[Fmpro] (no subject) - the power of the score

[bipcress@comcast.net]

John's CLOSE ENCOUNTERS is one of his greatest accomplishments but it is 
under-appreciated, at least by his lay fans, in that it strays too far from 
his traditional style (many sections of ENCOUNTERS approach 20th Century 
serious music). / I sat in on a Goldsmith rehearsal not long after Herrmann 
died, and afterwards I said to Jerry "Well, now that Benny has left us that 
leaves you alone sitting on top of the hill!" He only smiled and said "Oh 
god John, that's not true.", but of course it was - at least as regards 
American film music. I think that now Williams is sitting alone on top of 
that same hill. When he dies who will replace him? I don't even know 
anymore - maybe Shore (and maybe someday some kind soul will explain to me 
why Howard was dumped from KONG). - JohnB

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Fernando Rivas" <fernando at rivasmusic.com>
To: <fmpro at nxport.com>
Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 5:47 PM
Subject: Re: [Fmpro] (no subject) - the power of the score


But for incredibly subtle moments check out Close Encounters of the Third
Kind.  The famous scene where Dreyfuss's pick up truck is ambushed by a
flying saucer has no music. But if you listen to the sound effects after the
saucer leaves very closely you'll see that the creaks and groans of the
mailboxes and railroad crossing sign sonically spell out the movie's
thematic fragment ­ 2, 3, 1, 5, 1(melodic scale steps)  I¹d seen the movie
at least ten times before I noticed it.


On 1/19/08 5:02 PM, "bipcress at comcast.net" <bipcress at comcast.net> wrote:

> Kiki, one of my all-time favorites is Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold cue (THE
> GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY), heard as Tuco (Eli Wallach) runs, full-out and
> completely overcome by avarice, through the immense Civil War graveyard 
> which
> contains buried sacks of gold. This magnificent composition is almost an
> apotheosis of spiritual victory - a movement fit for a symphonic Mass. The
> genius lies in the manner by which the music transforms the moment. In the
> real world this would only be a greedy bastard succumbing to his lusts, 
> but
> Ennio forces us to comprehend that these three men, Tuco, Blondie 
> (Eastwood),
> and Snake Eyes (Van Cleef), are paradigms, mythical constructs 
> representing
> the most potent aspects of the human condition. They are not a part of the
> dirt and death of the real world but rather Gilgamesh-like beings, 
> symbolic
> and transcendent, moving through our smaller lives and acting out their
> mythical agendas. None of this would be available if not for the power and
> magic of m!
>  usic. - John Bender
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Sarakin, Lloyd (LAW)" <Lloyd.Sarakin at am.sony.com>
> To: <fmpro at nxport.com>
> Sent: Saturday, January 19, 2008 4:17 PM
> Subject: [Fmpro] (no subject)
>
>
>> kiki, reading your description almost brought me to tears and swelling
>> with emotion... nice description... i didnt see the movie yet...
>>
>>
>>
>> Subtle details in scores take my breath away...for example...last week
>> we watched "The Queen" (scored by Alexandre Desplat). In one scene Queen
>> Elizabeth II is checking out the floral tributes to Princess Diana in
>> London. As she's walking by the crown the queen notices a little girl
>> holding flowers. The Queen offers to place the flowers for the girl, who
>> refuses the queen. In that brief moment of tension, the third in the
>> melody (which had been major up to this point) changes to a minor third.
>> When the girls explains that the flowers are not for Diana and are for
>> the Queen, the queen nearly has a British emotional breakdown (the
>> corners of her lips move upward almost imperceptably and you see in
>> actor Helen Mirren's eyes that the queen is truly moved). At that point
>> the third returns to a major third and the music swells ever so
>> slightly, mirroring the restraint of the British monarchy. Those breaths
>> of inspiration fascinate me.
>>
>>
>>
>> Kiki
>>
>>
>>
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> _______________________________________________
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> http://www.filmmusicmag.com
>
> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy Hale 
> Music
>
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