Morricone Rides Again!

Started by snyprrr, March 13, 2013, 05:47:37 PM

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NJ Joe

Just to muck things up a little more:

I've been listening to the morning classical program on a local radio station for many years, and have on several occasions heard film music as part of the program. I remember one particularly notable occasion when I was trying to identify an unknown piece I was enjoying, only to learn that it was music from the "Bram Stoker's Dracula" soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar. I distinctly remember the DJ discussion of how Kilar and other contemporary classical composers crossed over into the film score genre, citing other examples of "classical music" being found in film scores, and concluding that there was much relevant music to be found in these scores.

I guess my point is that I don't totally agree with the assessment that classical music is a completely separate category from a soundtrack. While I was listening, it was classical music, period.  The "categorization" came afterward, when the DJ announced the work. Sure the soundtracks are located in a different section of the record store, but is this not mainly for marketing purposes? There are certainly other examples of music that is pigeon-holed into a certain category (see the "new age" categorization) where there is a blurring of genres. 
"Music can inspire love, religious ecstasy, cathartic release, social bonding, and a glimpse of another dimension. A sense that there is another time, another space and another, better universe."
-David Byrne

snyprrr

Quote from: NJ Joe on March 16, 2013, 05:14:04 PM
Just to muck things up a little more:

I've been listening to the morning classical program on a local radio station for many years, and have on several occasions heard film music as part of the program. I remember one particularly notable occasion when I was trying to identify an unknown piece I was enjoying, only to learn that it was music from the "Bram Stoker's Dracula" soundtrack by Wojciech Kilar. I distinctly remember the DJ discussion of how Kilar and other contemporary classical composers crossed over into the film score genre, citing other examples of "classical music" being found in film scores, and concluding that there was much relevant music to be found in these scores.

I guess my point is that I don't totally agree with the assessment that classical music is a completely separate category from a soundtrack. While I was listening, it was classical music, period.  The "categorization" came afterward, when the DJ announced the work. Sure the soundtracks are located in a different section of the record store, but is this not mainly for marketing purposes? There are certainly other examples of music that is pigeon-holed into a certain category (see the "new age" categorization) where there is a blurring of genres.

I look at it this way. If the sheeple say, "Hey, your 'classical' music sounds just like movie music, what's up with that?", how am I suppose to respond to that?? :P Let sleeping dogs lie?

Brahmsian

Did Morricone do the soundtrack for 'The Last of The Mohicans'?  I do enjoy the music (and loved the movie).  Unfortunately, they overplayed the music on this Hartford radio station in my early days of classical music exploration (I'm sure Opus106 Navneeth) can back me up on this.  ;D

snyprrr

Who?,... WHO? can deny Morricone a place in the League of 20th Century Composers? WHO??

hoo hoo

I do have a weak spot for the main theme from Exorcist II: The Heretic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPdK1CW67c0

It's :'( :'(.. so :'( :'(.. beatiful :'( :'(

snyprrr

Quote from: ChamberNut on March 17, 2013, 08:08:46 AM
Did Morricone do the soundtrack for 'The Last of The Mohicans'?  I do enjoy the music (and loved the movie).  Unfortunately, they overplayed the music on this Hartford radio station in my early days of classical music exploration (I'm sure Opus106 Navneeth) can back me up on this.  ;D

I think it was a couple of jewish guys!?! randy and trevor?... not EM.

Sammy

Quote from: Mirror Image on March 15, 2013, 10:03:08 PM
It's about categories. Where are soundtracks located in record stores? They're not located in the classical section are they? I went into Barnes & Noble the other day and classical was nowhere near soundtracks, so, somewhere down the line, somebody said "Wait a minute, these are different kinds of music."

Are you sure you want to use Barnes & Noble as the authority on classical music identification?  Personally, I tend to defer to Best Buys; those guys really know their music. :P

Daverz

#26
Quote from: Sammy on March 17, 2013, 08:59:51 AM
Are you sure you want to use Barnes & Noble as the authority on classical music identification?  Personally, I tend to defer to Best Buys; those guys really know their music. :P

And lots of film music will show up in the retail classical category, e.g. the whole film music series on Chandos.

That said, accepting these commercial categories as something we need to respect is rather silly and, again, simply an appeal to snobbery.

Mirror Image

Quote from: Sammy on March 17, 2013, 08:59:51 AM
Are you sure you want to use Barnes & Noble as the authority on classical music identification?  Personally, I tend to defer to Best Buys; those guys really know their music. :P

Good point. :) Yeah, B&N don't really have a clue about classical music. I asked a person behind the desk one day if she had ever heard any of Stravinsky's music just to test her out and she said, if I'm remembering this correctly, "Stravinsky, oh yeah, I like one of their songs. Aren't they like emo or something?" My smile turned into a scowl almost immediately. I simply turned around and walked away. She may not be into classical music and that's completely fine, the woman likes what she likes, but even I knew who Stravinsky was before I had heard a note of his music. This is why exposure is so important in order for classical music to thrive and continue to breathe.

snyprrr

Quote from: Sammy on March 17, 2013, 08:59:51 AM
Are you sure you want to use Barnes & Noble as the authority on classical music identification?  Personally, I tend to defer to Best Buys; those guys really know their music. :P

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:


It seems that every Italian trailer i pull up on YT has a Soundtrack by EM! E-VER-Y ONE!!

petrarch

//p
The music collection.
The hi-fi system: Esoteric X-03SE -> Pathos Logos -> Analysis Audio Amphitryon.
A view of the whole

snyprrr

For anyone seeking some of Morricone's work with that Avant Improv Group, check out this wild wild Giallo from 1968, A Quiet Place in the Country:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DVo7TrxD8ic

Franco Nero and V. Redgrave are great. Very verrry odd film.

I have heard waaay too many Morricone Soundtracks lately, it's just mind boggling how he takes the slimmest of material and makes scary and strange palpabilities(HA!).

snyprrr

Yup, during GialloManiaMonth I have probably heard more Morricone than any other Composer, - he just turns up in film after film... always different styles, ANY style, he is so extraordinarily versatile and you never know which is style is going to show up at any given time.

He also has the ability to be invisible, which, for a Film Composer, is key.

Anyhow, just a gratuitous bump...

San Antone

This slipped under my Morricone radar when it was released in November 2016.  Morricone revisits some of his most memorable film music, re-orchestrating and arranging it in the process.  Worth a listen for his fans.


Mirror Image

Looks like an excellent recording, David. I love Morricone's work. One of his most remarkable pieces, for me, is Falls from the soundtrack of The Mission. This has such an emotional hold over me that I can't bring myself to listen to any of his music after hearing this because it haunts me for days.

San Antone

Quote from: Mirror Image on January 04, 2018, 06:15:40 AM
Looks like an excellent recording, David. I love Morricone's work. One of his most remarkable pieces, for me, is Falls from the soundtrack of The Mission. This has such an emotional hold over me that I can't bring myself to listen to any of his music after hearing this because it haunts me for days.

It is included in that set I posted.

Mirror Image


vandermolen

#36
I didn't realise that there was an existing Moriccone thread when I posted about his death - sorry about that.
Anyway, I was just listening to a short tribute about him on the radio and I didn't know that he'd been a composer of avant garde concert music in his youth and, more recently, had a Mass performed at the Vatican. On a more prosaic note my favourite track on the album I bought recently is for 'The Thing':
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=meU2gAU7Xss
"Courage is going from failure to failure without losing enthusiasm" (Churchill).

'The test of a work of art is, in the end, our affection for it, not our ability to explain why it is good' (Stanley Kubrick).