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Conduct?

Oh sorry, I didn't know that my post would go up so late. I'm referring to Tom's post about conducting She.

Recently Played: Predator 2 - Alan Silvestri and The Red Violin - John Corigliano

Predator 2 gave me my Predator kicks for years until Varese released the almighty Predator Deluxe Edition. Predator 2 was one of my very first soundtrack CD's and when I found it at Tower Records in Toronto I was as pleased as punch. I couldn't WAIT to get home to give it a spin. Silvestri perfectly supplied the urban jungle setting of L.A. with literal jungle sounds which included an army of percussion, synthetic effects and blaring brass passages. Familiar themes and motifs from the first film work there way in this score... at times note for note. Highlights are the massive action cues "Tunnel Chase" and the finale cue before the brilliant end credits "This Is History" which is oddly the 8th track on a 13 track CD. I would personally like to know the chronological order of these cues. Speaking of the End Titles... whether it's pasted together or not, it's easily goes down and one of the all time best end credit cue. The sound quality is stellar (Dennis Sands rarely misses) and The Skywalker Symphony performed the shit of the score. It is a wonderful album to turn up loud and piss off the neighbors.

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On the way home from Toronto the brilliant sounds of John Corigliano and flawless violin performance of Joshua Bell kept me company. I simply LOVE The Red Violin. What I find so fascinating is that the concert piece "Chaconne for Orchestra and Violin" was written before the film score was written. So, basically, Corigliano had already written his film score before the picture was finished and all he had to do was adapt it to the images. Most of the major themes and motifs are in the concert work however the Chaconne is a much larger set piece which incorporates the entire symphony orchestra (powerful stuff) while the film score itself is much smaller and intimate work. The Chaconne is easily one of the great stand alone pieces of music these ears have ever heard. And then to hear those themes developed and dissected into the film score is a brilliant feat in itself. The recording is sublime!

If you aren’t familiar with the score then you might want to start with the Chaconne first so that you are familiar with the themes and then can go through the score to hear how they are utilizes. Or do you play from start to finish and then hear the Chaconne last which works almost as a 17 minute long End Credit piece. Which ever way that you do listen to it, it will be a rewarding one. It all plays more like a concert work rather than a film score anyway.

The films main theme is stated a lot throughout the score but it goes through main variations all brilliant performed by Joshua Bell which keeps the theme from being stagnant. One of my favorites version is the when Corigliano turns the theme into a hypnotic tune to help seduce the character Morritz. Corigliano gives the violin a voice and a soul. It’s brilliant stuff.

Different cultures and sounds are featured in the score as well. The Gypsy music is about a light as the score gets and his a most welcomed piece to take the score out of it’s dark mood which is the dominate texture during it’s playing time.

Also check out the track “Etudes” which is basically a Joshua Bell show off piece. The tracks starts off with what I assume is a metronome clicking at a very slow pace. Bell begins his performance playing a very difficult passage as a leisurely pace. The metronome soon picks up the pace and so does Bell until we are as a breakneck speed and you wonder if Bell’s violin strings are on fire. Bell doesn’t miss a beat or a note. Absolutely breathtaking!

Esa-Pekka Solonan conducts the LA Philharmonic in one of those rare scores in the past 10 years or so that truly deserved the Academy Award.

As for John Corigliano... having played all three of his film scores recently I really hope that we get to hear more from him in the film world. He is a gifted composer and has written three stunning scores in his career. Hopefully, one of these days, Revolution will be released commercially for you all to hear. And if you don’t have Altered States and The Red Violin in your collections I highly recommend you do. You will not be disappointed.

-Erik-

Too many bloody Star Wars re-recordings out there, it's bewildering for first time buyers. And there are so many versions of the OSTs as well! It's ridiculous.

Bicentennial Man James Horner

Okay, so perhaps one of his most 'copy-paste' heavy scores, and it's certainly nothing new. But it is one of Horner's most pleasant albums! 'The Wedding' (what an original name) is over-sentimental... and it's just awesome, it really does stop me in my tracks that one. I'd love to have this played at my wedding!
Um.
I mean to say power tools. Womens volleyball. Rugby. Beer.
Manly things.

<_<
>_>

And I'm glad you do! But then not every first time buyer has an Erik at their disposal. I dunno why I'm complaining really, there is an infinitely more bewildering choice of recordings out there for classical music, so why not for film music? I guess I'm not used to associating that same kind of market demand (for want of a better phrase) with film music and then of course with film music we're blessed with the original recordings anyway.

I have the following order for this score - I might have put this together but it was some time ago and I'm not sure how accurate it is (I don't think that there are any edited tracks)

01 - 07 - 02 - 09 - 05 - 04 - 06 - 03 - 08 - 10 - 11

On the subject of this score, I've always wondered whether track 4, "Truly Dead", was a typo error. If I remember from the film, there's a quote "Truly dread" that is featured during this cue. Anyone else ever wondered about this?

NP: Free Willy 3 - Cliff Eidelman

A sweet, innocent, short little score by Eidelman. Again, Eidelman proves his gift for melody with a fantastic little sweeping main theme. Poledouris' original theme from the first two Willy films makes a cameo. The Toronto Symphony isn't challenge with their performance but it's nice to see a local orchestra performing a film score. There is one big action cue however but it's pretty standard stuff. And of course Eidelman offers listeners a proper end title cue which sums up all of his major thematic material perfectly. Overall, Free Willy 3 is pretty easy listen and lovely one at that with a hint of adventure.

-Erik-

NP King of the Wind (John Scott)

Besides Scott´s usual expertise with themes and orchestrations, this is such an elegant score. I can´t have enough of his music !

Genius of composition? Bloody hell. Seems I should give this one a listen then!? I've never seen the film, heard the score or heard anything by John Corigliano.

I'll post my classical collection in that said thread if ever created and you can let me know what you think of it and make recommendations.

-Erik-

NP: The Horse Whisperer - Thomas Newman

I seem hooked on this at the moment. Always hits the spot at this time of night.

The Red Violin is a pretty good film with some powerful moments and certainly worth your time watching and the score is intrinsic to the film....I'll say no more.

As for the score it's very good, "genius" ut uh, not in my book!

I stand corrected old bean

His compositional "chops" are indeed immense.

Night - Cezary Skubiszewski

After listening to his dazzling Death Defying Acts a lot in the last few days, I've returned to his equally wonderful score to the Australian documentary feature; it's a brilliant melding of orchestral and non-orchestral styles, well worth tracking down.