaika
The balalaika is a stringed musical instrument popular in Russia, with a characteristic triangular body and three strings.The balalaika family of instruments includes instruments of various sizes, from the highest-pitched to the lowest, the prima balalaika, secunda balalaika, alto balalaika, bass...
and orchestra.
One of the main reasons the theme is featured in so many tracks is that Lean had hired an impromptu balalaika orchestra from several Russian Orthodox Church
Russian Orthodox Church
The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
es in Los Angeles; the musicians could only learn 16 bars of music at a time, and could not read written music. Although never credited, Edgar Stanistreet, a street musician of Philadelphia, claimed that he was asked to play the song over the phone to an MGM executive, and was later taken into the studio to record.
Tracks which feature it include (from the 1995 Extended Soundtrack release):
- 1) Overture - a fast-paced march version of it plays during part of the pre-credits overture
- 2) Main Title - a significant portion of the Main Theme is devoted to "Lara's Theme"
- 3) Kontakion/Funeral Song - briefly cited at the end of the piece
- 12) After Deserters Killed The Colonel - again, a brief "quote" from it appears at the end of the song
- 14) Lara Says Goodbye To Yuri - The first extensive use of "Lara's Theme" is a sad version played with heavy balalaika and violin sections
- 23) Yuri Follows the Sound of the Waterfall
- 24) Tonya and Yuri Arrive At Varykino - briefly cited in the middle of the track
- 27) Yuri and the Daffodils - plays during the "changing of seasons" part of the film, the montonous winter theme builds into a full-fledged rendition of "Lara's Theme"
- 28) On A Yuriatin Street - a complete rendition with full orchestral backing
- 29) In Lara's Bedroom
- 30) Yuri Rides To Yuriatin
- 33) Yuri Is Escaping - a gloomy military march is punctuated by a quote from "Lara's Theme" which ultimately turns into a climax
- 37) Yuri Is Trying To Write
- 39) Lara Reads Her Poem
- 42) Then It's A Gift (End Title) - very similar to "On A Yuriatin Street", a complete, triumphant final rendition of the song
This soundtrack also includes jazz, rock 'n' roll, and swing versions of "Lara's Theme" which were performed by the MGM Studio Orchestra between takes.
External links
- Main Title of "Doctor Zhivago" (Rhapsody) Only available to United States Internet users.