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

[Fernando Rivas]

Williams has referenced twentieth century music in many other films as well.
Most notably A.I., Minority Report and the box office bomb War of the Worlds
which I thought had an interesting and novel usage of brass in some cues.
True, people concentrate on his Mahler/Strauss affected approach in most of
the big blockbusters but if you look at his total output you'll see he's a
chameleon in terms of style, much like any of the other great film
composers.


On 1/19/08 6:58 PM, "bipcress at comcast.net" <bipcress at comcast.net> wrote:

> 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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>> _______________________________________________
>> The Film Music Pro List is sponsored by Film Music Magazine -
>> http://www.filmmusicmag.com
>> 
>> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy Hale
>> Music
>> 
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> 
> _______________________________________________
> The Film Music Pro List is sponsored by Film Music Magazine -
> http://www.filmmusicmag.com
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> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy Hale Music
> 
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> 
> _______________________________________________
> The Film Music Pro List is sponsored by Film Music Magazine -
> http://www.filmmusicmag.com
> 
> Best of FMPRO: http://www.fmproquotes.com - Quotes site  by Billy Hale Music
> 
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> http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/fmpro
>