Ludwig 1,120 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I was recently directed to TWO new free e-books on film music analysis self-published online just last year by a composer and university lecturer named Brian Morrell:http://www.brianmorrell.co.uk/filmbooks.htmlLots of great examples (including many Williams) are taken apart here - and he clearly has access to scores! With over 700 pages worth of material, it's a phenomenal resource for anyone interested in film music, from either a compositional or analytical standpoint. And many of the insights are quite sophisticated, though the text is written in a very accessible way. Morrell even states in his bio that he aims to write a third volume.Enjoy! Bilbo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 I'm reading this through, and while enlightening, there are some head-scratching lines like:"Films such as 2001, The Exorcist and Planet of the Apes are milestones in the use of serial music"Is the writer conflating atonal music with serial music?And on Jerry Goldsmith:"Several of his films, notably Star Trek The Motion Picture, treated heavily distorted guitars as orchestral instruments, not as tokenistic gimmicks"WTF?! Is he mistaking the blaster beam for an electric guitar?http://www.brianmorrell.co.uk/book1/03musicandmeaning.pdfAlso on page 12-13, he quotes a passage from JURASSIC PARK featuring the 'Cowboy Cadence.' He mentions that the VII being inverted gives it greater subtlety, but forgets to add that the G-C-F-Bb in the bass is following the circle of fourths. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Also on page 12-13, he quotes a passage from JURASSIC PARK featuring the 'Cowboy Cadence.' He mentions that the VII being inverted gives it greater subtlety, but forgets to add that the G-C-F-Bb in the bass is following the circle of fourths.I don't have the foggiest idea what you are saying but it sounds darn impressive and important. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,232 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 How could you possibly hope to understand? You are not an initiated member of the Circle of Fourths! Sharkissimo and Gnome in Plaid 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ludwig 1,120 Posted August 29, 2014 Author Share Posted August 29, 2014 I'm reading this through, and while enlightening, there are some head-scratching lines like:"Films such as 2001, The Exorcist and Planet of the Apes are milestones in the use of serial music"Is the writer conflating atonal music with serial music?And on Jerry Goldsmith:"Several of his films, notably Star Trek The Motion Picture, treated heavily distorted guitars as orchestral instruments, not as tokenistic gimmicks"WTF?! Is he mistaking the blaster beam for an electric guitar?http://www.brianmorrell.co.uk/book1/03musicandmeaning.pdfAlso on page 12-13, he quotes a passage from JURASSIC PARK featuring the 'Cowboy Cadence.' He mentions that the VII being inverted gives it greater subtlety, but forgets to add that the G-C-F-Bb in the bass is following the circle of fourths.You have to give him credit, though. While he may be off in some of the details, I think his broader points are largely on the mark. So you're probably right on these things, but I see the books as a boon to film music analysis. Let's be thankful, Sharky! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,713 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 How could you possibly hope to understand? You are not an initiated member of the Circle of Fourths!I know! I can never hope to hobnob with you erudite folks on this stuff. I don't know my Cowboy cadences! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Fuck the 4th Circle!Incanus, i invite you to join the oblong triangle with 4 corners! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_vader 533 Posted August 29, 2014 Share Posted August 29, 2014 Brian Morrell is my tutor. His lectures on film music are ace! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tedfud 38 Posted August 30, 2014 Share Posted August 30, 2014 wow...wonderful find. Thank you so much Ludwigt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,265 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Brian Morrell is my tutor. His lectures on film music are ace! So why doesn't he know what a blaster beam is? Gnome in Plaid 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
filmmusic 1,822 Posted September 8, 2014 Share Posted September 8, 2014 Thank you very much Ludwig!These look quite interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aj_vader 533 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 Brian Morrell is my tutor. His lectures on film music are ace! So why doesn't he know what a blaster beam is?What? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 "Several of his films, notably Star Trek The Motion Picture, treated heavily distorted guitars as orchestral instruments, not as tokenistic gimmicks"WTF?! Is he mistaking the blaster beam for an electric guitar? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karelm 2,901 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 One could argue the blaster beam is a home made electric guitar and they would not be far off. Interesting trivia, the musician who invented/played it on STTMP also starred in an episode of TOS as kirk's nephew when he was a kid. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,453 Posted June 3, 2015 Share Posted June 3, 2015 I love film music books. I own quite a few, and have read even more -- both as student and eventually teacher. Some of them use a really complex academic language. However, with books that focus on musicological analysis with lots of technical lingo, I'm totally lost. Could just as well be reading Chinese. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now