🎬 Beethoviana – A Piano Tribute to Wendy Carlos and Purcell

Beethoviana - A Clockwork Orange - Piano Transcription

A haunting synth variation from A Clockwork Orange

Beethoviana is a striking reinterpretation by Wendy Carlos, inspired by Music for the Funeral of Queen Mary by Henry Purcell. This version appears in a memorable scene from Stanley Kubrick’s A Clockwork Orange, as the character Alex returns home through a desolate urban landscape, whistling the theme over the synthesizer arrangement.

Carlos's treatment is minimalist yet emotionally charged, combining Baroque melodic material with the electronic textures and moodiness that define her style.

🖋️ About this transcription

This is a faithful piano transcription of the first section of Beethoviana, adapted from the original synthesizer version with whistling. It preserves the slow, dramatic character and explores the harmonic tension through dense chords and lyrical motion.

Details:

• 📝 1 page (A4 format)

• 🎼 25 measures

• 🎹 5 systems

• 🎧 Suitable for intermediate-level pianists

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While technically accessible, the piece demands expressive control and a sensitivity to nuance and pacing.

🧊 Tension, solitude, and cinematic resonance

With its solemn tone and minimalistic texture, Beethoviana evokes a sense of introspection and detachment, perfectly capturing the dystopian world of Kubrick’s film.This transcription allows pianists to explore a unique blend of Purcell’s Baroque dignity and Wendy Carlos’s eerie, futuristic voice.

▶️ Listen to Wendy Carlos – Beethoviana

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