Jump to content

Musical sounds you hate


Quintus

Recommended Posts

Some that I used to hate, but have warmed up to:

Major key harp gliss into a big statement of a theme.

I know what you mean. But I guess cliches are only cliches because on some level, they work. These can be so...formulaic, but they just work so well!

ELECTRIC PIANO

Wailing woman

Lots of cymbal crescendos for drama. Like in trailer music and reality TV. Also a lot of film scores.

Yes.

Those 3/3/2 "Ethnic" Percussion patterns that do nothing but punch you in the gut and provide a dancey rhythm

This sounded cool the first few times, but it got old. There are a lot more things one can do with percussion!

Reverse piano dissonance to cut to a commercial break on smething like "24"

I haven't noticed that on 24...what I HAVE noticed, however, is a huge number of cues that are simply cut off as the commercial break arrives. They seem to have no real end a lot of the time. On another note, I'm curious - how do you feel about Giacchino's characteristic use of trombone and string glissandos at many of the cuts to commercials in Lost? If you're familiar with the show, that is.

I'm not familiar with the Lost music. I watched it for about 10 minutes and was impressed with what I heard. I just don't have time to invest in TV shows. They go on too long.

Sounds like I would probably like those trombone and string glissandos. Probably dissonant stuff.

I am not sure if 24 uses the reverse notes now that I think of it, but i've heard it in TV shows that are meant to be very suspenseful before the commercial.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I DESPISE that annoying high-pitched flute Williams employs as a signiture for the compys in The Lost World. Utterly unlistenable apart from the film, even if it represents the character's annoying nature well.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I DESPISE that annoying high-pitched flute Williams employs as a signiture for the compys in The Lost World. Utterly unlistenable apart from the film, even if it represents the character's annoying nature well.

An overblown piccolo?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I guess that means it's OK if some of the set is visible in the background of a scene in a film, or the boom mic is in the shot, or you hear the crew talking off camera.

It takes away from the experience.

Why? If you go to a concert and see the musicians, does that take away from the experience, too?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sometimes seeing the musicians is amazing. Sometimes I think it's a more pure experience to pay total attention to the sound.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Oh, I don't necessarily pay attention to them all the time. Especially at an opera; I tend to look at them once in a while, but often I just listen even during the overture. I'm just saying I don't see how being aware of the musicians can be harmful to the experience. Now if they make excessive noise, that's something different... but a chair once in a while or a page turn I don't mind.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm not familiar with the Lost music. I watched it for about 10 minutes and was impressed with what I heard. I just don't have time to invest in TV shows. They go on too long. Sounds like I would probably like those trombone and string glissandos. Probably dissonant stuff.

Extremely dissonant, yes, and very effective. :)

I am not sure if 24 uses the reverse notes now that I think of it, but i've heard it in TV shows that are meant to be very suspenseful before the commercial.

CSI often uses reversed cymbal. That can get a little old, too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I DESPISE that annoying high-pitched flute Williams employs as a signiture for the compys in The Lost World. Utterly unlistenable apart from the film, even if it represents the character's annoying nature well.

I personally love that sound, John Williams has used it more than once in recent times.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know why some people have a problem with a chair being moved, something being hit or someone coughing (if barely audible) that is caught on an OST. To me that just shows that the orchestra is 100% real and not some synth job. Small stuff like that I have no problems with at all.

I guess that means it's OK if some of the set is visible in the background of a scene in a film, or the boom mic is in the shot, or you hear the crew talking off camera.

It takes away from the experience.

I don't even pay attention to stuff like that while watching a movie so 99% of the time I barely see it so it doesn't bother me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't know why some people have a problem with a chair being moved, something being hit or someone coughing (if barely audible) that is caught on an OST. To me that just shows that the orchestra is 100% real and not some synth job. Small stuff like that I have no problems with at all.

I guess that means it's OK if some of the set is visible in the background of a scene in a film, or the boom mic is in the shot, or you hear the crew talking off camera.

It takes away from the experience.

I don't even pay attention to stuff like that while watching a movie so 99% of the time I barely see it so it doesn't bother me.

Agreed. I saw Don Giovanni live at the opera yesterday. At one point, one of the background people ran through the scenery, and a couple of minutes later he was about to do the same when he was apparently caught by a colleague and told that everyone could see him (at least he didn't show up again). I found it highly amusing, but it didn't make me lose track of the actual opera.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I saw Don Giovanni live at the opera yesterday. At one point, one of the background people ran through the scenery, and a couple of minutes later he was about to do the same when he was apparently caught by a colleague and told that everyone could see him (at least he didn't show up again). I found it highly amusing, but it didn't make me lose track of the actual opera.

Oh, I hate it when that happens. Being backstage myself, I am incredibly paranoid about what is or is not visible that should not be. People look at me strangely when I ask them after the performance if they noticed anything like a blank spot in the scenery or a stagehand walking through the scenery.

And you saw Don Giovanni? What was the main cast, would it be too much trouble for you to list them?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Don Giovanni: Erwin Schrott

Leporello: Hanno Müller-Brachmann

Donna Anna: Aleksandra Kurzak

Don Ottavio: Bernard Richter

Il Commendatore: Attila Jun

Donna Elvira: Véronique Gens

Masetto: Markus Butter

Zerlina: Nina Bernsteiner

ORF Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Arnold Schoenberg Chor

Conductor: Riccardo Frizza

Great cast, everyone was at least good, most were excellent, and first rate actors as well. The only one I wasn't all that excited about was Richter, but then I've head Bostridge in the same role a few years ago, so I'm spoiled. :lol:

The staging by Keith Warner was... uneven. Until the final scene, I couldn't quite make up my mind what to think of it, much of it was really good, with some nice ideas, though some bits annoyed me. But the finale, in my opinion, was simply ridiculous. And having Giovanni die in a sound-proof glass coffin meant they had to play his final lines over loudspeakers...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Anything involving the brass and/or percussion sections of the Prague Philharmonic.

I don't know, I thought the brass and percussion players did an unusually good job for Pan's Labyrinth. "Not Human" sounded like it could've been performed by L.A. or London musicians than Prague musicians, but that could depend on how seasoned the musicians were and the conductor directing the ensemble. What bugs me about the Prague Philharmonic is that more often than not, there's always something "off" when they do recordings of famous film themes or even worse, do film-themed soundtracks because the reuse fee is too high. The "Harry Potter" and "Indiana Jones" albums made me weep, but the "Pirates of the Caribbean" album wasn't bad at all. I don't know if it's a smaller orchestra, the recording engineer, or recording studio used but they are an insult to the original studio albums.

But my main peeve with musical sounds doesn't have anything to do with the instruments or the way they're played, but the recording quality. Dan Wallin's work on Star Trek II, Star Trek (2009) and Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie (especially the last one) left a lot to be desired. I really don't get why Giacchino likes using him when there are far better mixers out there like John Kurlander, Simon Rhodes, Shawn Murphy or Dennis Sands who achieve a beautiful, in-the-room quality with their mixing.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot the saxophone...I generally dislike it in film scores

Did you also dislike it in Catch Me If You Can? I love its use there, no other instrument would've been so perfect for that particular movie, especially for Father's Theme.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think that by "bagpipes score," Alex meant a film that has more substantial use of bagpipes than a single appearance (Star Trek II), or used sporadically but still not everywhere (Braveheart, Titanic, etc.). Like if you took a normal symphonic score and swapped the violin section for bagpipes, or swapped the synth for bagpipes on an electronic avant garde score. And I can't think of any.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot the saxophone...I generally dislike it in film scores

What about at :50 at that link, Mark?

If you add "#t=0m50s" to the end of the link, it automatically plays at the desired spot.

#t=XXmYYs where XX = total minutes, YY = remaining seconds

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I forgot the saxophone...I generally dislike it in film scores

What about at :50 at that link, Mark?

If you add "#t=0m50s" to the end of the link, it automatically plays at the desired spot.

#t=XXmYYs where XX = total minutes, YY = remaining seconds

Wow, Bowie, thanks! That's totally awesome news. Makes it just that much easier to "rick roll" people! If I were going to unleash that attack that is.

Actually that would be very handy if I put up a demo reel montage, to send to clients the exact moment I would like them to see first.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bagpipes rock.

Please! Name me one good movie that has a bagpipes score!

Maurice Jarre's DEAD POETS SOCIETY used bagpipes very effectively.

But the finale, in my opinion, was simply ridiculous. And having Giovanni die in a sound-proof glass coffin meant they had to play his final lines over loudspeakers...

Mozart would have approved :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think anyone has mention this - a jaw harp (or Jew's harp as it's called).

Terrible. John W. used it in "Rosewood".

Haha :) I've known jew's harp for a long time, but it never annoyed me. Amused maybe, it seems quite comic to me. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I don't think anyone has mention this - a jaw harp (or Jew's harp as it's called).

Terrible. John W. used it in "Rosewood".

You hate the ol' Morricone scores?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

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 account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site, you agree to our Guidelines.