We bring our own humanity to 2001. It is a film that is meant to both humble and inspire it, but not create a surrogate for it on screen. To have the human character in anyway not be dwarfed by the character of Hal, would undermine the films intent. It also would limit the sprawl of the film, by linking it to a single man lost in wonder over his experience. He is a robot, a slave to the technology he has created.The movie is about the universe. And technology. And us. It's not really about Dave, which is why he is almost scrubbed entirely clean of a personality.
Also, the Penderecki score used in 2001 is about as perfect as anything can get, when it comes to music in film. As is the Blue Danube. I don't see why it has to be original, like, at all. Did Kubrick need to also invent the camera used to shoot the film for him to retain authorial control? Did he have to style Keir Dulea's hair? Kubrick's choice of using those already existing bits of music was his artistic decision. How he applied them to his images, and how well they work along side of it, proof of its success. Appropriation is a huge part of the artistic process. Having to create everything from scratch is a bit of a unfounded and romantic expectation for artists to live up to.
Also, the Penderecki score used in 2001 is about as perfect as anything can get, when it comes to music in film. As is the Blue Danube. I don't see why it has to be original, like, at all. Did Kubrick need to also invent the camera used to shoot the film for him to retain authorial control? Did he have to style Keir Dulea's hair? Kubrick's choice of using those already existing bits of music was his artistic decision. How he applied them to his images, and how well they work along side of it, proof of its success. Appropriation is a huge part of the artistic process. Having to create everything from scratch is a bit of a unfounded and romantic expectation for artists to live up to.