[Fmpro] Where are the Distinctive Voices In Scoring?

[bipcress@comcast.net]

Excellent argument Evan. And I just wanted to add to this thread that 
comparing film composers to those writing for the concert hall is not quite 
kosher. The two systems are divided by enough practical dissimilarities to 
make connections ephemeral and academic, and not useful as viable qualifying 
points. For instance, the value of what John Barry accomplished for the 
James Bond film series is monumental - without a doubt these scores are the 
works of a genius within the medium. Of course Barry's Bond scores do not 
stand up alongside of deadly serious and technically daunting masterworks 
for symphony orchestra, but this is a pointless attack - what one would be 
confronting here are two completely different realities (specific 
problems/tasks) being dealt with by the individual artists involved. I am 
fully capable of appreciating serious or independent music, but it is this 
ability on my part that in fact contributes to the specific joys and 
exhilarations I derive from film scores - one of the things I like about 
soundtracks has to with how and why they are not classical music. Viva la 
difference! - JohnB

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "The Composer Collective" <general at thecomposercollective.com>
To: <fmpro at nxport.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 01, 2008 9:57 PM
Subject: Re: [Fmpro] Where are the Distinctive Voices In Scoring?


>I know what I am talking about (schooled, a philosopher of film music, and 
>a
> teacher of the art), and I concur with most about John Williams. I think 
> of
> it this way, and I could be wrong, but someone will have to prove me wrong
> for me to change my perception ... I think of a composer as an innovator.
> Period. If someone is composing, they are not copying, otherwise, they'd
> just be arranging, orchestrating, copying, borrowing, etc. So to me, in
> order to be called a composer you have to be innovating. And a good litmus
> test of an orchestral composer is if the material can be broken down to a
> simpler form than the intended form. For instance if you can play an
> "orchestral composition" on the piano, than according to my perceptions 
> that
> composition is not orchestral, it is an orchestrated pianistic 
> composition.
> Anything that is orchestrated is not a composition, it's an orchestration.
> So therefore, any orchestral composition that can be played on the piano 
> is
> not a composition at all. And if it's not a composition, than it's not
> innovation. And if it's not innovative than it's not composing. For this
> reason, I hold the following John Williams scores in high regard ... 
> scores
> for films which are supposed to be taken seriously:
>
> Jaws
> Close Encounters Of The Third Kind
> Rosewood
>
> It's also important to make a disctinction between serious work and
> non-serious work. Probably the reason I do not hold John Williams himself 
> in
> any high regard amongst composers is that he has not contributed very much
> serious work to the art. When I start to make that distinction, certain
> notable composers come to the forefront of my mind, that both contributed
> serious works to the art and were truly orchestral composers. At the top 
> of
> my list is BERNARD HERRMANN. From there, I divide into two categories:
>
> 1) Living:
>
> Howard Shore
> Elliot Goldenthal
> Tan Dun
>
> 2) Dead:
>
> Jerry Goldsmith
> Dmitri Tiomkin
>
> And I really admire composers who feel that the language of the art was/is
> something up for grabs, that they could/can make for themselves, rather 
> than
> recycle paradigms. I still allow the definition of Composer to stick even
> when one of them recycles paradigms since they may be doing it in an
> original way, but for me, the highest respects go to those who thought 
> about
> why they are doing what they are doing to the point that they came up with
> their own way of doing it. I'm speaking specifically about creating a
> dramatic language of their own expressed through music.
>
> All of these ideals, I cherish, and try and strive to achieve for myself.
> Some day I hope to have something strong to offer the world in this
> department, so that I can do my part in making this art respectable and
> something that can evolve.
>
> Evan Evans
>
>
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Ted Peterson" <ted.peterson at tcsn.net>
>> To: <fmpro at nxport.com>
>> Sent: Saturday, May 31, 2008 1:15 AM
>> Subject: Re: [Fmpro] FMPRO Latest Rant: "Where are the Distinctive
>> Voicesinscoring?"
>>
>>
>> > Gad. You need to do some investigation. These sentiments and
>> > statements are what the unknowing rattle off to sound like they know
>> > what they are talking about.
>>
> _______________________________________________
> 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
>
> To edit your list options or unsubscribe, visit:
> http://nxport.com/mailman/listinfo/fmpro
>