[Fmpro] Carl Stalling scores

[Steve Barden]

I couldn't agree more.  I think my favorite Disney composer was Paul J. 
Smith.  He worked on a lot of "True Life Adventures" films.  His writing 
was exceptional, and these films were often scored in a bit of a 
"cartoon" style, that is, changing styles frequently, hitting lots of 
action (Mickey-mousing), etc.

Milt Franklyn, Stalling's orchestrator, even though he saw every single 
note of Stalling's writing, when he took over the job when Stalling 
retired, his scores were (in my opinion) not as musical as Stalling's 
were.  He had all of the technical tricks at his disposal but Stalling 
seemed to have a gift for making "music".

Steve Barden


Fernando Rivas wrote:
> What is also somewhat amazing is that Stalling and Bradley worked in virtual
> anonymity. Disney projects overshadowed everything else from the late 1920's
> on and these guys who were true pioneers and no longer part of the Disney
> machine were overlooked until the 1970's when music scholars began to take
> an interest.
>
>
> On 8/19/06 5:21 PM, "Steve Barden" <steve at thelightbulbfactory.com> wrote:
>
>   
>> Quite a bit.  It's very insightful.  What was surprising to me was the
>> actual amount of score that was his original music.  Often not more
>> than10-15%.  The rest of the music were his arrangements - brilliantly
>> done - of popular tunes owned by Warner Bros., including Raymond Scott's
>> melodies.  As a technician Stalling was a machine.  The ability to make
>> the music flow and make sense the way he did was artistic.  And he
>> didn't score to picture, but to timing sheets.  He never saw the cartoon
>> until it was finished.
>>
>> Steve Barden
>>
>> BVMedia-A d r i e l wrote:
>>     
>>> Do they talk about actual technique as well?
>>> _A
>>>
>>>
>>>   
>>>       
>>>> From: Steve Barden <steve at thelightbulbfactory.com>
>>>> Organization: The LightBulb Factory, Inc.
>>>> Reply-To: <steve at thelightbulbfactory.com>, "fmpro at nxport.com"
>>>> <fmpro at nxport.com>
>>>> Date: Sat, 19 Aug 2006 14:08:21 -0700
>>>> To: "fmpro at nxport.com" <fmpro at nxport.com>
>>>> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] Carl Stalling scores
>>>>
>>>> If this hasn't already been mentioned, there are two outstanding books
>>>> on music for cartoons that feature very detailed information on Carl
>>>> Stalling as well as many other cartoon composers.
>>>>
>>>> The Cartoon Music Book; Edited by Daniel Goldmark and Yuval Taylor;
>>>> Published by A Capella
>>>>
>>>> Tunes For 'Toons; By Daniel Goldmark; Published by University of
>>>> California Press
>>>>
>>>> Both books include interviews with Stalling, one as late as 1969, two
>>>> years before his death.  I highly recommend these books.
>>>>
>>>> Steve Barden
>>>>
>>>> Fernando Rivas wrote:
>>>>     
>>>>         
>>>>> No doubt the same stuff was reprocessed a few times given that there was so
>>>>> much production going on.  Stalling and Disney had discussions about what
>>>>> went first, animation or music but I don't think that when Stalling went to
>>>>> Warner he had much room to experiment in that area.  Disney went on later
>>>>> to
>>>>> projects like Fantasia where animation is cut to classical tracks. I'm not
>>>>> sure whose idea it was first or if indeed Stalling was able to do similar
>>>>> experimentation later on.  And indeed it is brutal to have that many cues
>>>>> but I do think that's the way they did it.
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 8/19/06 3:13 PM, "Rolin Mains" <rmains at bellsouth.net> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>   
>>>>>       
>>>>>           
>>>>>> actually, he used that same bit in a yosemite sam/bugs bunny episode.  sam
>>>>>> wires up the piano and goes to hide while bugs bunny is supposed to play
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> piano: same tune, same wired up explosives (without the plunger part), but
>>>>>> bugs keeps missing the "note"...so sam runs out to the piano, pushes bugs
>>>>>> off the bench, and the rest you can guess.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> i had heard at some point that the stallings scores were in the university
>>>>>> of montana library...or someplace out west.  i think i have a couple in my
>>>>>> attic next to those old JSBach scores...
>>>>>>
>>>>>> i had also heard, and maybe some of you can add to it, but that the
>>>>>> stallings scores were recorded *first* and the animators animated to the
>>>>>> recordings.  which makes a lot of sense...it would have been brutal to hit
>>>>>> that many cues in a single 3 minute cartoon.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> can anyone corroborate that?
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>     
>>>>>>         
>>>>>>             
>>>>>>> From: Pete <musical411 at yahoo.com>
>>>>>>> Reply-To: fmpro at nxport.com
>>>>>>> Date: Fri, 18 Aug 2006 17:37:56 -0700 (PDT)
>>>>>>> To: fmpro at nxport.com
>>>>>>> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] Carl Stalling scores
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Here's a Carl Stalling score I bet you never heard...
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O8WPYXMr-cY
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hitting the right note can be deadly! The voice of
>>>>>>> Private SNAFU sounds strangely familiar.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> P e t e
>>>>>>> S u r d o v a l
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> --- Marcahti at aol.com wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>       
>>>>>>>           
>>>>>>>               
>>>>>>>> In a message dated 18/8/06 20:46:10,
>>>>>>>> rivas2750 at comcast.net writes:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> <<  It still
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> is incredibly complex  >>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> in what way ?
>>>>>>>>