advertisement


Vinyl did beat Hi Resolution...

Take the film away from the film score..and your left with pieces of music jumbled together..established composers take years to write a ' symphony' and whenever you listen to this ' symphony ' there is always something new in the music which you hadn't noticed before..a film score is just a jumble of tunes linked to certain scenes in the film...and people think these twits who steal sorry meant compose film score scores are equal to mahler, wagner, mozart etc? How?
 
I'm unsure about the aesthetics of film music. Some soundtracks include 'proper' classical music (eg The Shining, Brief Encounter), whilst other use 'soundalike' music, which is loosely based around classical themes (eg Bernard Herrmann's soundtracks for Hitchcock's films). The question/conundrum is whether the music should simply be at the service of the film, or whether it should be able to stand alone, as it were, without the visuals to support it.
 
I've heard too little of either to judge, but my takeaway from my limited experience of Wagner's music is that it goes on for far too long.
 
Joe Hutch said:
I've heard too little of either to judge, but my takeaway from my limited experience of Wagner's music is that it goes on for far too long.
Click to expand...
Sadly people nowadays have such a poor attention span...excerpts on classic fm is about as much as they can handle..this says more about modern day malaise than it does about the genius of Wagner
 
the caretaker said:
Absolutely...listen to a film score then listen to Beethoven? Film scores are a joke compared to established composers...are you going to tell me Einaudi's tinkling on the piano is comparable to schubert? Lol...
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to tell you anything at all , it really was just a straight forward question, I know nothing about classical music but wondered from reading this thread and some of the comments if film scores were considered inferior in comparison to the work of established classical composers.
 
Joe Hutch said:
Writing the soundtrack to the latest Marvel blockbuster film, obvs.
Click to expand...
Well yes, along with writing the screenplay (from the ancient Teutonic epic Die Rächer), directing the film, designing the set and the costumes, probably the film studio too.
 
Joe Hutch said:
I'm unsure about the aesthetics of film music. Some soundtracks include 'proper' classical music (eg The Shining, Brief Encounter), whilst other use 'soundalike' music, which is loosely based around classical themes (eg Bernard Herrmann's soundtracks for Hitchcock's films). The question/conundrum is whether the music should simply be at the service of the film, or whether it should be able to stand alone, as it were, without the visuals to support it.
Click to expand...
And then there's Alexander Nevsky, Alone, Night mail, Scott of the Antarctic
 
the caretaker said:
Oh dear...Nic your a moderator , could you try behaving appropriately...telling people they are ignorant isn't a good look..remember this a forum for everyone..including ignorant people and those puffed up with their own self importance..
Click to expand...
I'm sorry if you don't like having your ignorance called out, Joe. Maybe have a try at not slagging off one of our greatest living composers?
 
Darren L said:
I'm not trying to tell you anything at all , it really was just a straight forward question, I know nothing about classical music but wondered from reading this thread and some of the comments if film scores were considered inferior in comparison to the work of established classical composers.
Click to expand...
This a perfectly fair question. Generally yes, but maybe not for entirely good reasons.
As hinted above- quite a few front rank classical composers have in fact composed film scores. I think film music is often lumped in with the category "light music", which is a category sometimes used to describe music with classical forces which is not necessarily considered quite art. Obviously this is pretty contentious stuff on every level. Some people argue that light music is where the tune is nore important than what you do with it. That might explain why incidental, mood evoking background music was not really considered art. But there's no reason why it couldn't really be. Equally, film music may have been less distinct from "art music" in the days of the silent film, where the score was continuous.
Of course for some people art and commerce can't mix, but that's another topic.
 
Nic Robinson said:
I haven't. Please can you remind me what it is and I will check it out. Are you saying it's just a lift of existing music and not original composition?
Click to expand...
Compare Wagner's Parsifal with the music for Raiders of the lost Ark. You will see what I mean and the comment elsewhere about John William's music being derivative.
 
k90tour said:
Compare Wagner's Parsifal with the music for Raiders of the lost Ark. You will see what I mean and the comment elsewhere about John William's music being derivative.
Click to expand...
Raiders contains some wonderful original themes and a fair bit of tongue in cheek pastiche - because of the analogous subject matter. What are you accusing Williams of?
 
k90tour said:
I'm accusing him of trying to pull off a Wagner and failing.
Click to expand...
But that's not what he was trying to do, surely. Wagner was creating a new genre, essentially with an ultra-romantic, highly chromatic sound world. JW is pastiching that sound world for effect during a movie soundtrack because the subject matter is analogous. In short, Williams isn't trying to pull off a Wagner, he's pastiching Wagner for effect.

Am I missing something?
 
Thanks @adamdea I'm guessing there could be an element of snobbery involved with some attitudes towards film scores or 'light music'.
I don't own or listen to any 'classical music' , though I really do like some though this would be mostly music from films and other compositions I've heard on radio, etc.
I do really like the LOTR film scores, enough to buy the CDs and although I was introduced to them via the films I really enjoy listening to them on CD, I don't feel like I'm listening to snippets and I think they flow quite nicely.
 
I guess the question is: does Williams try to emulate Wagner in Close Encounters, or ET or Superman or Star Wars, Jaws, Schindler's List, Hook etc. etc? Or does he create music appropriate to each?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.


advertisement


Back
Top