Film (movie) Music

[LKB]

Empire Strikes Back is the superior score.  It is also structurally amazing how it starts quite optimistically but gets strained as the tension and plot thickens. It is the pinnacle of Star Wars both structurally, dramatically, and musically, the one to which all the others are judged.  But it is not my favorite John Williams soundtrack. There is another.

And that soundtrack is...?

[Roasted Swan]

Empire Strikes Back is the superior score.  It is also structurally amazing how it starts quite optimistically but gets strained as the tension and plot thickens. It is the pinnacle of Star Wars both structurally, dramatically, and musically, the one to which all the others are judged.  But it is not my favorite John Williams soundtrack. There is another.

Duh, duh....... DAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! (my attempt at a transliterated musical sting....Ta Dahhhh!)

[relm1]

And that soundtrack is...?

You don't want to guess? 

It is Close Encounters.  A soundtrack with a staggering arch from mystery to terror to adventure to dreamy awe and wonder.  It has one of the best final 20 minutes of score I've ever heard in a film, a complete cinematic ballet where the score does almost all of the heavy lifting of storytelling.  I don't think I've heard a score from any other composer that has a greater sense of transformation from start to finish as this one and all with incredible polish from start to end.   Complete virtuosity in full display.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

I enjoy his score of Raiders of the Lost Ark.   

PD

[Roasted Swan]

You don't want to guess? 

It is Close Encounters.  A soundtrack with a staggering arch from mystery to terror to adventure to dreamy awe and wonder.  It has one of the best final 20 minutes of score I've ever heard in a film, a complete cinematic ballet where the score does almost all of the heavy lifting of storytelling.  I don't think I've heard a score from any other composer that has a greater sense of transformation from start to finish as this one and all with incredible polish from start to end.  Complete virtuosity in full display.

Perhaps precisely because the score for Close Encounters is so welded to the film itself I think it works less well than other Williams scores as a stand-alone musical experience.  In no way is that a criticism of either the film or the score - just an observation that they are so symbiotically linked that either is diminshed without the other.  The "proof" (if proof were needed) of this is that there are no stand-alone excerpts from that score and in any Williams Concert/collection there is almost never an 'excerpt' from Close Encounters - instead they tend to be "suites" of varying length (and success).  This could be reasonably argued as showing Williams' genius on the larger canvas as you suggest.

[Pohjolas Daughter]

You don't want to guess? 

It is Close Encounters.  A soundtrack with a staggering arch from mystery to terror to adventure to dreamy awe and wonder.  It has one of the best final 20 minutes of score I've ever heard in a film, a complete cinematic ballet where the score does almost all of the heavy lifting of storytelling.  I don't think I've heard a score from any other composer that has a greater sense of transformation from start to finish as this one and all with incredible polish from start to end.   Complete virtuosity in full display.

Perhaps precisely because the score for Close Encounters is so welded to the film itself I think it works less well than other Williams scores as a stand-alone musical experience.  In no way is that a criticism of either the film or the score - just an observation that they are so symbiotically linked that either is diminshed without the other.  The "proof" (if proof were needed) of this is that there are no stand-alone excerpts from that score and in any Williams Concert/collection there is almost never an 'excerpt' from Close Encounters - instead they tend to be "suites" of varying length (and success).  This could be reasonably argued as showing Williams' genius on the larger canvas as you suggest.

You know, I don't think that I've ever seen that movie.     I've heard of it over the years.  Will have to see if I can borrow a copy from my library (hopefully, not scratched to death).

PD

[Roasted Swan]

You know, I don't think that I've ever seen that movie.     I've heard of it over the years.  Will have to see if I can borrow a copy from my library (hopefully, not scratched to death).

PD

Enjoy!!

[relm1]

You know, I don't think that I've ever seen that movie.     I've heard of it over the years.  Will have to see if I can borrow a copy from my library (hopefully, not scratched to death).

PD

Yes, enjoy and report back! 

[relm1]

Perhaps precisely because the score for Close Encounters is so welded to the film itself I think it works less well than other Williams scores as a stand-alone musical experience.  In no way is that a criticism of either the film or the score - just an observation that they are so symbiotically linked that either is diminshed without the other.  The "proof" (if proof were needed) of this is that there are no stand-alone excerpts from that score and in any Williams Concert/collection there is almost never an 'excerpt' from Close Encounters - instead they tend to be "suites" of varying length (and success).  This could be reasonably argued as showing Williams' genius on the larger canvas as you suggest.

I'm not the biggest fan of the film which is why it's easy for me to separate the film from the score even though the score is woven so tightly into the film.  It definitely has its moments cinematically and is a landmark in the genre, but the score stands firmly. 

[VonStupp]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Scott of the Antarctic

Ilona Domnich, soprano
Christopher Nickol, organ
RSNO & Chorus - Martin Yates

Giving this a spin today.

I like VW's big opening tune. He uses it subtly for most of the 80-minute score, but really lays it on in the last quarter.
VS


Caught in the Ice (1830), Thomas Binks

[relm1]

Ralph Vaughan Williams
Scott of the Antarctic

Ilona Domnich, soprano
Christopher Nickol, organ
RSNO & Chorus - Martin Yates

Giving this a spin today.

I like VW's big opening tune. He uses it subtly for most of the 80-minute score, but really lays it on in the last quarter.
VS


Caught in the Ice (1830), Thomas Binks

It is clear this story really resonated with RVW.  He poured so much in to this music and I think wrote way more than the film needed.  Also interesting how after the gig was completed, he still wanted to inhabit that sound world so much so that he created the Symphony No. 7 with some of this material. 

[VonStupp]

It is clear this story really resonated with RVW.  He poured so much in to this music and I think wrote way more than the film needed.  Also interesting how after the gig was completed, he still wanted to inhabit that sound world so much so that he created the Symphony No. 7 with some of this material. 

The subject seems to have been a point of national pride, although one of historical tragedy in the face of adventurous spirit and a quest for everlasting greatness. I like the symphony quite a bit too.
VS

[relm1]

The subject seems to have been a point of national pride, although one of historical tragedy in the face of adventurous spirit and a quest for everlasting greatness. I like the symphony quite a bit too.
VS

Me too.  I think it's one of the coldest, most desolate works that exist.

[DavidW]

The subject seems to have been a point of national pride, although one of historical tragedy in the face of adventurous spirit and a quest for everlasting greatness. I like the symphony quite a bit too.
VS

I actually started reading a book on the subject a week ago, what a coincidence that it came up here.

[vandermolen]

I actually started reading a book on the subject a week ago, what a coincidence that it came up here.

Cherry-Garrard's book is the classic account of the ill-fated expedition. I remember being amused when, many years ago, I picked up the first Penguin paperback edition in a second-hand book shop. In the introduction to the new edition Cherry-Garrard had written that he was delighted that his book was being published by Penguin 'as it is mainly about penguins'.
Cherry-Garrard never forgave himself for not pushing on further south from One Ton Depot where he was sent to meet Scott's party as theoretically he could have saved them - but there was no way he could have known what was going on with Scott's party.

[Scion7]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V4Ofq6lR00s

Perhaps the best of the King films (or Salem's Lot?) - the music was gripping.

[relm1]

I actually started reading a book on the subject a week ago, what a coincidence that it came up here.

So intrigued, I bought the book.  Looking forward to exploring this!

[vandermolen]

So intrigued, I bought the book.  Looking forward to exploring this!

Although it's old Cherry-Garrard was there. It's the classic account of Scott's ill-fated expedition and is very well written. There have been a number of 'revisionist' histories of the expedition written more recently (including Roland Huntford's 'hatchet-job' on Scott).  I hope that you enjoy reading it.

[VonStupp]

So intrigued, I bought the book.  Looking forward to exploring this!

It seems Cherry-Garrard's was the book Vaughan Williams read before embarking on the film score, music apparently composed in a rather short amount of time.
VS

[Roasted Swan]

A recent acquisition and a good one. 



A fairly 'standard' programme to be sure but Morton Gould is always good in type of repertoire and the LSO is dependably brilliant.  Part of the interest is that this was originally on the Varese label and was the 1st "digital" recording of the Star Wars excerpts from just a year after the soundtrack was recorded.  The downside is rather glassy/brash early DDD recording but still a great programme from my point of view....