Pelzter

Has anyone hear heard it? It's a fantastic piece of music by Zimmer, and very unlike him. I would have never guessed it to be him. There are problems with it however, as it is mostly great because it sounds like a lot of other works, Williams' in particular! The first couble of minutes are pure 80s Williams, and even features Zimmers own variation on the typical Williams dramatic 1940s chord villian motif (most notably The Imperial March and the Nazi theme from Raiders), at the 3 minute mark. Following this statement, swelling string crescendos remind one of the different planet arrival fanfares of the SW prequels. The rest of the track also features David Arnold-esque StarGate writing, and one of the main motifs (very apparent at 5:45) could easily be mistaken for the sweeping string opening of the extended concert version of SLs Remembrances theme. Overall, the piece sounds extraordinarily like Star Wars. What a hack...

What do people in here think of the score to the 1992 videogame? I think it is fantastic, a wonderfully varied and beautiful score, wholly in the spirit of Indy and Williams. I really should be recorded by the LSO, with Williams conducting, that would be amazing and I'm sure Williams would love to do it. Thoughts on the score? --Pelzter, who greatly appreciated the score, even in its primitive MIDI form

Yes, there are some odd Hornerisms in Sith. Both the drum roll as Count Dooku enters, and the high strings immediatly following his death are very much Aliens. I dont hear Horner in Anakin's Betrayal, though...

I just bought the excellent 2-disc DVD of The Fly (1986), and having not seen it in a long time, had completly forgotten Howard Shore's score. I suddenly found myself hearing a familiar motif, and realized that one of Shore's main thematic ideas sound VERY similar to the first part of the theme to The Fury! Has anyone else noticed this? The similarities are quite blatant... Pelzter, who much preferres Christopher Young's more effective, if less 'interlectual' theme to The Fly II

I was walking around humming Qui-Gon's theme just now, and realized that is essentially a noble, elegant version of the villian theme from Home Alone, the first half of it atleast. Anyone else notice this? --Pelzter

No I'm not talking about concert themes, I'm talking more of concert PIECES, ala the Elegy, which is such a beautiful piece, and sounds so liberated. It flows like it wants, takes its time (with its double endings, for instance - it need not end, but can continue if it wants to, and so it does). Over the Moon and the likes are still movie themes, per se. The Elegy is a concert elegy. And I would like that very much with other pieces. I've tried to make my own elegy of Memoirs of a Geisha, made up of three pieces: First, the "Live" version of A Dream Discarted, sequeing into the Live Sayuri's Theme, and ending quietly with the album version of Dream - in short, a more classical structure.

Cybertronics is Williams in Khachaturian mode, which I think is fantastic. The tracks feels like a natural continuation or supplement piece to The Gayane Ballet Adagio (which Horner UTILIZED, not copied, to great extent in Aliens). --Pelzter.

Upon further pondering, Morricone actually share Williams' talent for 'disguising' similar harmonies and chord progressions. It was only very recently, that I discovered that the main theme from Malena (2000) begin in almost the exact same way as Deborah's Theme from Once Upon a Time in America (1984) - both very beloved themes of mine. And yet it took me a very long time to realize it. I do not know why, but I do know that Horners variations are much more blatant, for whatever reason. Incidentally, the lush, slow string writing in Susan Speaks from The Patriot (2000) sounds very much like those two tracks as well. --Pelzter.

I wish Williams would make an entire album of Elegy-like pieces, where he would take some of his less known, quiter film writing (ala the absolutly gorgeous Remembering Petticoat Lane from JP) and expand upon them. Free them from the prison of the film, if you will, make them stand on their own as independent pieces.

How bleak... I don't suppose it's ever been recorded?

Williams clearly repeats writing styles from project from project, especially his more recent, dramatic string work. Ray and Rachael from WotW is basically underscore from The Patriot, which again, is basically The Long Road to Justice and other pieces from Amistad. And so forth; the list goes on. This does not bother me at all however, since Williams has a unique ability to keep this from the casual, and even experienced listener's ear. I'd often go years without realising the often quite dramatic similarities between pieces - unlike Horner, which I think is an important difference between the two. --Pelzter

I searched wikipedia for Williams concert works, and it said something to the order of his Elegy for Cello and Orchestra was based on an earlier Concerto for Cello and Piano, both based on Tibet... Anybody know anything of concerto? --Pelzter, whose favorite Williams' concert piece is the Elegy, thus welcoming any variation or earlier draft

It's a wonderful score, with beautiful, sweeping themes, a haunting vocal, and a lovely sense of the exotic MiddleEast of old. I think it is definitly on par with Debneys equally wonderful, Oscarnominated Passion of the Christ score I personally think The Gospel of John is the best score of 2003. --Pelzter

I've never heard anything but the Main Title, but I think it is the most beautiful melody Williams ever wrote before writing the Force Theme in 1977. It's absolutly gorgeous, and has kind of a fairytale quality to it. I wish he would re-record it with a full string section and crisp sound quality --Pelzter

This is probably common knowledge to most of you on this board, but recently, I heard Igor Stravinsky's "Le Sacre Du Printemps" - and the first part of it is essentially the theme to JAWS, both in terms of the rapid string ostinato and the brass attacks. Has Williams ever commented on this? Or could it just be a coincidence? --Pelzter

I agree with you in part, TheGreatEye. Morricone is my second favorite film composer, and I think the theme to West is one of the most beautiful pieces of music I have ever heard. It gets to me EVERY time I hear it! As a single theme it exclipses just about any other cue ever done for film, with the possible exception of the E.T. Finale. However, Williams wins out in terms of entire scores, creativity and complexity. My top three Morricone scores are West, Once Upon a Time in America, and Cinema Paradiso, which is arguably the most stunning love theme ever put to film (tied with the Godfather).

It seems that this score generally has a bad rep. I've never understood this! Personally I think it's far superior to the original Batman score, which has always seems a bit to "carnevaly" for me, a bit too silly. Batman Returns on the other hands, is an amazingly beautiful, dramatic piece of work. I think that "Finale, part I" is hand down the best cue Elfman has EVER written, aside from the main Batman Theme (which is utilised much better in Returns IMO). Thoughts on this? --Pelzter

The Cello is my favorite instrument, that's probably an influence :-)

For me it's definitely the gorgeous Elegy for Cello and Orchestra. While I recognize that the core theme is from Seven Years in Tibet, the track has a florish and a freedom to it which I absolutely love. And on top of that, every single cello note in the piece is fantastic! It seems like every note was destined to be there, if you get my meaning - there's clearly no film to be followed. I especially love the cello descent followed by a lovely orchestral flurish, starting af 3:28. --Pelzter, who is mostly fond of Williams' cellobased non-film pieces.

In terms of raw power, I can find of few Williams statements scarier than the "chase" from Jurassic Park's Eye to Eye track(5:28 to 5:47). Pure heartstopping orchestral power. --Pelzter

Do any of you know if any expanded Tibet bootlegts exist? The score from the scene where Pitt leaves Tibet is especially stunning! Also, are there any re-recordings or alternates of the theme anywhere? --Pelzter

Yes, the Elegy is based a Tibet theme, and is absolutly stunning, as it is the treatment that theme deserved. the AA inclusion in the "Song" movement seems odd however, since no further references are made to AA that I can hear. It seems to just be an incidental reference.

I just heard the final movement of Williams' Cello Concerto, "Song," as performed by Ma for the "Plays the Music of" CD. Suddenly I heard something familiar. Roughly from 0:50 through 1:40, the cello bars are taken straight out of a track from the Angela's Ashes score. This cannot be a coincidence, as it is a direct lift, with only minor orchestrational tweaks - any thoughts on why these bars were included? --Pelzter, who loves the "Song" movement, as well as Williams' Elegy.

Speaking of the Batman Forever score, has anyone noticed that Shore's original Gollum / Ring motif from FOTR sounds like a minor key version of the main Forever Theme? They have very similar ascensions and descensions, not unlike the similarity between Williams' themes to The Fury (1978) and Dracula (1979). --Pelzter

Was the two juxtaposing themes recorded together or seperatly? Because it sounds to me as the loops could be a mixing issue, where slight edits were required to make the two themes sync up correctly.