Caldera Records proudly presents David Shire’s unused score for the 1970s classic “Kramer vs. Kramer.”

The late 1970s were hectic for David Shire professionally and stressful in his personal life. He and his wife, Talia Shire, separated, and it was while going through divorce proceedings that he was asked by producer Stanley Jaffe to write the original music for “Kramer vs. Kramer,” a film that deals in excruciating detail with the pain and horror of a relationship coming to an end and a son getting lost in the ensuing divorce battle. Yet the composer was apprehensive, as he says: “I told the producer that I thought the picture was great and obviously moved me. But I thought that a score would actually harm the film by pushing the drama over the top. I told him I would try anyway.”

Shire developed a score for strings, woodwinds, and brass. He carefully spotted the film: there would be long stretches without music. Silence was meant to convey the characters’ isolation. Still, during test screenings, audiences and the producer found that the music pushed the film over the edge. Jaffe removed piece after piece. David Shire’s instinct had been correct. His score was not used.

One year before his experience on “Kramer vs. Kramer,” Shire had been nominated for a Primetime Emmy for his musical contribution to the celebrated television film “The Defection of Simas Kudirka.” It is one of his proudest achievements, and for good reason: he developed an outstanding theme for the titular young man that elaborately captures his charm (sometimes bordering on naivety), and which Shire weaves in and out of the score. There are shades of that melody even in the more tense, dissonant suspense pieces that underscore the threat posed by the KGB.

Five years later, in 1982, Shire was hired to provide the score for “The World According to Garp,” an adaptation of John Irving’s bestselling quasi-Bildungsroman. It was one of the first prominent big screen roles for Robin Williams and his first dramatic role, one that required him to show his full emotional range. It is difficult for any composer to find just the right tonal balance for a film that veers between satire, romance, tragedy and broad comedy, with dream sequences interspersed throughout. David Shire managed to find the balance, though: his music being a complex, intricate composition that plays with the conventions of both diegetic and non-diegetic soundtracks throughout.

We are grateful to Warner Bros. for allowing us to release over 20 minutes of the latter score.

The 70th CD-release of Caldera Records features a detailed booklet text by Stephan Eicke and elegant artwork by Luis Miguel Rojas. The CD was mastered by Richard Moore and produced by Stephan Eicke and David Shire.

C6070

Music Composed and Conducted by David Shire
Album Produced by Stephan Eicke, David Shire
Executive Producers for Caldera Records: John Elborg, Stephan Eicke
Album Art Direction and Design by Luis Miguel Rojas

Listen to the sound clips by clicking on the links below

Kramer vs. Kramer
1. Main Title (Version II) (1:27)
2. Alternate Main Title (1:29)
3. Do-nut Breakfast (1:37)
4. Ted Clears Apartment (0:57)
5. Ted & Billy / Finding Joanna’s Picture / Finding Joanna’s Picture (2:36)
6. Run to Hospital / End of Juice Spill Scene / Phone Ringing / Mommy in Window (1:39)
7. Job Montage (0:47)
8. Billy Runs to Joanna / At Ted’s Door / Ted Angry (2:32)
9. End Title (1:39)
10. Alternate End Title (1:42)

The Defection of Simas Kudirka
11. Main Title (0:53)
12. Flashback & Soccer Game (1:37)
13. “Is This True?” (1:25)
14. “First Approach” (2:11)
15. Radio Room (0:54)
16. “Jump to Freedom” (1:57)
17. “You Must Go Back” (1:12)
18. “No!” (1:47)
19. In the Cell (3:22)
20. “On Your Soccer Team” (0:40)
21. “Simas, Come Home” (2:23)
22. Reunion (1:08)
23. Finale and End Credits (2:23)

The World According to Garp
24. Main Title (2:16)
25. Roof Sequence / “And Then He Died” (2:59)
26. Chase Chaser (1:25)
27. Story Montage (3:08)
28. Swordfight (1:40)
29. Western Source (1:17)
30. Baby Presentation (1:16)
31. Assassination / Car Scene (2:14)
32. “I’m Flying” / End Credits (3:10)

Bonus:
33. Piano Demo for Garp (2:59)