pixie_twinkle

I wonder if Williams uses Finale or Sibelius. If so does he ever hit play to hear what he's writing? He always used to compose at the piano. Whenever I compose I always try not to hit play every 10 seconds, but I can never resist the temptation.

ROTFLMAO

I saw Ladyhawk for the first time last week. The music was jarring for the first half-hour, but then I started getting used to it. I've always quite liked Alan Parsons, it was just a shock hearing his 70s/80s style funky instrumentals in a sword-and-sorcery movie! Now Highlander, there's a film that's REALLY dated by the music. Still fun though.

As for the Potter films, I think POA was a vital movie in the series. Cauron finally cut the film series free from the books. With Columbus there was the constant danger that Harry Potter would be remembered as a great book series, and a faithful but uninspired set of film adaptations. Cauron finally gave the film series its own voice. I think it is ok for the books and films to be seperate and independent from each other. In fact I think it's important that they follow their own paths. There is no way that GOF and OOTP can be filmed verbatum from the books. There will (I hope) be cuts and changes made to make the films work in their own right. The books are already fantastic, so let's leave them alone. The task now is to continue the FILM series as set up by Cauron. Rowling herself has indicated that POA is her favourite of the films. I wholeheartedly agree. The pacing is much better than the two Columbus efforts. The stop-start style of the Rowling stories is perfect for the books, which are thus compartmentalised into chapters. This doesn't work nearly so well in films. I love GOF, it is easily my favourite of the books. Whatever the film is like, I will always have the book. So, let the film-makers do whatever they have to to make an exciting new chapter in the film series, and not try to just stick the book on screen word for word, for people who can't be bothered reading it.

There are many, many people who have quite the opposite opinion of that statement Me for one. TPM is a poor story and it's BORING. AOTC is a poor story, but at least it's more exciting. There's my dumbass comment on the prequels. I know I haven't made much of an argument, but frankly I don't think it's worth taking the time.

Ah! Thanks.

If we're into overdubbing I'll be happy to provide violins, violas, cellos, and piano (I've always enjoyed bashing out the piano opening of Battle in the Snow!)

Really? What has changed on DVD in Ep 2? I thought it was the same as the theatrical release.

I wonder if the LSO is really just a very good set of midi sounds.

The SE 2-disk sets definitely. Followed by the anthology (mine is signed! ) However, I WISH someone would release the original 2-record set of Empire on CD. It was the first Johnny record I ever got and I love all the edits! (Especially The Heroics of Luke and Han) I want it on CD for old times sake.

I think ANYONE should have been in Star Wars instead of Hayden Christensen. AOTC would have been a better film if Anakin had been played by a plank of wood. I know Christensen didn't exactly have much to work with, but DAMN he sucks. I quite enjoy AOTC (when compared to TPM anyway), but I find Christensen's scenes almost unwatchable. Christian Bale would have been better, perhaps 5 or 6 years too old, but still an improvement.

I'm quite happy with my pristine DDM LP of Yes Giorgio, and my original Japanese CD of Spacecamp. Mendelssohn String Symphony #1, Allegro

Good question. It really depends, in my opinion. Obviously the film Amadeus works extremely well using only music composed by Wolfy himself. This is a great example of how period music can work wonders in a film. But what of films set before 1400 or so? Is it really worth denying epic historical films the grandieur of a symphony orchestra? Take Ben Hur. Of course we have all come to accept bold, brassy march-and-fanfare type music as evocative of Roman legions and the spectacle of Rome, partially down to Rosza's remarkable score which in turn owes much to Holst's "Mars", a tribute to the Roman god of war.. None of these instruments were around in Roman times! Romans most likely marched to drums and possibly early pipes. Certainly not the brass instuments we associate with that period today. This is an instance where Hollywood has perfectly captured the essence of historical spectacle using the modern orchestra. I think composers should think not so much about how the music would have sounded at the time, but rather how they can evoke the overall setting of the period from a contemporary viewpoint. If this involves incorporating certain period instruments and compositional forms into the modern orchestra then fair enough.

I think they will just repackage the existing SE CDs. I ecrtainly won't be rushing out to buy these CDs, I am happy with the 1997 releases. Of course I'll be checking this message board to confirm how they sound after the release. If it turns out there is a marked improvement I'm sure I'll find the money from somewhere! Shame about the nasty covers though. The SE releases just looked so COOL. (Well, the laser-etched book-sets did anyway. The jewel case ones were rather uninspiring).

Hi guys! I'm back from my holls in UK and Spain. I got a nice tan, then a week later it all peeled off. Damn it sucks to be as white as me! ANYWAY. The chasm-swing is the epitome of Williams' heroic music for me. It recalls Korngold's Robin Hood which has to be the father of heroic film scores. Wonderful scene, great musical accompaniment.

I still say Williams should stop Potter after the next movie if he has to stop at all. The first 4 books seem to run together like the first half of the saga. OOTF seems to take us in a new direction which I assume will continue through the last two books. A change of composer would therefore make more sense after GoF.

Im not interested in it, I'm interested in only his film work. Alex being obtuse as usual, why do you equate popularity with lack of quality. You are so dense Alex, and I thought you more intelligent, how wrong I am. Music that is unheard is irrelevent not because its unpopular, but because its unheard. Is that concept beyond your ability to understand. Its only relevence is to the few that might have heard it. If John wrote unused cues to a score and they have never been seen or heard of since, how relevent are they. PUT you brain in drive, and figure it out. Joe, looking for the multiple Stanley and Iris threads Alex is not being obtuse. You are wrong in stating that Alex equates popularity with lack of quality. Show me where he says that! I'm sure we all appreciate the quality of John's film scores, and indeed the skill needed to be able to write music for films. You seem to have taken a very one-sided stance on this whole issue. Just because some of us find your opinions to be narrow-minded and blinkered doesn't mean that we are taking the opposite one-sided argument. I love all John Williams styles including his film scores for which he is famous, and his lesser known concert pieces which I feel are more personal. How could they not be? He has final say over their content and style. By your arguments you have placed yourself into a corner. Please don't assume that we are in the opposite corner just because we don't agree with you.

Olympic Fanfare and Theme closely followed by Cello Concerto and "I Can't Believe It's Real". I haven't heard Soundings. Is it available for download?

You are definitely on the right lines, but I don't think you are completely accurate. I need to sit down with a piano and the CD for 5 minutes. Both are in England and I will be there in two days. I'll work on it. It's a new mission! I've wanted to figure it out for years and now here's the opportunity! If I don't get back on this please remind me! Chances are I'll be jetlagged for a few days and forget to do it.

I was excited about the film before I knew Williams was doing the score. I love the books. Williams was an added bonus. And then that fateful day when I saw the preview and heard Hedwig's Theme for the first time. Pure Williams! Wonderful. Or should that be Wondrous?

I went with the OST recording for no better reason than I like the explosions! Yes, I'm easy to please. I'm sure if I lived in the 19th century my favourite pieces would have been Wellington's Victory and 1812!

Impossible to answer this without knowing who the composer is, or at least what kind of music they have written. First thing I would do is find out what they have written and give it a listen if recordings are available. Ask a few questions regarding specific pieces. "What inspired you to write XXXX" for example. All composers respond well if you can demonstrate that you are familiar with their work.

Ok I'll have to check that on Tuesday. My SYIT CD is in England and I'm flying back there tomorrow!

I can't vote for any of these, I dislike them all. You should have included the score from King Arthur which is a pretty epic film. I wouldn't have voted for that either though. Horrible score. I'm so glad I have the 2-disk set of Rosza's Ben Hur. Aaah, the good old days when an epic score really was epic!

Yes. I haven't quite figured the whole thing out yet, but if you keep a pedal d going in the left hand then play these with the right hand: root pos d minor triad (top note A) step down to 1st inversion G#minor triad (top note G#) leap down to 1st inversion d minor triad (top note D) Those three chords form the primary motif for the piece (I don't know if it's really in d minor though). Now I just need to work out the rest of it!