karelm

I've heard quite a bit of his Shostakovich. I'd probably summarize it as inconsistent, inauthentic. He absolutely is brash and harsh, on overdrive really on the loud ones. I thought his Symphony No. 4 felt somewhat Baroque which was an interesting approach. The problem is, that work was composed during the peak of his "modernist" phase where the spiky instrumentations would be most emphatic. Here, it takes it sort of modestly which is out of character of the piece. It is an interesting interpretation, just not memorable. I think his Symphony No. 5 was good but I found it overall a bit sleepy. Compare this: It's definitely not bad, but when you hear it compared to this, I think this is better/hotter: compared to this Soviet era white hot interpretation. To me, this sounds as if someone held a gun to Mvarinsky's head and said, "Comrade, perform with intensity or else". Overall, I would say Nelsons's interpretation is slower, less penetrating, doesn't really get the essence of the material and this was one of his better interpretations. No. 4 needed more intensity. More modernism, less classicism.

Yes, Hurwitz was brutal. Generally, there are schools of interpretive thought that evolves over time. Shostakovich for example sounds very different in modern interpretations than in the 1980's then in the 1950's and 60's. Current trend is to take some of the extra-musical ideas out of the music as that has very doubtful integrity. So they tend to just read the music as it is which is quite different than say Leonard Berntein who added tons of gravitas and existential dread. This is a very good collection showcasing a modern interpretation of Shostakovich: Interestingly, the conductor, Michael Sanderling, is the son of a very famous old school interpreter, Kurt Sanderling who is more in line with the 1980's gravitas approach. The 1950's and 1960's tended to be filled with Soviet neurosis (hyperactive tempos and extremely harsh intensities). I believe the same is the case with Mahler. He was a very complex man but not as manic or depressed as his reputation. I have a book he wrote which is just his letters to Alma so entirely his words and personal thoughts. I think his sense of dread is an oversimplification. He also had a sense of joy and natural reflection at the beauty of the natural order, and these get downplayed in order to heighten the existential dread. I think it's easier to market so his publisher and widow (aka his estate's manager) exaggerated some of this to make it more marketable. Naming Mahler's Symphony No. 6 the "Tragic" was an invention of the publisher. I think pessimistic more accurately defines it, it's not particularly tragic but does give in to despair.

Not sure about Bruckner but his Mahler 5 is getting blasted. David Hurwitz on Nelson's Mahler: "It’s an atrocity. It’s probably the worst Mahler 5 ever. Wait until you listen to it. It’s unspeakably bad in every conceivable way and it’s all Nelsons’ fault"

Ugh! It's an excellent work by a very fine symphonist. Listen harder.

Though I found the film lackluster, I’ve come to really appreciate “Disclosure Day” score. My favorite cue from the score is “celestial…” “chase…” is great retro action music reminding me of some of his wonderful chase music from Minority Report. One of the things I love most about this score is how it does feel very reminiscent of his masterpieces in a small way. I’m not saying a clone but clearly the same mind. Here is an example: “believe…” https://youtu.be/ge9dHQy4jUI?t=55 “Blown to Bits” from Jaws: https://youtu.be/MZ2gyLCTlXA?t=145 This is clearly a tribute from earliest Spielberg/Williams masterpieces to the very latest collaboration. My general problems are with a very uninteresting story that feels like it could have been a mediocre TV film. Sure there is a great set piece (train sequence) but the film lacks magic, awe, and wonder which I was certainly expecting. There are certainly some wonderful moments in the score. I just don't feel they tie well to the film. In the past moments of magic, the score reminded me of scenes I would relive just by hearing the music. Here, I can't remember what was happening during this music. So I'm making up my own plot. With that said, I do regret not having George Lucas be more involved in the Sequel Trilogy plots so maybe I should just shut up and accept that it’s great to have an original UFO story by Spielberg flaws & all and be grateful JJ Abrams/Rain Johnson didn’t cancel him to undo his legacy.

Oh that sounded wonderful! Now I really want to hear it. One of us should email them or Caleb to ask how to get the whole audio or video.

Well, standout sequences where Frank Mathison is heard are these: The force theme on unison trombones (if memory serves, that was the very first time ever the force theme was heard full on. Prior to this, it was only a quiet solo phrase): X-wings dive bomb the Death Star (the canon is first heard in trumpets then unison trombones). It's at 1:10, for some reason the link to start then isn't working. @2:35 here are unison trombones, trumpet enter later. I'm a bass trombonist so always hear the trombones in the big brass sonorities. When getting very loud, just a few trombones can really overpower an entire orchestra. This is an example from Gustav Holst to make the point. At 4:19, everyone in the 100 piece orchestra is playing the very same thing spread across their ranges. They are all playing the ostinato rhythm. At 4:24, you very clearly hear the three trombones menacingly. Though the rest of the orchestra is still heard, you get a sense for how trombones can really push aside the rest of the orchestra if they need to in very loud passages like Holst or action music.

I saw it like it was Sarah from Jumanji (1995) who saw something unbelievable and sort of couldn't incorporate it into the belief system she and everyone had so blotted it out. Like in Jumanji, Sarah sees her 10 year old friend vanish into a game and everyone made her believe that never happened, instead Alan was murdered and chopped up by his father so was never found.

After an extraordinary life devoted to music, Frank Mathison has passed away at the age of 98. From humble beginnings in Huddersfield, picking up a brass instrument as a mischievous boy, to performing on the world’s greatest stages, Frank’s journey was nothing short of remarkable. He spent 30 years with the London Symphony Orchestra, playing under legendary conductors and contributing to some of the most iconic film scores of all time, including Star Wars, Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, Superman, and Raiders of the Lost Ark. Though many may not have known his name, his music touched millions. Frank often said he had “a great life in music” and what a life it was. His passion, talent, and dedication never faded, continuing to play well into his later years alongside local bands and with his family by his side. A true musician to the end, his legacy will live on in every note he played and every life he inspired. Rest in peace, Frank.

Write the long post.

Williams's harmonic vocabulary is exceptional. It's complex too but never feels over done (I mean some harmonies are intentionally problematic to show off, here it's complex and frequently takes head scratching to understand what's going on, but makes sense).

Dial of Destiny was on tv yesterday and I had fun watching it. It wasn't as bad as I remember but had all the flaws I originally saw. They're pretty obvious flaws but overall, not the disaster I remember, just weak. I thought Harrison Ford did better than I remember. My initial reaction was he seemed so tired and just wanted a paycheck. After the initial "fish out of water" in 1960's Manhattan, I felt lots of glimpses of the original Indiana, just without that much fun. I blame the screenplay more than Harrison Ford. There was no wink and nod to the audience that the 1980's films had...that "hmm, I have no idea how I'm going to get out of this one" wink that was all over the old films. What I still completely dislike: 1. The opening de-age CGI, just didn't age well. That sequence is too long, doesn't add much to the story. In a James Bond movie, that might be five minutes max. Here, it went on and on and felt a lot like a video game. 2. Villains don't get satisfying come-upense. This is part of the Indiana Jones DNA. Here, the muscle died by the kid rather than Indy. And the rest of them died in a plane crash. Very lousy demise for villains in this franchise. 3. I hated that Helena knocked Indiana out to bring him back to modern times. This is really horrible story telling. It makes Indiana a passenger to his story, not the driver. Here's how it could have easily been better just as a random example. Indiana has to bring Helena back because SHE was mortally wounded and though he'd prefer to live the rest of his life in the past he revered, he chose to sacrifice that because Helena is now the closest he has to a kid who would follow in his footsteps. So like leaving the Grail, he chooses to loose the prize for something that matters more in a deeper way. Overall, I'd rate this about the same as Crystal Skull. Probably around 5 out of 10. Not a complete disaster but really mind boggling story telling and technical mistakes.

Maybe this was recorded: https://jarijuhanikallio.wordpress.com/2026/03/19/a-dream-come-true-john-williamss-viola-concerto-staged-by-antoine-tamestit-the-helsinki-philharmonic-and-caleb-young/

This is also a device he took from Prokofiev which we hear in a lot of both his film and concert music. These octave accents in the xylophone for example (1919). To me, Asteroid Field is the great, succinct example of his action writing at its finest. Just a tremendous encyclopedia of his various techniques in just about four minutes. Another favorite is The Desert Chase which I input into Sibelius for study and arrangement. Fabulous action writing! Really virtuosic action writing. They also have wonderful structure. It isn't just about following the action but storytelling too. The action gets more intense as the cue proceeds...the stakes and tension increases, the drama builds over the course of the music's duration while never letting up on the kinetic energy underneath. Interestingly, many composers find these big action cues easier to write than a slow/love cue.

It's also where these other classics were recorded: Wizard of Oz (1939), Ben Hur (1959), Doctor Zhivago (1965)...ah hell, here: Sony Pictures Scoring Stage | Ultraverse Wiki | Fandom It's Hollywood scoring royalty.