JERRY GOLDSMITH

Simple motifs for action, yes, but they weren't leitmotivic I think. They had a more straight-forward use than a leitmotif, at least from some time Goldsmith didn't quite use too much counterpoint. If you want leitmotif in most recent scores try Howard Shore and his LotR and look at the development there. Goldsmith went pretty much more straightforward with it.

Bugger. I keep forgetting whether I like things or not. OK, perhaps I did like it then.

Jordi, I don't think any of his 90s scores were leitmotivic. He came up with little motifs and used them throughout scores, but not in that way.

I don't think so - he didn't come up with specific motifs to represent characters. More a case of "action motif" and "adventure motif" and "danger motif" etc, which he could use in a much more fluid way. Using leitmotif strictly can be very restricting and it takes a really skilful composer to pull it off. Williams wasn't too strict in the Star Wars series - even though that's usually taken as the pinnacle of the leitmotif approach to film scoring, he took several liberties, which made for better scores. Howard Shore in LOTR on the other hand was much stricter, which is why the scores can drag a bit. It's technically sound using the Fellowship motif every three minutes in the first film, but I found it really very tiresome in the film and could never listen to the complete release, for that reason. There's only so much the average listener can take of hearing the same few notes repeated without variation. You almost get that in Empire Strikes Back, with almost every track featuring The Imperial March, but Williams does enough with it to prevent it being a problem.

I'm very pleased to hear that!

Yeah, remember, he plays his flute!

Thats what I call to specify.

and for once, I'm not part of it woopheee

And just because I don't like it shouldn't matter at all. The important thing is if you like it
thomas

Seriusly, each character from this trilogy has his own theme, and they are very well presented (if not devoloped for the previous 2 mediocre scores)

Davey Jones, Lord beckett, Tia Dalma/Calypso, Barbossa, Jack Sparrow (3 or 4 themes), will and Elizabeth, the pirates, Will's father..even the ships (the flying dutchman). and they are not 1 note or 2 notes motifs...

It just requires deep thought and a thorough understanding of counterpoint.

Thinking about what score I like most ...or Secret of the Nimh or Legend.

One of them leaves the synths in the wardrobe but the other one has the good themes.

I can't help you with which one you like most, Nautilus, but I know which one I like most. The Secret of NIMH is quite brilliant, with soaring themes and spectacularly detailed composition. But Legend is a step beyond, truly spectacular and I think one of the most awe-inspiring film scores there's ever been. Goldsmith put his heart and soul into that one and it paid off (though not for him, seeing it dumped from the American release and completely messed-around with even in the European version). I've said before, I think after that Goldsmith - while of course remaining completely professional - never quite "went the extra mile" to that extent again. Having seen himself toil so hard over something only for it to be replaced by something an intelligent six-year-old with a keyboard could put together in a day or two, apparently because that's what audiences wanted, made him wonder why he bothered.

Once again Thor, your reasoning defies all sense of logic.

It's quite alright in the film, but I do this everytime they pop on on the soundtrack -> . Sad that such a potential masterpiece was wasted this way. I never understood why Goldsmith dabbled in synths, a medium he never understood or handled.