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

[nightscape94 968]

Goldsmith Star Trek: The Motion Picture

[Xander Harris 9,673]

Hook, Temple of Doom and Amazing Stories: The Mission. I really lucked out today.

[The Psycho Pianist 221]

HP and the Chamber of Secrets. Classic JW, like the usage and development of the motifs from the first film - twisted and used in clever ways, especially in Knockturn Alley. The new themes are amazing as well, especially Fawkes the Phoenix - I feel he should have saved that for a more prominent character (maybe Dumbledore) - it deserved it!

[KK 3,313]

My favourite Nyman score, a melancholic study in shimmering minimalism, never as inspired as his Greenaway stuff fro mthe 80's or even THE PIANO, but more fully rounded than either. And the final presentation of the main ideas in THE SNOWY DEATH rivals James Horner in desperate beauty.

I should check it out then. Big Nyman fan, but I haven't heard this one yet.

I'd love to check this one out too. I like some Nyman's work in Gattaca and The Piano, but his works often offer singular highlights. I'd like to hear a well-balanced Nyman album.

[Xander Harris 9,673]

HP and the Chamber of Secrets. Classic JW, like the usage and development of the motifs from the first film - twisted and used in clever ways, especially in Knockturn Alley. The new themes are amazing as well, especially Fawkes the Phoenix - I feel he should have saved that for a more prominent character (maybe Dumbledore) - it deserved it!

He wrote a one-off melody for Ron walking up to the hat in the first movie that could have been a great theme to carry a score. Yet, with JW it's just a few seconds. Fawkes played barely any role outside of one scene in the movie. Yet, JW theme!

[The Psycho Pianist 221]

HP and the Chamber of Secrets. Classic JW, like the usage and development of the motifs from the first film - twisted and used in clever ways, especially in Knockturn Alley. The new themes are amazing as well, especially Fawkes the Phoenix - I feel he should have saved that for a more prominent character (maybe Dumbledore) - it deserved it!

He wrote a one-off melody for Ron walking up to the hat in the first movie that could have been a great theme to carry a score. Yet, with JW it's just a few seconds. Fawkes played barely any role outside of one scene in the movie. Yet, JW theme!

Ah yes just watched on YT, a bass clarinet theme that could have been built up into something brilliant - I don't think it was used aside from that particular scene either. The way his mind works is completely unique, I don't think we'll see someone with his capacity for thematic creation and development for a very long time.

[Jay 46,241]

HP and the Chamber of Secrets. Classic JW, like the usage and development of the motifs from the first film - twisted and used in clever ways, especially in Knockturn Alley. The new themes are amazing as well, especially Fawkes the Phoenix - I feel he should have saved that for a more prominent character (maybe Dumbledore) - it deserved it!

He wrote a one-off melody for Ron walking up to the hat in the first movie that could have been a great theme to carry a score. Yet, with JW it's just a few seconds. Fawkes played barely any role outside of one scene in the movie. Yet, JW theme!

Ah yes just watched on YT, a bass clarinet theme that could have been built up into something brilliant - I don't think it was used aside from that particular scene either. The way his mind works is completely unique, I don't think we'll see someone with his capacity for thematic creation and development for a very long time.

He repeated that little theme for Ron in Chamber of Secrets when he shows up to rescue Harry at the beginning.

[Score_Fan 37]

That should have stayed. I liked that little segment.

[Marian Schedenig 11,694]

I'd love to check this one out too. I like some Nyman's work in Gattaca and The Piano, but his works often offer singular highlights. I'd like to hear a well-balanced Nyman album.

Gattaca is actually one I have difficulties with, it's overall too understatedly moody for me.

If I had to pick three essential Nyman CDs, they would probably, in no particular order:

Michael Nyman Live

Concertos (Saxophone & Cello, Harpsichord, Tuba)

The Piano Concerto/MGV (for the latter)

But there's plenty more great stuff.

[A24 5,155]

Do you know the expression: It's better than the movie?

[publicist 4,650]

It's in the dictionary under 'Goldsmith, Jerry'

[chuck 155]

Speaking of, last score I listened to was

Papillon - melancholic, atmospheric, French.

[MrJosh 1,205]

Speaking of, last score I listened to was

Papillon - melancholic, atmospheric, French.

Ah, I love this score. That melancholy sound is tenderly bittersweet.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Silent Hill 2 by Akira Yamaoka

I watched the trailer for the upcoming Silent Hill: Revelation 3D, and the use of Yamaoka's brilliant reprise of "Promise" got me in the mood for these scores. Just the fact that his music is still with this franchise in any and all ways long after he left is just testament to how perfect it is. Akira Yamaoka brings the universe of Silent Hill to (its disturbing yet beautiful) life. Silent Hill 2 in particular is my favorite of the series, in terms of the game and its music. It's just so brilliantly executed; visual storytelling with a horrifying atmosphere and the epitome of horror scoring. Grinding, surreal sound design and eloquent melodic themes clash to create the ultimate horror experience. Some of this music makes me cringe, making it hard to get through. But it's worth going through the nightmare to experience the light that occasionally finds its way through. People that call Hans Zimmer noise won't appreciate Yamaoka's genius here, because this is literally noise (listen "Ashes And Ghost").

The songs he writes and has performed by Melissa Williamson and Mary Elizabeth McGlynn are awesome in their own right, even better when listened to in the body of the scores. Score fans looking for something different to get in to, this is for you.

[Hlao-roo 390]

Sure, but that's to argue that a listener with a heart condition must be cautious, objectively, Williams never has equalled it (he traded it for the more regal, theme-independent scherzo style of LAST CRUSADE, which even today is his template for this kind of score).

As for last listen

My favourite Nyman score, a melancholic study in shimmering minimalism, never as inspired as his Greenaway stuff fro mthe 80's or even THE PIANO, but more fully rounded than either. And the final presentation of the main ideas in THE SNOWY DEATH rivals James Horner in desperate beauty.

Not too Morricorny for you?

[publicist 4,650]

I doubt Nyman would know how to spell it, let alone be inspired by EM.

[MrJosh 1,205]

FINALLY listened to M:I: Ghost Protocol by Giacchino.

It's great! Nonstop fun! Love how he played with Russian and Indian sounds, love the integration of Lalo's Schifrin's themes. I really like "The Plot" motif from the show and I think its cool that Giacchino thought to use it in both his m:i scores. Also, the love theme music for Ethan and his woman (heard at the end of the movie ) is at or near the top of most beautiful Giacchino melodies in my opinion, though it reminds me of some of the nicer music from LOST.

great fun score, I say!

[Incanus 5,890]

The Long Goodbye by John Williams: There's a long goodbye and it happens everyday...

None But the Brave by John Williams

[A24 5,155]

The Tree Of Life: Desplat is probably the most talented film composer of the new generation.

Alexandre

[Incanus 5,890]

Yet so much of his music starts to sound the same with the same bag of tricks. Waltzes, breezy orchestrations, flutes and minimalistic progressions. I wish he would cut his output to a few films a year instead of 10 so he could get some variety in there. Undoubtedly he is also a victim of his own popularity as film makers demand the type of scores from him as I described above. He is certainly becoming influential as I can hear a lot of references to his work in surprising places.

[A24 5,155]

Yeah, soon his inspiration will dry up.

[Incanus 5,890]

I certainly hope not but I wish someone would ask for something a bit different from Desplat from time to time than light tingling and waltzy scores that seem to epitomize wit and cultured way of portraying just about anything these days. What they gain in musical sophistication they usually lose in heart and emotional impact in my experience.

That said I have yet to listen to The Tree of Life.

[publicist 4,650]

Umm...did you hear ANY of the recent Desplats? Except CLOCLO, nothing fits the description above.

[A24 5,155]

I think his scores (don't know that many, actually) have a pleasing aesthetic. And he rarely goes overboard even though I can definitely hear that he's some kind of Williams' pupil. I can hear the master's influence in the work of Desplat.

Alexandre

[Incanus 5,890]

Umm...did you hear ANY of the recent Desplats? Except CLOCLO, nothing fits the description above.

Yeah I still have to hear about 10 of the scores he did in 2011 and 2012 thusfar. I know I know I am lagging behind but the man is a writing machine. Did any of these latest scores set you on fire btw?

[A24 5,155]

Who are you asking?

[Incanus 5,890]

Who are you asking?

Well publicist but also you. Any recent Desplat suggestions? I am just taking a listen of The Tree of Life as I type. Thusfar quite atmospheric but good. A rather impressionistic and comtemplative score.

[publicist 4,650]

I told you about EXTREMELY LOUD, which has all the flirring stuff but no waltzes and it's certainly a very 'american-ized' score, emotionally. Except for HARRY POTTER, which i found so-so at best, i say that he did very different kinds of score for RUST AND BONE, ARGO, REALITY (those two await US release), Moonrise Kingdom, The Ides of March, A BETTER LIFE (nice guitar theme) and 'La fille du puisatier' (string-heavy drama score with one cue reworked for EXTREMELY)...TREE OF LIFE has some boring tracks, but i fancy CIRCLES very much and some of the paino numbers are quite lovely.

[Brónach 1,330]

I like parts of The Tree of Life but overall it doesn't hold my attention much. I remember River and Circles and also Childhood for some reason.

[chuck 155]

Malice - main theme

Haunting with the women's choir and vintage high strings from JG

[A24 5,155]

Who are you asking?

Well publicist but also you. Any recent Desplat suggestions? I am just taking a listen of The Tree of Life as I type. Thusfar quite atmospheric but good. A rather impressionistic and comtemplative score.

Is Benjamin Button recent enough?

[publicist 4,650]

That's like recommending THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING to recent Williams fans!

Here are some of his newer concoctions:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBvtaKqd83w&feature=relmfu

[A24 5,155]

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 12,384]

So something like Hostage is like I passed For White on the Desplat/Williams conversion scale?

[publicist 4,650]

I'd say THE SECRET WAYS or NONE BUT THE BRAVE.

[Koray Savas 2,260]

Fantastic Mr. Fox anyone?

[Jay 46,241]

FINALLY listened to M:I: Ghost Protocol by Giacchino.

It's great! Nonstop fun! Love how he played with Russian and Indian sounds, love the integration of Lalo's Schifrin's themes. I really like "The Plot" motif from the show and I think its cool that Giacchino thought to use it in both his m:i scores. Also, the love theme music for Ethan and his woman (heard at the end of the movie ) is at or near the top of most beautiful Giacchino melodies in my opinion, though it reminds me of some of the nicer music from LOST.

great fun score, I say!

Yea!!

[crocodile 9,724]

That's like recommending THE MAN WHO LOVED CAT DANCING to recent Williams fans!

Here are some of his newer concoctions:

Those examples illustrate perfectly why his HP scores are so lackluster. He could have done wonders with them. Not that it was he's fault really.

Listened to Saving Private Ryan, which gets better and better as time goes by. Love the rawness of it.

Karol

[Marc 1,071]

[crocodile 9,724]

Mate, you want to be banned or what? The forum rules clearly state "no Gustavo Santaollala".

Karol

[Hlao-roo 390]

Gustavo, with breathtaking poise, challenged entrenched ideologies about what film music is supposed to entail -- of course he gets derided by the self-styled film music cognoscenti. The fact of the matter is that whenever we hold up any kind of fixed artistic approach to hegemonic status, we inhibit innovation, suppress personal expression, and ironically promote the kind of mindless cookie cutter product that we expend so much energy lamenting.

Gustavo isn't a hack. He's a hero.

[gkgyver 1,647]

Mostly, he is boring.

[Incanus 5,890]

Gustavo Santaolalla's approach to scoring a film wasn't anything revoltionary really. All that he has done has been done before with much less fuss. I think his chance came with these few noteworthy films, when Hollywood decided it was time to honor the less main stream musical approach as a sign of the vogue of the times.

And as much as I am all for diversity in film music, Santaolalla's music hasn't really left a mark in my memory. Forgettable I'm afraid.

Ghost Writer by Alexandre Desplat

[Hlao-roo 390]

Your loss. Genius isn't appreciated in its time.

[Taikomochi 1,460]

Gustavo, with breathtaking poise, challenged entrenched ideologies about what film music is supposed to entail -- of course he gets derided by the self-styled film music cognoscenti. The fact of the matter is that whenever we hold up any kind of fixed artistic approach to hegemonic status, we inhibit innovation, suppress personal expression, and ironically promote the kind of mindless cookie cutter product that we expend so much energy lamenting.

Gustavo isn't a hack. He's a hero.

I see what you are saying, but I feel like Gustavo's scores have in themselves become cookie cutter products. I admire somebody who tries to avoid mainstream sound, but it seems like he just goes straight in the opposite direction without any real thought of whether or not it is good. It's like saying, "I don't like pop music, so I am going to bash some pots and pans together and call it music." Yes, the thought is worthwhile, but it's not art by any stretch. At the end of the day, it all just meshes together into ambient nothing, and, particularly in Babel, does not enhance the film. Babel's use of music, aside from the score, was great, though.

This complaint is all the more so on a forum that focuses on the enjoyability aspect of film music over it's cinematic value, form over function and whatnot. I don't think Santaolalla really succeeds on either level.

[Incanus 5,890]

Your loss. Genius isn't appreciated in its time.

That's what the pretentious people who think they are geniuses tell themselves at night when the cry themselves to sleep.

[crocodile 9,724]

Gustavo doesn't write music, he is music.

Karol

[Brónach 1,330]

Starting Soul of the Ultimate Nation by Howard Shore.

It sounds familiar

[Jay 46,241]

Yea its a very close cousin of LOTR . Hmm maybe even brother

[KK 3,313]

Its LotR without the big bold themes. It's a great score!