Tom Guernsey

Very much looking forward to this. One of my favourite Jerry scores. Also great to read about someone else who was at the talk about The Edge!

M: I thought you were dead? Bond: I got better.

They only disappear when it’s really cold…

He was only 75 but had suffered from Parkinson’s. While I can’t claim to specifically be a fan of his work, he’s the only vaguely well known director I’ve ever met and that was only because he was at a talk by Jerry Goldsmith that focussed on his score to The Edge. Unfortunately I didn’t think to get an autograph from Tamahori (although obviously my copy of Night Crossing signed by Jerry is one of my most treasured possessions). I forgot that they also worked together on Along Came a Spider before he went on to direct Die Another Day.

When in New Zealand… If you like Sibelius in symphony 3 or 6 mode crossed with a bit of Arnold Bax then I highly recommend Douglas Lilburn. Several lovely tone poems and three excellent symphonies.

Air New Zealand has excellent taste in music….

Not sure where else to post this but by complete coincidence I found out today that Edith Bowman has taken over from Matthew Sweet on Sound of Cinema https://www.pressreader.com/uk/features/20251029/281668261214041 I wouldn’t call myself a super regular listener but Sweet will be hard to follow even if I do enjoy Edith Bowman as a presenter from what I’ve heard. Hard to say if he left or was pushed out from what I’ve read.

Again, some of his reviews are almost certainly worth hearing but I can’t be faffed to listen to him ranting against his particular peccadilloes (he seems to particularly dislike conductor John Storgards, for example) to find the good stuff. Plus I’d rather read reviews than watch them. I’ll stick to MusicWeb which has much more measured and lengthy (sometimes too lengthy!) reviews or just buy stuff by conductors and orchestras I like and make up my own mind!

The especially annoying thing about someone like Norm is that he obviously knows a lot about classical music, has written some decent books about it and when he’s writing articles about music he’s interested in, can be very informative. But he comes across as such a massive dick at other times that I can’t be bothered to actually make any effort to read his reviews or commentary. Alex Ross (who wrote the excellent The Rest is Noise about 20th century classical music) can be similar although he’s much less gossipy. Same goes for David Hurwitz* on Classics Today whose reviews can be quite informative but he also comes across as quite obnoxious that I can’t be bothered, even more so in his video reviews. *moderately entertaining article about him here… https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/can-dave-hurwitz-save-classical-recording - I mean I don’t think it needs saving. They are still issuing classical music albums at a prodigious rate so someone must be buying them, not just me…

Ah maybe it’s online only… I only ever use BBC Sounds for radio so didn’t notice that it’s under Radio 3 Unwind and not a regular Radio 3 show. I can’t even share a link to it even though it claims to have a link (although that could be because I’m not currently in the U.K.). Anyway if you search in the Sounds app you should find it. But oddly well hidden! Weirdly, unlike Sound of Cinema that turns into a “podcast edition” after 4 weeks and drops the full length tracks (you get 30 seconds of each track or so instead), which i assumed was a licensing thing, Cinematic Sounds has complete tracks for all available episodes, going back to February this year.

Not strictly a recent score but have discovered Cinematic Soundtracks on BBC Radio 3. I’m not really a fan of “chilled classical” radio shows (I want my classical to excite and stir me) but for the jet lagged insomniac film music fan, Cinematic Soundtracks is just what was needed. It doesn’t have the insight Matthew Sweet brings to Sound of Cinema but Edith Bowman is a gently engaging host which perfectly complements the more relaxed tone. The musical choices are surprisingly varied from classic and contemporary Hollywood scores (the last episode I listened to featured John Powell, Bernard Herrmann and Carter Burwell, amongst others) but also European and music from TV shows (didn’t expect to hear music from marvel’s What If…?).

Slightly more unexpected was hearing Dance of the Witches played over the speakers at Luna Park for Halloween. Good choice! Oh yeah, now in Australia…

Thanks for the info. Might have to order it. Oddly the link is blocked from where I now am in Australia (unless it doesn’t like VPNs?!) but will have to see about ordering it when I get home. I think I have the Yared one but honestly can’t recall if I’ve watched it!

Singapore Airlines rather unexpectedly had “In the Tracks of Alexandre Desplat”, a 2014 documentary interviewing Desplat, as well a many of his key directorial collaborators including Wes Anderson, Jacques Audiard, Stephen Frears as well as his agent Laura Engel and his wife Dominique Lemonnier. Have to say that I learned a lot more about Desplat in this than I did about JW in his documentary. Some interesting insight into his compositional methods and approach (not to mention he’s a pencil and paper guy and doesn’t have a team). It made me appreciate his music all the more and even if you’re not into his style there’s no denying his love and care for the art form. No idea where you might watch it aside from booking a seat on Singapore Airlines (although if you are travelling long haul, I highly recommend them).

Not strictly unexpected, but wandering around a huge and astonishing arboretum (in Singapore) that’s also full of superbly executed animatronic dinosaurs with the Jurassic Park themes (and the main Giacchino theme from the first Jurassic World movie) on a loop isn’t the worst way to spend an afternoon…