Well kids, die Frau and I are off to New York for a few days of chaperoning some high school kids on their "cultural enrichment trip". We're going to catch Spamalot (there was much rejoicing) and Mamma Mia (which I'm kind of ambivalent about at this point; I'm sure it'll be okay).
I will try to blog from NYC, but if not I'll catch you all up after returning.
Oh yeah, for bonus points, name the songwriters, show, year written and who starred in the film version that the title of this post comes from.
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Music for a Darkened Theatre...
Yesterday was Danny Elfman's birthday. We weren't at work yesterday (they unchain our manacles for some government holidays) so, apropos, today's playlist reflects some of the finer works in Mr. Elfman's oeuvre.
Batman (who is this Prince fellow?)
Mission: Impossible (Elfman's first score of his "mature" period)
Mars Attacks! (just damn funny)
Sleepy Hollow
Spiderman
Red Dragon
Spiderman 2
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I've never seen the original in English, I had to watch it in Spanish, though; Willy Wonka y la fabrica de chocolate!!!)
Now I realise this is hardly comprehensive, but this is a pretty good overall representation though I don't have the scores to Sommersby or The Black Stallion, both of which I understand are quite good. Also of potential interest in the not-very-thematic-but-a-wonderful-film-score-case-study-in-building-tension area would be his score for Dolores Claiborne which is quite nice.
Oh, and anyone says that Elfman's scores are ghostwritten or he doesn't read music loses and eye (unless it's the Pikey; I'm afraid you've already lost too much what with the meat grinder "accident" and all).
Batman (who is this Prince fellow?)
Mission: Impossible (Elfman's first score of his "mature" period)
Mars Attacks! (just damn funny)
Sleepy Hollow
Spiderman
Red Dragon
Spiderman 2
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory (I've never seen the original in English, I had to watch it in Spanish, though; Willy Wonka y la fabrica de chocolate!!!)
Now I realise this is hardly comprehensive, but this is a pretty good overall representation though I don't have the scores to Sommersby or The Black Stallion, both of which I understand are quite good. Also of potential interest in the not-very-thematic-but-a-wonderful-film-score-case-study-in-building-tension area would be his score for Dolores Claiborne which is quite nice.
Oh, and anyone says that Elfman's scores are ghostwritten or he doesn't read music loses and eye (unless it's the Pikey; I'm afraid you've already lost too much what with the meat grinder "accident" and all).
Thursday, May 18, 2006
Bloggin' ain't easy but it sure is fun...
Yeah. I'm totally white.
Our computer at home bit it this past weekend so we are sans all things computer-related until this weekend. This means that I'm bloggity-blogging at work until then. Things have been hectic as all hell here, too, but that's another posting.
We made it to Mission: Impossible 3 this past weekend with Oscar and B. Was it a great movie? No. Was it a helluva lot of fun? I think so. Unfortunately the plot was, once again, waifer thin. Isn't it just possible that someone could write an actual story for one of these things? The first is still the best and we'll just pretend the second one didn't even happen. I've noticed that a fair number of people on the Film Score Monthly message board are kind of poo-pooing Michael Giacchino's score for the film. I can't help but think that, compared to much of the other more recent work out there, it's quite good. It's pretty "up front" for a contemporary action score. And even though it's filled with bombast, it's also has a few subtleties. Plus his interpolations of Lalo Schifrin's original themes (including some of "The Plot") were quite nice. My only gripe is that Giacchino either needs to learn how to orchestrate better or hire someone who does because I have the Alias: Season One album and The Incredibles and I just don't think that Tim Simonec is a good orchestrator. He had help (like the 900-year old Jack Hayes, who was no spring chicken when he orchestrated Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) but Simonec was the lead and ultimately responsible for the end result. At the same time some of his writing reminds me of some of the things I've done in a few of my own scores. Just with a bigger budget (rather than a "beggar" budget).
Also, there's a discussion going at the Film Score Monthly message board about the use of pencil and paper versus synthesizers and computers for the composition process. Some people are saying that they can hear the difference between composers who use one or the other as their primary means of composition. To an extent I agree. But I also think that it has as much to do with training as the tools one uses.
Comments? Is it the same with screenwriting?
Our computer at home bit it this past weekend so we are sans all things computer-related until this weekend. This means that I'm bloggity-blogging at work until then. Things have been hectic as all hell here, too, but that's another posting.
We made it to Mission: Impossible 3 this past weekend with Oscar and B. Was it a great movie? No. Was it a helluva lot of fun? I think so. Unfortunately the plot was, once again, waifer thin. Isn't it just possible that someone could write an actual story for one of these things? The first is still the best and we'll just pretend the second one didn't even happen. I've noticed that a fair number of people on the Film Score Monthly message board are kind of poo-pooing Michael Giacchino's score for the film. I can't help but think that, compared to much of the other more recent work out there, it's quite good. It's pretty "up front" for a contemporary action score. And even though it's filled with bombast, it's also has a few subtleties. Plus his interpolations of Lalo Schifrin's original themes (including some of "The Plot") were quite nice. My only gripe is that Giacchino either needs to learn how to orchestrate better or hire someone who does because I have the Alias: Season One album and The Incredibles and I just don't think that Tim Simonec is a good orchestrator. He had help (like the 900-year old Jack Hayes, who was no spring chicken when he orchestrated Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan) but Simonec was the lead and ultimately responsible for the end result. At the same time some of his writing reminds me of some of the things I've done in a few of my own scores. Just with a bigger budget (rather than a "beggar" budget).
Also, there's a discussion going at the Film Score Monthly message board about the use of pencil and paper versus synthesizers and computers for the composition process. Some people are saying that they can hear the difference between composers who use one or the other as their primary means of composition. To an extent I agree. But I also think that it has as much to do with training as the tools one uses.
Comments? Is it the same with screenwriting?
Monday, May 01, 2006
Putting a Dime in the Minimalist Jukebox
Recently the Los Angeles Philharmonic (in conjunction with other LA arts organisations) hosted the 'Minimalist Jukebox' Festival. This was the first festival of its kind hosted by a major orchestra. I downloaded the 2 albums that have been released (so far) of the festival from iTunes this weekend. Stunning recordings of stunning works.
Today's Playlist:
Louis Andriessen: Raconto dall'Inferno, de Staat (from the festival)
Arvo Paert: Tabula Rasa (festival)
Steve Reich: Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards; 3 Movements for Orchestra; Tehillim (festival recordings); Music for 18 Musicians
Henryk Gorecki: Symphony no. 3
John Adams: Shaker Loops, Light Over Water, Naive and Sentimental Music
Philip Glass: Symphonies no. 2 & 3
Jim Fox: The City the Wind Swept Away
I would have included some Branca but, as McIntire has noted, it's a little too extreme to play at work.
go...listen...go...listen...go...listen...go...listen...go...go, listen...go...go, listen...go...go, listen...go, go, go listen...go, go...go, listen...go, go, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, goooooooooooooo.....
Today's Playlist:
Louis Andriessen: Raconto dall'Inferno, de Staat (from the festival)
Arvo Paert: Tabula Rasa (festival)
Steve Reich: Variations for Winds, Strings and Keyboards; 3 Movements for Orchestra; Tehillim (festival recordings); Music for 18 Musicians
Henryk Gorecki: Symphony no. 3
John Adams: Shaker Loops, Light Over Water, Naive and Sentimental Music
Philip Glass: Symphonies no. 2 & 3
Jim Fox: The City the Wind Swept Away
I would have included some Branca but, as McIntire has noted, it's a little too extreme to play at work.
go...listen...go...listen...go...listen...go...listen...go...go, listen...go...go, listen...go...go, listen...go, go, go listen...go, go...go, listen...go, go, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen...go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go listen, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, go, goooooooooooooo.....
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)