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What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)


Ollie

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JOHN CARTER, first time on my stereo. I love the score, but the CD mix sounds a bit muddy and muted. On headphones it's ok, it just seems a little underwhelming through proper speakers.

Good ol' Dan Wallin strikes again eh? I would love to hear the difference if Giacchino would use someone else for a change. The score itself is wonderful, one of Giacchino's best.

Have you heard How to Make an American Quilt by Newman? Another beautiful and haunting (but short) score. Oscar and Lucinda holds the special place in my Newman collection though. A truly beautiful and mesmerizing score.

yes, haven't listened to it too much but it's a sweet little score.

what do you think about little women? I haven't seen the movie but it's one of the few scores that doesn't have a single cue I don't love.

Little Women is again from the more accessible end of Newman's spectrum and very enjoyable with beautiful melodic orchestral writing. Only thing about the album that is a bit irritating is the source music. The score itself is as I said great.
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MOH and SWON were not recorded by Wallin, but then they were recorded inside a church with a smaller orchestra...so you maybe cant tell the difference...

Well that would explain why MOH scores sound better than some of the later film scores done with Wallin.
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JOHN CARTER, first time on my stereo. I love the score, but the CD mix sounds a bit muddy and muted. On headphones it's ok, it just seems a little underwhelming through proper speakers.

Yes. My only true gripe about Giacchino. Muddy recordings. I think the score is definitely his best to date.

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Imagine Simon Rhodes working with Giacchino. Would be awesome!

Karol

Botnick or the JNH-Murphy. I haven't heard JOHN CARTER really, but some of MG's recent scores sound as if a audio vampire sucked them dry. There's an unpleasant flatness to the brass and strings.

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Botnick would be even better. Is he still working in the business, though? I haven't seen him credited him on anything beyond these Goldsmith re-issues lately...

Karol

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Botnick would be even better. Is he still working in the business, though? I haven't seen him credited him on anything beyond these Goldsmith re-issues lately... Karol

LARRY CROWN is his last credit.

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The Passion of the Christ Symphony by John Debney

Something fitting for Easter. His single best work IMO. Gets a bit cheesy here and there, especially when it verges towards Rozsa/Newman kind of territory - not exactly what you would do in a "serious" concert piece. But he greatly (and impressively) expands upon the material from the movie to create a really strong and coherent piece of work. Not a rehash of the score, but a completely new whole (quite unlike Howard Shore and his LOTR symphony). There is some really gorgeous writing in there, particularly for voices and woodwinds. The world music aspect is tastefully reduced to minimum. I hope it gets a proper release someday.

Karol

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Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams: I have not listened to this score in a while. Such beautiful and lyrical music. The emotion here lies in small gestures and instrumental performances but Williams allows the music to bloom in the finale in a satisfying way. Yo-yo Ma is simply tremendous talent as is Itzhak Perlman, their respective talents lending voice to the main characters so elegantly. Williams' gifts for musical allusion work here perfectly, combining Eastern instrumentation and musical gestures with the more accessible Western orchestral idiom very deftly. Becoming a Geisha is a definite highlight as are As the Water... and Chairman's Waltz.

I also suggest the Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra for anyone who likes this score. Williams has created such an interesting and satisfying reimagining of the score in those 6 movements. It is almost like his second cello concerto.

Dvorak's great classic, Symphony #9 "From the New World"

I love the almost beatific Largo movement to bits. The whole symphony is a truly wonderful and powerful piece of music.
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Taras Bulba by Franz Waxman. What a great fun this score is. It feels very authentic Slavic. And the new album is fantastic. I love the score, songs and all the extras (the 6 hand piano arrangement of the Ride to Dubno in particular). Some of the themes sound like a precursors to Debney's Cutthroat Island (I think it's the Cossack hymn that I'm referring to).

Batman Forever and Titus by Elliot Goldenthal.

Ben-Hur by Miklos Rozsa. Well, not all 5 discs of it. But this is another religious Easter music of choice.

And I will also listen to either Star Trek IV or VI. Haven't decided which one I fancy more tonight. They're polar opposites.

Karol

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Dvorak's great classic, Symphony #9 "From the New World"

A great choice! I've been listening quite a lot to Finlandia these last days (I'm playing it in a month and am currently in the full score studying phase :D), plus one of my all-time favourite symphonies, Beethoven's 7th.

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I've been listening quite a lot to Finlandia these last days (I'm playing it in a month and am currently in the full score studying phase :D), plus one of my all-time favourite symphonies, Beethoven's 7th.

Both fantastic works.

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Armin Steiner.

Googling around and found this interesting snippet:

Normally, our actual setups are going to be pretty much the same, unless you want something special. Like on the Witches of Eastwick score, John Williams wanted me to put the tubas next to the French horns, because they all played together. Now that isn't something that you would normally do, but it worked marvelously well. He was 100 percent right, as usual. Those are the kinds of things that create a sound. When I did Silverado with Bruce Broughton, another magnificent composer, there were times when it was so loud in the room that it was impossible. We had a very small string section, so I decided to put the strings over to one side of the room and then let the brass and the winds have all the space. Then we put up three microphones for them and came in a little closer with the microphones on the strings. And it worked. Really, it's about letting the music be your guide.
(http://mixonline.com..._armin_steiner/)
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Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams: I have not listened to this score in a while. Such beautiful and lyrical music. The emotion here lies in small gestures and instrumental performances but Williams allows the music to bloom in the finale in a satisfying way. Yo-yo Ma is simply tremendous talent as is Itzhak Perlman, their respective talents lending voice to the main characters so elegantly. Williams' gifts for musical allusion work here perfectly, combining Eastern instrumentation and musical gestures with the more accessible Western orchestral idiom very deftly. Becoming a Geisha is a definite highlight as are As the Water... and Chairman's Waltz.

I also suggest the Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra for anyone who likes this score. Williams has created such an interesting and satisfying reimagining of the score in those 6 movements. It is almost like his second cello concerto.\

Yes! This is my favorite Williams score, for sure. Considering how shallow the film is(I still like it a lot, despite this), I am always shocked by how moving of a score Williams produced. I get the impression he was scoring the book as much as the film, allowing him to take greater inspiration

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Memoirs of a Geisha by John Williams: I have not listened to this score in a while. Such beautiful and lyrical music. The emotion here lies in small gestures and instrumental performances but Williams allows the music to bloom in the finale in a satisfying way. Yo-yo Ma is simply tremendous talent as is Itzhak Perlman, their respective talents lending voice to the main characters so elegantly. Williams' gifts for musical allusion work here perfectly, combining Eastern instrumentation and musical gestures with the more accessible Western orchestral idiom very deftly. Becoming a Geisha is a definite highlight as are As the Water... and Chairman's Waltz.

I also suggest the Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha for Cello and Orchestra for anyone who likes this score. Williams has created such an interesting and satisfying reimagining of the score in those 6 movements. It is almost like his second cello concerto.

I cannot express how much I love this score. One of my first Williams scores actually. The musical nuances are fantastic. And I always loved the main theme and how beautifully and intelligently it was developed throughout the score. Confluence always broke my heart. Whenever I listen to that score, I'm always reminded of how much mastery Williams has over the orchestra and the listeners...stunning really.

Dvorak's great classic, Symphony #9 "From the New World"

I love the almost beatific Largo movement to bits. The whole symphony is a truly wonderful and powerful piece of music.

Indeed, the Largo movement is absolutely beautiful (and understandably a classic). I also LOVE the first movement in its dramatic movement. My favourite is probably the Allegro con Fuoco movement though (the last one), I always enjoyed the fashion in which he brought all the great themes together. Very enjoyable.

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Memoirs of a Geisha is also a great score to show to somebody who doubts Williams' ability to write emotionally restrained music.

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The Passion of Christ by John Debney: Debney has succeeded in turning something that might have been spiritually uplifting into a collection of world music meanderings where orchestra plays the second fiddle to ambience. It is a fresh approach I'll give you that, striving for authenticity and local colour (I surmise at Mel Gibson's behest) and to his credit he offers a few moments of melodic beauty in the middle and end of the album but for the most part the result is non-descript. In comparison Mychael Danna's The Nativity Story and Jeff Danna's The Gospel of John both find a much more appealing and emotional blend of ethnic and orchestral.

The Crucifixion is a beautiful piece but sounds like Horner had written the string parts. :P

I think I'll turn to The Greatest Story Ever Told by Alfred Newman and the aforementioned Jeff Danna's score for some Passover music.

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The Passion of Christ by John Debney: Debney has succeeded in turning something that might have been spiritually uplifting into a collection of world music meanderings where orchestra plays the second fiddle to ambience. It is a fresh approach I'll give you that, striving for authenticity and local colour (I surmise at Mel Gibson's behest) and to his credit he offers a few moments of melodic beauty in the middle and end of the album but for the most part the result is non-descript. In comparison Mychael Danna's The Nativity Story and Jeff Danna's The Gospel of John both find a much more appealing and emotional blend of ethnic and orchestral.

The Crucifixion is a beautiful piece but sounds like Horner had written the string parts. :P

I think I'll turn to The Greatest Story Ever Told by Alfred Newman and the aforementioned Jeff Danna's score for some Passover music.

The Gospel of John is another Easter score that I listened to. It's amazing how direct and emotional it is, and yet not schmaltzy at all. And yes, the use of ethnic colours is very well done. Not the kind of thing you can hear in most Hollywood films.

Karol

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The Passion of Christ by John Debney: Debney has succeeded in turning something that might have been spiritually uplifting into a collection of world music meanderings where orchestra plays the second fiddle to ambience. It is a fresh approach I'll give you that, striving for authenticity and local colour (I surmise at Mel Gibson's behest) and to his credit he offers a few moments of melodic beauty in the middle and end of the album but for the most part the result is non-descript. In comparison Mychael Danna's The Nativity Story and Jeff Danna's The Gospel of John both find a much more appealing and emotional blend of ethnic and orchestral.

The Crucifixion is a beautiful piece but sounds like Horner had written the string parts. :P

I think I'll turn to The Greatest Story Ever Told by Alfred Newman and the aforementioned Jeff Danna's score for some Passover music.

The Gospel of John is another Easter score that I listened to. It's amazing how direct and emotional it is, and yet not schmaltzy at all. And yes, the use of ethnic colours is very well done. Not the kind of thing you can hear in most Hollywood films.

Karol

The Gospel of John is one my favourites in the genre. Its just crafted so well without being overbearing or cliche at some moments. Instead of just sheer melodrama, its nice to hear a score that focuses quite a bit on ethnic authenticity. I also really liked the themes.

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I can't help it though! Every time I click "quote" (only once!) I always end up with a double quote on my mac...

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Sleepers:

This was a unique listen for me in that it's probably the only available Williams release that I had never heard in any form before listening to the OST. I also knew very little about the film - only that it's about a group of adults that were molested as children. After one listen, I think it's a good score. The treatment of the Dies Irae is the thing that stands out to me the most--it is similar to the treatment Williams gives it in Jurassic Park and Revenge of the Sith, and parts of it remind me of Rachmaninoff. The choral work in "Saying the Rosary" is beautiful - did Williams write that, or is that from Church liturgy? Like most of these subtle works, I think it's something I will grow to enjoy more (like Incanus mentioned in his review a few pages back).

Liszt: Piano Concertos 1 and 2, and the Totentanz

Very enjoyable stuff. I love the Totentanz, some really cool variations on Dies Irae.

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Just keep listening to Sleepers, Indy, it will open up the score for you. It has now become of my personal top 10 JW scores, really rewarding stuff

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I'm fully expecting to fall in love with it within the next few months. John Williams just has too much talent to write a bad score (with some very rare exceptions). :)

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Just keep listening to Sleepers, Indy, it will open up the score for you. It has now become of my personal top 10 JW scores, really rewarding stuff

What I really like about Sleepers: woodwinds and the off-kilter main theme.

Karol

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Thanks for the link! Reading it right now, it's very interesting.

Ahh, a fan of Frank Tichelli are you indy4? I like the man's work, he can create some truly beautiful music at times. But I've met him before, wasn't the best of experiences. He was kind of stuck-up, self-righteous and a bit of a jerk at times. But doesn't mean I don't like his music (which I vey much do).

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Good to see the Sleepers has so many fans on this MB. :)

It is not as straightforwardly accessible as much of Williams' music but it is certainly rewarding once you get into the score. The choral work in Saying the Rosary is original Williams although he uses the Latin Mass text (holy communion I think which fits the scene).

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The choral work in Saying the Rosary is original Williams although he uses the Latin Mass text (holy communion I think which fits the scene) and parts of the Requiem mass text.

Ah, thanks for the info!

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The choral work in Saying the Rosary is original Williams although he uses the Latin Mass text (holy communion I think which fits the scene) and parts of the Requiem mass text.

Ah, thanks for the info!

Ah I did a quick check and it is actually just from the holy communion text. The choir is basically repeating this text in full or in fragments: Corpus Domini nostri Jesu Christi [custodiat] animam tuam in vitam aeternam = May the Body of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve your soul unto everlasting life.
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Journey of Natty Gann - Horner

Such a great, heartwarming score. The 40+ minute runtime passes by quickly, and one of Horner's best efforts. Good movie too.

Deathly Hallows: Part 1 - Desplat

I never get tired of this score. Just wonderful.

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Journey by Austin Wintory: An immersive, atmospherical and lyrical experience. I am sure it works wonders in the expansive setting of the game and on its own the music conjures shades of different cultural influences but never, as the composer intended, veers too much to any one recognizable ethnic style. Minimalism works beautifully here giving the music constant motion as does the orchestration relying very much on strings, flute and cello making notable solos throughout. The final song I Was Born for This is a beautifully haunting meditation and a finale on the main theme, which is ubiquitous in the score itself but never outstays its welcome. Really a beautifully serene, lyrical and almost hypnotic experience.

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Listened to On the Town again. Of the limited music I've heard by Leonard Bernstein, this has got to be one of his best. I love the weird rhythmic things he does, especially in the opening track. Any musicians know what it's called when you've got a melody playing in one time signature, and a counterline underneath it that feels like it's playing in another time signature? In "New York New York" there's a part where the melody is playing in 4/4, and underneath it trombones and percussion are playing dotted half notes...it's an awesome effect.

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