Tom Guernsey

Bit of an odd one. I don't really like Mozart (I know, I know - it's all just a bit... I dunno, pretty? I think if he'd lived another 30 years and some grit had entered his work, I'd probably be a bigger fan) and don't really like opera. However, I enjoy Mozart operas. At least the couple that I have. I bought Don Giovanni (LPO Haitink) at a charity shop on a whim months ago and have only just got around to listening to it. I have no idea what's going on, but as a listening experience am enjoying it immensely. I can't quite put my finger on why Mozart opera is much more appealing to me than say, those by Shostakovich, Prokofiev or Bartok, composers whom I otherwise love. Or even Britten, whose non-opera work I really enjoy. I tried Peter Grimes but found it a real slog - much rather the Sea Interludes... probably because they don't feature any singing. Same with Richard Strauss, although he wrote plenty of other stuff I can enjoy instead (I have Eine Alpensinfonie (Dresden State Orchestra, Kempe) - the most dramatic musical setting for muesli ever written - currently playing). I really like Carmen (although I only have two albums of highlights, tsk!) and have The Pearl Fishers, but have yet to listen to it, but Bizet could be an opera composer I actually like. I can't see me getting into Verdi (I can't even really get into his Requiem for some reason), Puccini, or even Wagner, who (despite his vileness as a human being) would probably be one of my favourite classical composers if he'd written symphonies instead of operas. I should probably try and watch an opera live as I'm sure it's much more engrossing that way, but it's the one genre of classical music which is super expensive and for which it's actually challenging to get tickets (unlike your typical orchestral concert in London where you can get great seats for 50 quid). Anyone else have this where they like the music of a particular composer they don't normally like in a genre they don't usually like?! Or is it just me?!

I think the batting average with Hans was and seems to have remained about 1 in 3 (don't ask me to show my workings...). There are things now I think are pretty much hideous noise (Dunkirk) but there are others which are terrific (Interstellar). Perhaps this average was slightly better earlier in his career, but not much. It's an average I can live with!

I don't think my family have ever really understood my film music obsession, but have been very supportive if needed. Notably, when I was at school (1996 and in the 6th form, so I'd have been 17 or 18), I wanted to go to the JW concert with the LSO where he'd be doing all the greatest hits, plus the premier live performance (I think) of Summon the Heroes. In order to go, I'd have to miss an afternoon of school (the joys of living on an island). Given that, at the time, I wanted to be a composer and was also over 16 and thus no longer legally required to be at school, my parents were quite surprised to be told that they wouldn't give permission for me to go. I think they went in and had a meeting with the principal and had to persuade him of the rarity of the opportunity to see such a concert and point out all the music I'd written. He eventually relented. What a vile old bastard he was. Still, it was a great concert and very glad I was able to go. Just annoyed I lost my tape of it as I think it was broadcast on Radio 3. Ah well, the memories...

I think I had that same feeling although somewhat earlier when his score for the 2009 Star Trek movie came out. I hoped he'd channel his inner Jerry or James Horner, but instead of all that gorgeous late romantic style, it was all big, simplistic (agree on that one) clanking orchestration, an underwhelming theme (the FSM guys got it right when they said it was like the countermelody to a main theme that didn't exist). I had the same issues with his first Jurassic World score, especially frustrating as his old computer game scores showed his aptitude for channelling John Williams in a Joel McNeely kind of way, but instead it's all loud, clanking orchestration (again). And again with Rogue One (especially after he was royally shown up by John Powell on Solo). Then again, his Pixar scores have largely still be delightful but I do wish he'd reign it in a bit, write fewer scores, and try to remember that nuance isn't a dirty word. Otherwise, there's composers I play less of than I used to, but I tend to grow into composers rather than go off them.

Our local cinema is doing a screening of BTTF this afternoon so I had to revisit the score ahead of time. Nothing much new to say although it did strike me how impressively complex some of the writing is compared to a lot of Silvestri's prior film scores. Given all the fuss people made about how Danny Elfman couldn't possibly have written Batman, if I were around in 1985, I'd have been pretty surprised at BTTF coming from Silvestri.

Having intended to watch The Creator, I ended up having a nostalgic evening watching Willow. It still holds up fairly well as a mashup of various other existing fantasy stories - bits of LOTR, Star Wars, Krull, Dragonslayer and probably a load more I'm not aware of. Acting is mainly decent, although after a slightly unconvincing start, Warwick Davis as Willow gets better as the film progresses, although the rest of the cast largely steal the film from him, notably Jean Marsh chewing scenery ahead of an immediate scenery famine (albeit genuinely scary by the end) and Val Kilmer doing a fine turn as Madmartigan (an odd choice of name given the character; it would have made more sense to call him "Mad" Martigan). The FX are peak late 80s ILM, which is to say some great miniature work, gorgeous matte paintings, impressively convincing miniaturisation FX for the brownies (tiny little characters, not baked goods) which predates their work turning Julia Roberts into Tink in Hook, and barely less effective, and an effective go-motion two headed dragon (an impressive upgrade to the Rancor from Jedi). Only the limits of removing matte lines pre-computers give a few effects away. It still shows that mixing great practical and visual effects, with well chosen and spectacular location shooting, really can beat out endless CGI. Sometimes FX don't have to be fully realistic to be wonderfully artistic. Of course James Horner's score is a classic. I'll never know how he managed to mix Schumann, Prokofiev, a Hungarian lullaby (apparently) and, of course, the danger motif, into a score that still sounds entirely like James Horner. I did wonder whether JW was every in contention to score this as a George Lucas project, but I don't imagine he'd had done anything better. Although it's even more noticeable in the film that what is called Willow's theme is really much more for Madmartigan, but it doesn't matter and works like gangbusters. Sorry Robert, James Horner rewrote the first movement of your third symphony and made it better.

I don’t know whether there’s a more appropriate thread but this randomly appeared on my Facebook and it made me chuckle that JW beats them all. Even Willy Nelson.

Maybe those covers just appeared somewhere else and a few have been posted previously. I get the feeling that they are somewhat in/famous as a series so not a stretch to think they came up before.

I saw that one today on Facebook today but was clearly beaten to posting it! Brilliantly tacky

Well in that case we shouldn't include any film composers here as even JW or Hans are probably less famous than half the people mentioned here.

Chita Rivera has died aged 91, probably most famous for originating the role of Anita in the original production of West Side Story but only one role in an illustrious Broadway career. Me and the other half were lucky enough to meet her and see her perform (and technically perform with her!) on a musical theatre cruise a few years ago. She was still quite the performer and very chatty and delightful when we had the chance to meet her. https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2024/jan/30/chita-rivera-broadway-star-dies-aged-91?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

Definitely have a listen at the Intrada website as suggested, but to me it sounds a whole heap better than the original which I always thought sounded terrible - muddy and flat. I don't think the original recording can have been especially great as it still doesn't sound as good as other scores of the period (I mean it's mid-80s...) but still a significant upgrade. One of those excellent but less well known JW scores that I rarely listened to as it sounded so poor (ditto Dracula) which became much more enjoyable with the remastered edition. The additional music only adds modestly but is obviously still great to have.

Not as far as I am aware. Someone shared a half decent off air recording of a performance in France last year which will have to suffice for now!

Agreed... he's an adult and maybe things really are worse now than they were. I'm a 40 something man and can't remember feeling quite so out of sorts with the state of the world in my lifetime. "Growing up" sometimes means actually realising how shitty things really are... being young and naive is a blessing sometimes.

Oh great, can't wait to hear the recording, even if I doubt it'll be as visceral experience as being lucky enough to see it performed live last year!

During my album art cleansing phase I remember trying to find a higher resolution version of this cover. Turns out it’s better in low definition…

Has that started yet? I don't know if I've missed something!

Well I don't know if that's how Holmboe is generally considered, but he's certainly a very worthy successor, and his stuff is well worth exploring, particularly the numerous concertos. Subtle ;-)

At the risk of being "that guy", has anyone else received their copy with a disc missing? Mine had no disc 2! I have emailed Intrada, from whom I purchased it, but presumably I'll need to contact Varese at some point. Very strange! Looking forward to this one (although I remember it not quite being the quasi-Star Trek of Galaxy Quest that I hoped for when it was first announced Newman was scoring it).

Love me some Walton... on a similar tack, I was listening to some brass concertos by Danish composer Vagn Holmboe (one of my favourite classical composers, the heir to Carl Nielsen) and it occurred to me that if you like JW's works for those instruments, you'd probably like the Holmboe. Tuneful, lively, really terrific stuff, with great performances on this BIS album.

Something about a violinist... oh yeah... didn't notice his instrument. As it were.

I’m sold.

I mean I disagree but an acceptable compromise would be half the covers in the series to feature hot, half naked men on them. I’d be down for that.

Nah. He’s facing the wrong way…

Leonard Slatkin’s Facebook account is posting covers from a series of 70s classical albums. I won’t post them all but a couple representative examples…