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War Horse – A Review and an Analysis of the Original Soundtrack Album


Incanus

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I agree.

Remember all discussion there was about The Patriot, how brilliant it was. It was like Far and Away but better, best JW drama score ever etc....

Now it's barely mentioned anymore.

Funny. I don't remember that discussion at all. The score was given a somewhat cold reception.

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Slightly tangential, this, but I hope interesting: if you enjoy the English pastoral influence heard in the War Horse music, you might really enjoy the range of Christmas music that the great Ralph Vaughan Williams composed. I think it's gorgeous, both the orchestral and the choral work.

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I just read this analysis (because I just listened to this score today). Fantastic stuff Incanus!

I must say that like many others, I am pretty blown away by this score (as I expected to be). There is so much beauty in this score, I can't help but love it (might be because I'm a big fan of Ralph Vaugh Willaims too). What I really love about the score is how the whole experience is a journey. The way Williams crafts his themes, shapes them, moulds them and ultimately transforms them for the ending is quite impressive. The maturation of the musical ideas is stunning.

But I feel that I definitely need to listen to this a lot more to truly appreciate the beauty of it. I hope to have a review of my own completed for next week.

- KK

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By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the "Friendship" theme at the end sounds more like a sorrowful variation of the Dartmoor theme? In fact, the Dartmoor theme doesn't really come in Act III of the score until "Homecoming" which is really just a suite of all the themes. So, my theory is that the "Friendship" theme is really an evolved version of the Dartmoor theme, after the tragedies of the war.

- KK

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By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the "Friendship" theme at the end sounds more like a sorrowful variation of the Dartmoor theme? In fact, the Dartmoor theme doesn't really come in Act III of the score until "Homecoming" which is really just a suite of all the themes. Hence, my theory is that the "Friendship" theme is really an evolved version of the Dartmoor theme, after the tragedies of the war.

- KK

Thank you for your kind words in the above post K.K. :)

And you make an interesting observation! I think one of our other members (filmmusic) noted in this thread how the main thematic ideas contain common elements with each other so it could be that interconnectivity you are hearing or it could well be as you say, a different development of the Dartmoor idea.

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By the way, am I the only one who thinks that the "Friendship" theme at the end sounds more like a sorrowful variation of the Dartmoor theme? In fact, the Dartmoor theme doesn't really come in Act III of the score until "Homecoming" which is really just a suite of all the themes. Hence, my theory is that the "Friendship" theme is really an evolved version of the Dartmoor theme, after the tragedies of the war.

- KK

Nah, I agree with your observation. I've felt that way all along about that theme too. It seems like a natural musical development of it, to me.

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I agree.

Remember all discussion there was about The Patriot, how brilliant it was. It was like Far and Away but better, best JW drama score ever etc....

Now it's barely mentioned anymore.

Funny. I don't remember that discussion at all. The score was given a somewhat cold reception.

There was no such discussion at JWFAN (or whatever it may have been called at the time). War Horse's reception has been markedly different, despite not being a markedly better score.

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I agree.

Remember all discussion there was about The Patriot, how brilliant it was. It was like Far and Away but better, best JW drama score ever etc....

Now it's barely mentioned anymore.

Funny. I don't remember that discussion at all. The score was given a somewhat cold reception.

There was no such discussion at JWFAN (or whatever it may have been called at the time). War Horse's reception has been markedly different, despite not being a markedly better score.

Isn't it more reasonable to conclude that War Horse's reception has been so markedly different because the score is simply a much better, emotionally more appealing score than The Patriot, despite your own evaluation of the score...?

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Isn't it more reasonable to conclude that War Horse's reception has been so markedly different because the score is simply a much better, emotionally more appealing score than The Patriot, despite your own evaluation of the score...?

Or everyone got dumber and easier to please in-between...

:sigh:

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I love the track "The Reunion". Its one of the best tracks in the score.

Fun Fact: Williams has had 3 tracks (as far as I remember) named "The Reunion". The two others from A.I. and War of Worlds. All of them being amongst the highlights of their respective scores. ;)

Can anyone name any other "Reunions"...

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Sleepers score has also a track called Reunion and Finale which is a highlight of that score as well. :)

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As i have listened now 5 times to it, final verdict is that it definitely seems to have clicked more with Williams' sensibilities than his last Spielberg score and can be put in the Top 5 of his post-2000 scores (where i'd also put AI, POTTER 1 or 3, Geisha and MR).

It's most similar to FAR AND AWAY, but seldom resorts to the grandiose banalities of that score. The country music draws from THE REIVERS and THE RIVER, a welcome compositional change of pace from the americana of his american films like AMISTAD etc. The first half is clearly the most colourful, with PLOWING being an early set piece which is a reminder why people become film music fans in the first place - it molds its thematic ideas into one great showstopper clearly telling a story in a wonderfully old-fashioned sense.

The middle half, when they leave the heartlands and come to the trenches unfortunately offers not much by comparison - bugle horn calls reminiscent of SPR and THE PATRIOT, somber chords here, a bit of frantic ostinatis there, it all doesn't add up to much till PULLING THE CANNON and NO MAN'S LAND, which gets the album back on track with more urgency and a final release of thundering action music, which is good but not overly innovative (it sounds more like Newton Howard and Horner than i would have anticipated).

The last tracks are reserved for the good 'ole homecomings and reunions, always with a tear of remembrance on the sleeve. Here Williams melks his sentimental americana theme, which is far from original but hands-down wins every BEST WAR HORSE THEME poll...people just like their mushy stuff. It goes thick on the unisono horns and gets the job done, but also foreshadows terrible kleenex time in the film. I don't know if it works, but it will be terrible if it doesn't.

The HOMECOMING concertizes the most important themes and shows that Williams surely found the heart of the movie in its pastoral settings and moods, which form the basis of the piece, which at one point rather glaringly quotes from the mushy theme, which doesn't gel well with the rest of it.

4/5 or 8/10

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If Far and Away can be accused of trafficking in "banalities," War Horse, let alone most of Williams's œuvre, can hardly be excepted.

Sleepers score has also a track called Reunion and Finale which is a highlight of that score as well. :)

It's not as mean and hip as "The Football Game," though.

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If Far and Away can be accused of trafficking in "banalities," War Horse, let alone most of Williams's œuvre, can hardly be excepted.

WAR HORSE never resorts to STAR WARS tuttis and the underscore isn't as meandering. F&A has its virtues, but it's very modest in its aspirations.

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If that's the benchmark...

What's the benchmark? How many times?

:lick:

Till even the fanboards start to vomit over the damn thing. This might mean a considerably larger number than 100!

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I love the track "The Reunion". Its one of the best tracks in the score.

Fun Fact: Williams has had 3 tracks (as far as I remember) named "The Reunion". The two others from A.I. and War of Worlds. All of them being amongst the highlights of their respective scores. ;)

Can anyone name any other "Reunions"...

The original and best, from JANE EYRE.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I just completed my own analysis of the score:

http://musicmusekk.wordpress.com/2011/12/16/war-horse-john-williams/

In the review I mention how what Incanus calls the Friendship theme is arguably just a variation of the Dartmoor theme. Moreover, I've included how Williams very intelligently plays around with Joey's thematic material (two themes that Incanus calls the Playful Horse theme and Joey's New Friends). If you listen carefully, the first four notes of Joey's New Friends (or what I call his friendship theme) acts as a driving motif at 0:18 in Learning the Call. Just a few things I pointed out in the analysis.

Any criticism and feedback is much appreciated! And please leave a comment on the site if you get a chance :P

Thanks a million!

- KK

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I really enjoyed the review KK. Great observations and interpretations of the meaning of the music. Good work! :)

And yes the Dartmoor Theme and Friendship Theme might be the flipsides of the same coin. Indeed. I plan to revise my analysis as soon as I have seen the film to get a more accurate feel for the music in its dramatic setting.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Having now seen the film, I would like to suggest some alternate theme names.

(MINOR SPOILERS, NOTHING MAJOR)

What Incanus calls The Dartmoor Theme is really Albert's Theme, IMO. It always plays in scenes featuring him specifically.

What Incanus calls The Bonding Theme or The Main Theme is really Joey's Theme, IMO. Its use is always for Joey, but not necessarily for Albert as well.

Now this explains why The Friendship Theme sounds like a blending of what Incanus called The Dartmoor Theme and The Bonding Theme - it's really a blending of Joey's Theme and Albert's Theme. Instead of The Friendship Theme, a better name is probably The Reunion Theme.

Also, what Incanus called Joey's New Friends Theme is definitely better described as Emilie's Theme.

The Narracott's Theme seems like an accurate description. A lot of times it is used for Albert's mother.

Not sure about The Nature Theme, Playful Horse, or The Discovery Theme. I'd have to see the film again.

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Great observations Jason! I was planning to do some fine tuning on the names of the themes once I have seen the film. :) I'll incorporate those changes into the analysis soon.

P.S. I did not name the Joey's New Friends Theme as Emilie's Theme, which I would have done in the first place, since it would have been a spoiler. I think the connection is fairly obvious. For obscurity's sake I had to use generic titles for some themes that were pretty clear to me from the start. :P

So I'll be doing a reworked version of the analysis based on your observations and after seeing the film myself.

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When does it open in your country?

I wouldn't update the analysis until you've seen it yourself - its your interpretation of the themes after all, don't let my one viewing of the film have you change anything.

You can also always leave this main post as is - as a spoiler-free analysis of the score CD, and make a new thread for an analysis of the entire score, not just the OST, with different theme names. Just an idea.

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When does it open in your country?

I wouldn't update the analysis until you've seen it yourself - its your interpretation of the themes after all, don't let my one viewing of the film have you change anything.

You can also always leave this main post as is - as a spoiler-free analysis of the score CD, and make a new thread for an analysis of the entire score, not just the OST, with different theme names. Just an idea.

I think the film will come out here in January or February.

And I was indeed thinking of writing a separate analysis after seeing the film and elaborate on the music a bit more when I know the context.

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It is February 24th :eh:

What? Why on earth are we one of the last ones to see it in Europe? The "on the edge of known civilization" syndrome strikes again I guess.

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POSSIBLE SPOILERS BELOW:

I watched the film last night too and Jason's changes largely make sense. I would still however keep the Bonding Theme labeled as it is because it could still stand for how Joey bonds with the different characters. Also, its come to my attention that at certain times, the themes do get tossed around a bit. For instance, around the plowing scene, there is a statement of the War Theme on the woodwinds and I'm not sure why as there really is no mention of war at that scene (maybe foreshadowing?).

I still think that Joey's Theme is what Incanus calls the Playful Horse theme. I've pointed this out in my own analysis of the score, but Emilie's Theme is really harmonically linked to what Incanus calls the Playful Horse theme. So I think that theme specifically applies to the relationship between Emilie and Joey.

I'd still keep the Dartmoor Theme labelled as such as it just seems right to me (despite its many appearances with Albert). I think the theme continues to stand for Albert and the Dartmoor locale as a whole. Its more of a calling to Albert's home. So whenever it plays outside of Dartmoor, Albert's just thinking of home. And while it makes sense to label the final theme as the Reunion theme, I don't think one should overcomplicate the score as it continues to stand as a more evolved rendition of the Dartmoor/Albert theme. I still think it can stand for Albert and Dartmoor as a whole as when Albert returns with the horse at the end, what Jason labels as the Reunion theme plays out on the piano. So its in my continuous belief that the Dartmoor/Albert theme is evolved to attune to the changed experiences of the people of Dartmoor and more specifically, Albert and his family.

Finally, to those complaining about the lack of a dominant theme in War Horse. Well, there are several unreleased statements of the Bonding theme in the film which really makes the come out as quite dominant during the theatrical experience. Just thought I'd point that out.

- KK

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I think there is another theme. The Battalion Flag Theme, it starts out with the same 4 notes as Joey's theme but end in a minor statement. It is only heard once on the album (The early horn statement in Seeding and Horse Vs. Car) but is heard at least 3 times in the film.

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It is February 24th :eh:

What? Why on earth are we one of the last ones to see it in Europe? The "on the edge of known civilization" syndrome strikes again I guess.

It makes me very sad.

It's released February 22th here in France. We are so lucky.

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Hi there, my first post :)

I didn't know there was such an active community related to John Williams' music, until today! A few days back I discovered this soundtrack and decided to make a thematic overview myself, just out of interest. I was suprised to see how many times themes are referenced throughout the soundtrack (I don't know if this is normal?). I was glad to see that my list and your list is pretty similar, except that I missed the 'Joey’s New Friends Theme'. I also had listed some small theme motives as a theme although these fragment are probably to subtle to be considered a theme reference.

The motive that really stood out for me in the soundtrack was the B-flat, E-flat, G motive, played on French horn as part of the Main Theme. BTW: take a look at this. I'm wondering what you think. I think this motive comes very close to the one in War Horse. Also pay attention to the setting...

Speaking of the Main Theme, I was interested in how it is build up harmonically. Am I right that it uses the I III IV chord progression in E-flat major? It seems to me this progression is used very often in film music and pop songs, although sometimes the minor version of the tonic is used and then the III IV progression in the major version. I'm very interested to hear what you think :)

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Woah, coming way late to this thread, but just wanted to say great analysis, Incanus and filmmusic, and that I concur with you guys and crumbs as to the A/B relationship of the Bonding/Dartmoor (or potentially Joey/Albert) themes. :)

In fact, if you shift Bonding over a bar, they become inversions of each other, which is how I originally heard it in my mind:

post-3274-0-19978200-1325572027_thumb.pn

In that way, they share the same I-IV-I-IV progression and make a lovely counterpoint. Their time signatures are malleable—although Bonding is in 3/4 and Dartmoor is in 4/4 in filmmusic's transcription, they both appear variously throughout the score in 3/4 and 4/4 renditions, so it would be a natural counterpoint.

In fact, they make such a conspicuously natural counterpoint it seems to me like Williams deliberately avoids employing them as such throughout the first act to emphasize how the full nature of their friendship isn't cemented until after the events of the war.

For example, when we hear the first statements of Bonding (Track 3, 3:16) and Dartmoor (Track 1, 2:08) they're in 3/4 and 4/4 respectively (as you transcribed them, filmmusic); but when they appear one immediately after another in Plowing (3:30-4:20), it's almost as if Williams disguises their relationship by not only changing time signatures, but reversing them and rendering Bonding in 4 and Dartmoor in 3.

If they really are Joey/Albert themes (and I think they are), then the Friendship theme also could be seen as Williams deliberately rejecting portraying Joey and Albert's reunion with a simple, banal, layered counterpoint statement. Instead, the Friendship theme emerges as the unified, more mature development of the thematic material that reflects how the war has changed them both.

post-3274-0-19978200-1325572027_thumb.pn

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  • 8 years later...
On 11/10/2011 at 8:17 AM, Incanus said:

10. Joey’s New Friends
A calm, ethereal flute solo comes to offer brief solace from the horrors of war, joined by a second flute, dueting quietly, strings accompanying subtly the melody representing Joey’s New Friends, warm and comforting. Humorously optimistic and determined horn melody with a clarinet bubbling in the background seems to indicate a positive turn in the events. Soon another new melody dances forth on woodwinds, harp and happy strings, quick, dexterous and light, alternating with rather comedic interludes for brass and woodwinds, painting a light and bright hued picture of momentary respite from fear and toil.

 

An excellent piece of music offering some needed humour and lightness to the proceedings in the middle of the heavier and dramatic war tracks. Reminds me of some of the lyrical lighter moment in Terminal score and curiously enough Heartbeeps.

This little fanfare (0:54) plays when the girl walks with the horses and talks to them:

Now, let's try another (0:54) for another girl, 4 years later

 

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