Marcus

Vince DeRosa was for Hollywood in the 60's, 70's and early 80's what Jim Thatcher has been for the last twenty years or so, namely the incarnation of the huge "Hollywood" horn sound. It is Vince DeRosa you hear doing all horn solos for Williams and Goldsmith on any score recorded in L.A. till ca. mid 1980's. He is a magnificent horn player.

There will be no "good" witches in my opera! (which actually makes it more difficult dramatically speaking, as "pure evil" is very hard to portray convincingly). We're sticking to the original ending in Dahl's book.

...Or too few of "The Witches". Yes, it is a good adaptation, although perhaps a little saccharine in its general tone (still, it is frightening for being a late 1980's children's film). I'm actually working on an adaptation on "The Witches" myself: I've been commissioned to make an opera adaptation of it, scheduled for a 2008 premiere, and we've thankfully secured the rights. My music will be a little darker than Mr. Myers', but if it were to be cast as an operetta, I cannot think of a more fitting overture than the one Stanley Myers offered!

Damien, thanks for the information (and for correcting my misspelling of his name,-terribly sorry...)! Zimmer worked with Myers? How interesting... and surprising! I'm always disappointed when people mistake John Williams the guitarist for John Williams the composer... Best, Marcus

I think 2005 was simply remarkable in terms of Williams' efforts. His writing seems as spirited and fresh as ever, and I think he is the most conceptually daring he has been since the early 70's ("Revenge of the Sith" is a good example; the "super-theme" of the entire film is essentially a dirge-like universe of minor, and it is as if all other leitmotifs and themes are merely shadings and textures on a larger, somber (and almost monochrome) canvas). "War of the Worlds" was exciting, and very detailed! The amount of work, the energy and thought put into it, is staggering. There's a lot of music, and it is all quite complex and layered (and no, it's not just "layered dissonance", whatever that is supposed to mean,- there's great structure in the harmonic design to those sonorities!). "Memoirs of a Geisha" is nothing short of a Williams classic, and I've stated my opinion of "Munich" earlier in this thread (it is hauntingly beautiful, and no senior student at Berklee or Juilliard could achieve this,-it took the expertise, grace and wise restraint of a fully mature master to write it!). I can't think of many other composers more vital late in life. Verdi comes to mind, and that's about it...

Stanley Meyers had the "misfortune" of writing one hit that has utterly eclipsed whatever else he has contributed: The Cavatina from "The Deer Hunter". I have often been impressed with the quality of his writing, and was again reminded of the man's talent when watching the 1989 film version of Roald Dahl's "The Witches". Has anybody else heard this? It is a delightful score, and I would love to get a recording of it, but have been unable to find one, and I'm not even sure a soundtrack was ever isued, although I suspect that it was, and is simply out of print...Does anybody know?

How sad... I was still hoping Spielberg would direct this, and subsequently give us another Williams score... Williams seemed to be under the impression that this was a possibility as recently as late August 2005...

Williams wrote a great score for a great film. The score is very impactful for its sensitivity and restraint (like the film), and "Prayer for Peace (Avner's Theme)" is a profoundly beautiful string elegy (I also enjoy the other arrangements of this theme, especially the solo guitar version, which is perfectly adapted for the instrument, and quite virtuosic). Glad you like it so much!

I am EXTREMELY excited about this!

...Well, the casting (and acting) is perhaps not always outstanding. But I do think there are scenes here and there that are profoundly beautiful, and very sensitively done. Not as artistically successful and not as eloquent as "Munich" or "Saving Private Ryan", but still...

I actually don't want to see this happen. I think M. Night Shyamalan shows a lot of promise, but I'd rather he continues with his own projects and stories. There aren't enough "auteurs" in Hollywood. And as much as I respect James Newton Howard, I really can't hear him do a Potter score, and I really don't want to hear "Hedwig's Theme" superimposed on shifting meters and soft piano/synth textures... Somehow, Shyamalan and Howard seem to "urban" for Harry Potter... I would really like to see more British directors with experience from the theater continue the Potter saga.

It is a truly great score to a film that deserves a lot more recognition!

Hooray for Carl Stalling!

You are thinking of the right piece, and the confusing part is that it has several titles...

Two existing possibilities for a B theme in a hypothetical concert arrangement of the force theme, would be the middle section of Anakin's theme, and the "Duel of the Fates" theme (which is actually a rotation of sorts of the force theme).

"Rufio's Theme? " Where can I hear this? There are so many wonderful candidates already listed... Personally, I am rather partial to the ballroom sequence from " The Witches of Eastwick".

I would love to do this, if I only had time... What a wonderful assignment! Maybe...

I certainly didn't- or didn't intend to- state that anything is "idiocy", as far as our opinions on film scores and their composers, and I'm sorry to have caused you to think this. But I don't think craft and expertise (I'll leave talent out for now) are subjective and abstract concepts, not from a professional artistic point of view. And I didn't mean to call anybody uninformed. I simply meant to say that if we insist on comparing Zimmer to Williams, it is perfectly obvious they are in different categories, different leagues, technically and aesthetically. That some may prefer one or the other shouldn't be a problem for anyone (obviously). But there is such a thing as quality of writing, such a thing as craftsmanship... Oh, and Steef: Enjoy good music. Pure and simple. Don't worry about how much effort it cost the composer, it is really not for an audience to judge anyway. Hey, we still like Mozart, right?

...A patriot to good music...

I do too. Having said that, I will also offer: Zimmer is essentially bad Eurotrash dance music for pseudo-orchestra.

To suggest that anything Zimmer ever writes can hope to be on the same level as Williams, even on Williams' most uninspired Tuesday, is to misunderstand talent, craft and expertise... Now, you may still like Zimmer, and even prefer him to better composers, and that is O.K. But "The Patriot" is -and I am stating this matter-of-factly- a superior score, not just to "Gladiator", but to most scores of the last 10 years not penned by Williams.

Nice work, ChrisAfonso! I like how you bring a lot of dramatic and textural development to your chaconne. And kudos to you for deciding on casting your second movement as a chaconne; it is a wonderful formal concept, and has great potential! Are you familiar with the chaconne from Corigliano's 1st symphony? What's the 1st movement of your trio like? Fast? Moderato? I think you might find that a brief fast movement, like a quick rondo, will work well after the chaconne, depending on the feel and pace of your 1st movement. Thank you so much for your kind words regarding my work. I can send you a copy of my (very legible) manuscript of "Lasuliansko Horo", if you provide an address (regular mail). My publisher is preparing it for release, but since this could take a while, I'd be happy to send you a copy myself. Thanks again, Marcus

I'm with Miguel on this one! And I'm certainly keeping my fingers crossed...

I wouldn't be too shocked if Williams were to suddenly surprise us with something else before Indy IV... And I keep hoping something will come of the suggested viola concerto (is it supposed to be written for Cynthia Phelps, or did I dream that?)...Or a recording of the horn concerto, and of "Soundings"... Still, he has given us a concert suite from "Memoirs" and a new arrangement of "Remembering Munich".

'Dark' as in 'brooding' or as in 'bleak'? I think some of Shostakovich's slow music (typically, a symphonic largo) is exceptionally desolate and mournful. On the other hand, Wagner can be extremely dark, but for other reasons, and in other ways. There are times when listening to his music, I can't help but recall the famous comedian Woody Allen's musings on the subject. Quoth Allen: "Whenever I hear Wagner, I want to invade Poland". Then again, there is music that can be dark in all of its brightness: Ravel's "La Valse" is in some ways very dark...