<P> The 2001: A Space Odyssey score is an unused film score composed by Alex North for Stanley Kubrick's 1968 film, 2001: A Space Odyssey . </P> <P> In the early stages of production, Kubrick had commissioned noted Hollywood composer Alex North, who had written the score for Spartacus and also worked on Dr. Strangelove, to write the score of his upcoming film 2001: A Space Odyssey . However, during post-production, Kubrick chose to abandon North's music in favor of the now - familiar classical music pieces he had earlier chosen as "guide pieces" for the soundtrack . North did not know of the abandonment of the score until after he saw the film's premiere screening . The world's first exposure to North's unused music was in 1993 via Telarc's issue of the main theme on Hollywood's Greatest Hits, Vol. 2, a compilation album by Erich Kunzel and the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra . All the music North originally wrote was recorded commercially by North's friend and colleague Jerry Goldsmith with the National Philharmonic Orchestra and was released on Varèse Sarabande CDs shortly after Telarc's first theme release but before North's death . Eventually, a mono mix - down of North's original recordings, which had survived in the interim, would be released as a limited edition CD by Intrada Records . </P>

Who wrote the music for 2001 a space odyssey