Frosty

To put in my 2 cents to say that Williams does his own orchestrating. Track 9 of the Far and Away (The Big Match), is actually "orchestrated" by 2 people. The first part by Mace Neufeld, the second part by Alexander Courage. I'm not going to give times right now, but those curious enough listen to the track and say where they think they hear where one orchestrator begins and the other takes over... Frosty

Williams uses a Bosendorfer when he writes. Frosty

They are C trumpets. In an episode of Evening at Pops, the trumpet section was playing on C trumpets for the finale, which was Jurassic Park. frosty

Have a look at the Rite of Spring. Every tuplet imaginable. Or look at some serialist music where the whole point is to make the pulse dissapear or change. Tuplets galore!!! Frosty

I do enjoy Celebrate Discovery, but I also think it is a rehash of The Olympic Spirit, or very close to it. Kunzel's version is very neat. The brass sounds a bit reserved in Lockhart's version. Williams is my favorite because it has an edgier brass sound, especially the opening flourish( A neat piece of orchestration is the tuba ending the flourish on a D above middle C). Frosty

Actually, Keith Lockhart recorded it with the BPO, Erich Kunzel recorded it with Cincinatti, and even the Orlando Pops shredded it on their low budget recording, plus it is a mainstay of a lot of summer and 4th of July concerts. Trumpet players LOVE it. All brass players get a kick out of it. I personally love the piece and have conducted it before (make sure your trumpet players have 'C' trumpets. If they have 'Bb' trumpets, they are in for hell) Frosty

Don't see Episode III then. Frosty

Yep. And it will piss everybody off because it won't happen the way they want it to. They are all right and Lucas is wrong. Frosty

Okay... Frosty should read: Now Frosty should understand. ---------------- Alex Cremers

Botnick is always great. Frosty, yes, Rhodes does sometimes sound a bit distant, but have you ever been to a concert? He still lets you hear everything, something that Murphy doesn't manage anymore even though he puts the orchestra right into your ear. Marian - who adores the Dennis Sands-recorded Rosewood. I conduct an orchestra, so I think I've been to a couple of concerts. One other thing... I was trying to remember when I made the earlier response about Simon Rhodes. I finally remebered, it was when we were discussing the American Journey album, so that response is probably a year old. Anybody have any explanations why an old response shows up here? :? Frosty

I'm in.

And others need to learn some manners. I look forward to actually enjoying some of your posts. I'm sure you might actually have something worth reading at some point. Neil Thank You. I hope there's a little substance in what I write.

I suppose I can speak only for myself, but I suspect a few of us feel we have to vent our frustration, a frustration that stems from the enormous potential we saw in the prequel trilogy. What am I'm about to say will draw fire from those who say Lucas can do what he wants with Star Wars -- and I completely agree -- but, personally, I felt that the premise of the prequel trilogy -- the decay of a galactic political and social order and the corresponding corruption of its protagonist -- obligated the films to transcend their cheesy Flash Gordon source material. The themes Lucas is tackling this go around are more ambitious and more serious, but he has not altered his directorial approach accordingly -- the result being that the flimsily plotted films have buckled under their weight. The films that have charted Anakin Skywalker's rise to prominence may not be "worth a second of my time" (an exaggeration), but poor execution cannot dampen the raw potential of his story. Good points, I agree with most of them. Let's look at this from Lucas' viewpoint. You need to tell a background story that leads up to where you started, you have to create conflict, motivations, situations etc., etc.,. How do you do it? Do you do it from an emotional approach? Do you take an overall "godlike" approach where things are set in motion and things fall where they are? Maybe Lucas should have taken the "Godfather II" approach and do a simulataneous telling of the stories of father and son. Lucas himself has said he is not an "actor" director. He goes for more of the "European" approach of letting the actor figure things out for themselves, but giving them minimal direction. Could Lucas be doing this on purpose? Could he let his characters be wooden for a purpose? It would be like a movie about the Founding Fathers. Do you portray them all as dignified thespians who can do no wrong and spout patriotic values. Could that lead to wooden characterizations? Or do you portray them as troubled and faulted individuals trying to get the best they can get with what they have? Could this lead to overly dramatic characterizations worthy of six films so everybody's dramatic machinations can be explored? Or do you pick one individual and follow him through his processes, but have to portray different occurances in order to understand his motivations? As a director, how would you do it? As a writer, how would you do it? Where is the line between drama and schlock? WITHOUT the benefit of 20/20 hindsight, put yourself in Lucas' shoes and figure things out. How would you do it?

As I said, I apologize for what I said, but not for why I said them. Some people need a kick in their complacency. What gets me going is people who go crazy over a little thing. It isn't Star Wars Episode III: The Return of Chewbacca. He might be in the movie for 3 seconds, but yet it's the end of the world. It's obvious people want to like this movie, but they aren't willing to give it a chance to work. Truth be told, I really liked Episodes I and II. So the dialogue is goofy and the acting isn't that great, but neither was the serials that Lucas is basing these new movies on. Come to think of it, neither was the acting and dialogue that great in the original trilogy. It's like someone trying to get someonw else to try a new food. That person is told that one of the ingrediants is seaweed. And just because of one ingrediant, that person sticks his nose in the air and says, "I don't like it." Without trying it at all. The person might really like it (or might not, but at least that person has tried it), but because that person is unwilling to try it because of one ingrediant, it is automatically bad. That persons loss. More for the rest of us. If you try it and like it, great!!! If you try it and don't like it, great!!! If you don't try it and don't like it, you lack imagination and have no sense of adventure. If you don't try it and like it, you lie!!! Be critical of the criticizers. Frosty Who at least puts his name on what he writes.

I could ask you the same question. As is your spelling of that particular sentence. You probably mean "Sieg heil, Site Administrator Stalin" Yeah, it's very important that other people here read this crap you are posting. Stefancos- who hopes Ricard won't announce that he's gonna stop posting. (again) Who's that...? Did somebody say something...? Who's that talking....?

Now listen: I don't like banning people. And I really don't care if you disagree with the rules, or if you act like a kid, or you want to call me Stalin, Hitler, Saddam, or the Devil. Honestly, I don't give a sh*t. All I ASK (and that is not an order, since I'm not entitled to give orders to anyone), is that you PLEASE try to respect the rules of this forum, even if you disagree with them or with the way I 'enforce them'. I respect you and your opinion as much as all the other's, and I would like to see you posting here more often. And I'm not being hypocritical. Thanks, Fair enough. I do apologize for what I said, I don't apologize for why I said them. I will be be critical of the criticizers just because they don't have any more information to base an "informed" opinion than the rest of us. 'nough said.

What the f*ck do you know about what they are or they are not. And who are you to tell others what they have to do? Is that all you know? Insulting those who you disagree with, like a little kid? Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not to attack people as you did, at least in this forum. Your entire post is an example of what I do not like to see on these message boards. Angry people insulting others for no reason, immature comments and a lots of hatred. If I ever see another post like this one, it will be removed, and the author banned for a week. And if you don't like the way I handle things here, go somewhere else. Wow, I don't even know where to start... So I attack people who have their opinion, well, sounds like people are attacking someone who has yet to voice their opinion. By the way, who did I attack directly? So, what...? I have an opinion that defends someone that can't defend themselves, or doesn't need to defend themselves to someone like you. People saying things are stupid and they haven't even seen the movie yet. People who have no idea how it is going to work yet calling it stupid because they don't know how it is going to be handled. Right. I have a right to be critical of the criticizers. So these people that can call Lucas stupid aren't being banned because of your high and mighty standards because you're sick of people behaving like this? So their opinions are more appropriate than mine because all they can do is whine and bitch at someone who probably doesn't care? So the big boss is going to ban me from the clubhouse because he didn't like what I said or how I said it? Who is being childish now? I think you should read some stuff a bit closer Site Administrator Stahlin. Because if you are going to ban me for a week, then there a lot of others who deserve the same treatment. Or are their opinions whitewashed enough for your tender eyes and delicate constitution. Who the f*ck are you telling me what I should say and how to say it? Your hypocrosy is phenominal. Seig heil mein Site Administrator Stahlin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! PLEASE LET THIS BE READ BY OTHERS. Or maybe they can't defend themselves and need your mighty hand to help them.

You people are a bunch of winey maggots. You are a bunch of 5 year-olds who didn't get what they want for christmas and you are going to tell everybody that your parents are mean. WAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!! I've got an idea...Don't see the damn movie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Don't support what you don't like. Oh....I forgot....you people have weak constitutions. You can't stay away long enough not to care. All you can do is bitch and moan about what you don't like. How typical. You want the same feeling you had when you first saw Star Wars. I'll let you in on a little secret...you have already seen Star Wars, your NOT going to get that feeling back. If you don't like the new trilogy, don't see it. PERIOD. End of discussion. Spare us your pompous attitude that you know better. When you make your own movie, then your whining might hold water. All you can do is cry... Pretty soon your just going to be ignored. You have the right not to see these movies. But I see an underlining hypocrosy in your whinings. You hate these movies but yet, you can't stay away. The only reason you see them is to give you something new to bitch at. Also typical. Write something better...oh...you can't?... How typical Bunch of easily lead automatons. banghead banghead banghead

Very well put. We would have to mention Bach's borrowing, Mozart's, Haydn's, Beethoven's etc., etc. All composers have been influenced. You cannot create in a vacuum.

How would you people think if Bruce Broughton wrote the new Enterprise theme?

What do you think the problem is? I've composed a lot of stuff, and I can say with certainty that if you try to write melodically like someone else, you might hit a serious brick wall because you trying so hard to sound like someone that nothing will satisfy you. Don't try to imitate to close or else you won't get anything accomplished. Write what you want, but continue to hone it as you go. I remember reading that it took Williams many weeks to compose Yoda's Theme and the Raiders march. Keep chipping away at it. You'll find something. Frosty

Quidditch from HP

I say get the technology out of the way. They are always blasting some sub-space doo-hickey with anti-protons or tachions or something that saves the day. They always save the universe with something like that. I also say we put Wesley Crusher and Alexander (Worf's son) in a shuttle craft and plunge them directly into a black hole. How about the fall of the Federation and then trying to rebuild it again. No time travel. They have already milked this thing for all its worth. They need an enima.

Actually, the Rite of Spring passage which you refer to is part of the required repetoire to audition in most symphonies. Any bassoonist with a BM should be able to play that passage, or should look for a new line of work. Believe it or not, there are real lyrics to the Rite of Spring melody, but I cannot locate them at the moment. The melody is derived from a Lithuanian wedding song. And while I agree with you that study is important, there is nothing wrong with using MIDI as long as you know what you are doing. Good multisamples help a lot, and you can get huge professional quality sample libraries which give you quite a lot more dynamic range than you think. However, the licensing of these samples means they cost lots of money. Also, MIDI is good for demonstration purposes, as well as when you really need the synth sound. I'm not talking synthesis of acoustic instruments, but actual synthesis that cannot be achieved otherwise, such as FM synthesis, hetrodyning, convolution, vocoding, FX processing, and granular methods, to name a few. The person who told me IS a professional bassoonist who has played it many times. That's why I find it funny. Let me clarify: I use MIDI to help me compose. I don't have any problem with it. I compose most of my stuff away from the keyboard and computer, but then use them to hone my ideas, not give me ideas. What I am saying is do not become accustomed to the sound your MIDI puts out, becuase it will not match the sound of an orchestra, and some of the sounds you are used to hearing might not be the same live. Sure demonstrations and all that are fine, I don't have problem with it. But don't use it as a crutch. Apply it to MIDI, know where it's short coming are. Don't say "It sounded so good on the MIDI, but why doesn't it sound the same with an orchestra?" That has nothing to do with the MIDI or the orchestra, but with the knowledge of the composer and the instruments he uses. MIDI is good. MIDI always sounds good and is always in tune. MIDI always has strong players, always has good balances and is never sick, needs substitute players, or rehearsals. Why doesn't everyone use it for their scores? No emotion, no intuition, no interpretation, and no personal interaction. MIDI is a tool. Do not become so enraptured with the tool that you forget what you are building.

.I hope you're not saying he's a bad orchestrator because his textures are brilliant. If an orchestra can manage to play his music, I don't see much of a problem. Unless of course if he is not well known and can't get the best orchestra's to perform his work. No, I love Prokofiev and I love his orchestrations, but they could be more in-line with the technical aspects of the instruments. It wouldn't alter a thing and you might get more successful performances of his stuff. I love the Scithian Suite. He was a bit pissed when he wrote it.