Who is your most disliked composer??

[ymenard 54]

How can anybody hate somebody like Philip Glass... as a movie composer?  

Because he's a phoney who pretends to be the real thing? Trust me, I've heard his music: Every first-year student can do better than this! I dislike him as a composer and as a film composer. Anyone who likes him doesn't have a clue about music. I'm sorry, Dylan.

How can he be "phony", that's non-sense musically speaking. He does what he does. You consider Williams phony? Many people think he does. Like you think Philip Glass does. To say you don't have a clue because you like him is pure bollocks.

We're talking about film-scores here... I would love to hear any first-year student able to write The Hours, or La Belle et La Bête, or Powaqqatsi, or Dracula, or etc.. etc.. etc..

But wait, there are none.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Indeed. It's very easy to say "anyone can write like Philip Glass", but first: no they can't, and second: Glass was the first person to write that style. He was writing his minimalist solo violin pieces and repetitive live chamber ensemble pieces while the rest of the concert music world was still steeped in serial music and neo-romanticism, and Reich was fiddling about with tape loops.

Oh, and just to set the record straight, I really do "hate" Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. "Dislike" doesn't come close.

[JoeinAR 1,949]

Indeed. Let's change it to "dislike," shall we?

no, let people use the word they choose. I know I "hate" being scripted.

[Jeshopk 8]

John Cage...

If only he were kidding about his entire career, then I'd like him.

[A24 4,331]

How can he be "phony", that's non-sense musically speaking.  He does what he does.  You consider Williams phony?  Many people think he does.

Who thinks Williams has no musical talent or that he's inept with an orchestra? I mean, you don't have to like Williams' style (bombast/Hollywood kitsch) but who can really say that his level of writing is technically poor or undeveloped or unmature? No one in the film business knows better how to make an orchestra work. Even to the darnest classical elitist, Williams is still a knowledgable craftsman.

When I listen to Glass, I hear a 15 year old student.

Alex

[Henry B 50]

Oh, and just to set the record straight, I really do "hate" Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. "Dislike" doesn't come close.

Hmm. I'm quite the Webber fan. Shall we debate? I'll start off - why "hate" a composer who has a basic sense of melody, orchestration, and drama when there are completely talentless hacks like Zimmer and his proteges who have achieved far more popularity for far less?

[Salacius 7]

I don't hate or dislike anybody, I'm just a bit disappointed that there is nobody out there to do a good job anymore (other than Williams off course)

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Oh, and just to set the record straight, I really do "hate" Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. "Dislike" doesn't come close.

Hmm. I'm quite the Webber fan. Shall we debate? I'll start off - why "hate" a composer who has a basic sense of melody, orchestration, and drama when there are completely talentless hacks like Zimmer and his proteges who have achieved far more popularity for far less?

Is Zimmer really more popular than Webber?

[robthehand 3]

I don't hate or dislike anybody, I'm just a bit disappointed that there is nobody out there to do a good job anymore (other than Williams off course)

While there are no new Williamses or Goldsmiths or Herrmanns, I can't agree that Elfman, Thomas/David/Randy Newman, Howard Shore, Bruce Broughton and Elliot Goldenthal can't do a good job...

[Salacius 7]

I don't hate or dislike anybody, I'm just a bit disappointed that there is nobody out there to do a good job anymore (other than Williams off course)

While there are no new Williamses or Goldsmiths or Herrmanns, I can't agree that Elfman, Thomas/David/Randy Newman, Howard Shore, Bruce Broughton and Elliot Goldenthal can't do a good job...

Don't like Elfman any more, Thomas/David/Randy Newman sorry but not for me. Their music sounds like musical wallpaper. Howard Shore, I hope he can keep up with the awesome job he did with the LOTR movies. Bruce Broughton, don't know much about him so I can't tell.

I am a huge Elliot Goldenthal fan but again, he has repeated him self to death. I can't find any new Goldenthal scores that interest me.

Just my opinion off course

[Henry B 50]

Oh, and just to set the record straight, I really do "hate" Andrew Lloyd Webber's music. "Dislike" doesn't come close.

Hmm. I'm quite the Webber fan. Shall we debate? I'll start off - why "hate" a composer who has a basic sense of melody, orchestration, and drama when there are completely talentless hacks like Zimmer and his proteges who have achieved far more popularity for far less?

Is Zimmer really more popular than Webber?

In the film world, yes. Of course, Webber is far more renowned in the musical world (to which Zimmer's only contribution has been The Lion King, as far as I know).

[Richard Penna 3,686]

I don't hate or dislike anybody, I'm just a bit disappointed that there is nobody out there to do a good job anymore (other than Williams off course)

A true fanboy statement if ever I saw one.

There are tons of other composers out there doing an excellent job, I think you're incredibly narrow-minded if you can't see that.

[Salacius 7]

I don't hate or dislike anybody, I'm just a bit disappointed that there is nobody out there to do a good job anymore (other than Williams off course)

A true fanboy statement if ever I saw one.

There are tons of other composers out there doing an excellent job, I think you're incredibly narrow-minded if you can't see that.

You mean at this point? Like who?

And please don't think I blindly worship Williams because he is who he is.

I didn't like Munich at all and the same goes for Memoirs Of a Geisha (except Confluence). I feel film scoring as an art has diminished dramatically

[Henry B 50]

And please don't think I blindly worship Williams because he is who he is.

I didn't like Munich at all and the same goes for Memoirs Of a Geisha (except Confluence). I feel film scoring as an art has diminished dramatically

Oh, geez... and "Confluence" was the only cue with a blatant Western sound. French horns and everything... I thought it diminished the authentic mood the music had so far established. Oh, well, "The Fire Scene and The Coming of War" also did that. The tragic violin trills straight from "The Immolation Scene" were unfortunate indeed.

[Richard Penna 3,686]

And please don't think I blindly worship Williams because he is who he is.

I do sometimes get that impression with some people around here.

"But of course it's Williams so we're guaranteed of the perfect score". Can anyone deny seeing that on here?

I feel film scoring as an art has diminished dramatically

After seeing PotC: Dead Man's Chest and trying to listen through the album, I'm inclined to agree with you to an extent.

What do I blame? Arrogant producers like Jerry Bruckheimer and the guys on Troy, and insanely short composing schedules.

Music can make or break a movie - these guys deserve all the respect in the world.

[Salacius 7]

And please don't think I blindly worship Williams because he is who he is.

I didn't like Munich at all and the same goes for Memoirs Of a Geisha (except Confluence). I feel film scoring as an art has diminished dramatically

Oh, geez... and "Confluence" was the only cue with a blatant Western sound. French horns and everything... I thought it diminished the authentic mood the music had so far established. Oh, well, "The Fire Scene and The Coming of War" also did that. The tragic violin trills straight from "The Immolation Scene" were unfortunate indeed.

I see.. It spoiled the authentic and utterly boring mood :roll:

[Henry B 50]

"The Journey to the Hanamachi" and "Becoming a Geisha" are boring? Man... sometimes less is more.

[ymenard 54]

We cower in our shelters

With our hands over our ears

Lloyd-Webber's awful stuff

Runs for years and years and years

An earthquake hits the theater

But the operetta lingers

Then the piano lid comes down ("BRRRRR!!!" from his live concert)

And breaks his fucking fingers

It's a miracle

Tehehe ;-D

[Romão 2,274]

How do u pronounce 'Bowie'?

I used to pronounce it as in "Bow to your audience", but I think the correct way is as in "Bow and arrow". Ultimitely who cares, it's not even his real name

It's Davy Jones, which in 2006 became a synonym of a squid face ghost.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

Indeed. It's very easy to say "anyone can write like Philip Glass", but first: no they can't, and second: Glass was the first person to write that style.

Not sure Glass can make the claim as "the first" to write minimalist style music.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

Indeed. It's very easy to say "anyone can write like Philip Glass", but first: no they can't, and second: Glass was the first person to write that style.

Not sure Glass can make the claim as "the first" to write minimalist style music.

I didn't say "minimalist style music", I meant his particular approach to writing minimalist chamber music. The only other major composer writing minimalist music in the early-mid 1960s was Reich, and his music at that time was more electro-accoustic, involving tape loops and montages.

And to anyone who needs a reason to hate Andrew Lloyd Webber, listen to his musicals "Aspects of Love", and "Whistle Down the Wind". Such banality is also there in smaller amounts in his earlier musicals, but by the early '90s what little creativity he once had was gone completely. The man wrote a couple of great rock-musicals: Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Tell Me on a Sunday was a great pop album. Then he lost the plot in a BIG way.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

And to anyone who needs a reason to hate Andrew Lloyd Webber, listen to his musicals "Aspects of Love", and "Whistle Down the Wind". Such banality is also there in smaller amounts in his earlier musicals, but by the early '90s what little creativity he once had was gone completely. The man wrote a couple of great rock-musicals: Evita, and Jesus Christ Superstar. Tell Me on a Sunday was a great pop album. Then he lost the plot in a BIG way.

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.

[Panthera 0]

I find Glass to be rather hit-and-miss. His score for Dracula (for one) just doesn't do it for me as a piece of music.

I like his score for Dracula.

[Unlucky Bastard 7,782]

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

Which melody was that?

[Salacius 7]

"The Journey to the Hanamachi" and "Becoming a Geisha" are boring? Man... sometimes less is more.

And sometimes less...is just less,

The Journey maybe… but not ‘Becoming a Geisha’, it’s not doing anything for me

It’s not about the lesser things that go on, I love other scores that have very few but extremely effective elements. It’s just that ‘confluence’ rips my heart out and this just doesn’t happen with any other track.

Sorry, just my opinion though

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

How can Becoming a Geisha not do anything for you? It was imo the best cue of the year

[Salacius 7]

How can Becoming a Geisha not do anything for you? It was imo the best cue of the year

We all like different things I suppose,

It's just the way it is

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

Which melody was that?

The melody that plays throughout much of Phantom of the Opera (ominous sounding "He’s there, the Phantom of the Opera") is very very similar to "Battle on the Ice" from Alexander Nevsky.

[Henry B 50]

"The Journey to the Hanamachi" and "Becoming a Geisha" are boring? Man... sometimes less is more.

And sometimes less...is just less,

The Journey maybe… but not ‘Becoming a Geisha’, it’s not doing anything for me

It’s not about the lesser things that go on, I love other scores that have very few but extremely effective elements. It’s just that ‘confluence’ rips my heart out and this just doesn’t happen with any other track.

Sorry, just my opinion though

Would the ideal score "rip your heart out" in every track?

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Like a Thugee cult!

[Salacius 7]

"The Journey to the Hanamachi" and "Becoming a Geisha" are boring? Man... sometimes less is more.

And sometimes less...is just less,

The Journey maybe… but not ‘Becoming a Geisha’, it’s not doing anything for me

It’s not about the lesser things that go on, I love other scores that have very few but extremely effective elements. It’s just that ‘confluence’ rips my heart out and this just doesn’t happen with any other track.

Sorry, just my opinion though

Would the ideal score "rip your heart out" in every track?

Nope, but to at least engage me at some level,

I just found it boring (which is a real shame as I had big expectations for it)

[Henry B 50]

Well, I find myself increasingly minimalist...

Ever heard that "patience is a virtue"? I don't like scores that "explode" at every moment (OK, unless they're really well done, like The Empire Strikes Back). There must be sections that test the listener's resolve, hard-to-listen-to parts that make the satisfying conclusions more satisfying. I suppose that if a composer is truly masterful, nothing will be "hard-to-listen-to," but simply not as easy.

So, taking the example of Memoirs of a Geisha, what if three or four other tracks featured emotional and fully harmonized statements of Sayuri's theme, with huge orchestral backing? That would be nice... except that by the time "Confluence" came around, I would be getting bored with all the melodrama. Williams did an excellent job of saving the emotion for the finale (nevertheless, I think he went too far with the orchestration), making it more powerful.

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

ESB has a pretty quiet second act, I think. There's the occasional blast of action music, but most of the Dagobah tracks are pretty gentil. Well, compared to the first act anyway.

- Marc, who still hasn't seen MoaG.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

Which melody was that?

The melody that plays throughout much of Phantom of the Opera (ominous sounding "He’s there, the Phantom of the Opera") is very very similar to "Battle on the Ice" from Alexander Nevsky.

Not forgetting the chromatic run that opens the Opera (the beginning of the track "Phantom of the Opera") which is straight out of Vaughan Williams' London Symphony first movement. Mind you, Floyd ripped it off in their track "Echoes" too!

[Ollie 1,059]

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

You're thinking of James Horner....

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

You're thinking of James Horner....

Here...

Andrew Lloyd Webber

http://hometown.aol.com/Orlandopiano/phantom.wma

Sergei Prokofiev

http://hometown.aol.com/Orlandopiano/nevsky.wma

[Ollie 1,059]

It was a joke.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

It was a joke.

Ah.... sorry I missed that.

Speaking of Phantom, in this same piece a few bars later Webber rips a 2 measure passage from Bach's D minor Toccata and Fugue note for note.

[Salacius 7]

Well, I find myself increasingly minimalist...

Ever heard that "patience is a virtue"? I don't like scores that "explode" at every moment (OK, unless they're really well done, like The Empire Strikes Back). There must be sections that test the listener's resolve, hard-to-listen-to parts that make the satisfying conclusions more satisfying. I suppose that if a composer is truly masterful, nothing will be "hard-to-listen-to," but simply not as easy.

So, taking the example of Memoirs of a Geisha, what if three or four other tracks featured emotional and fully harmonized statements of Sayuri's theme, with huge orchestral backing? That would be nice... except that by the time "Confluence" came around, I would be getting bored with all the melodrama. Williams did an excellent job of saving the emotion for the finale (nevertheless, I think he went too far with the orchestration), making it more powerful.

I think you got me totally wrong here,

I don't like soundtracks the explode @ every other track either.

It's the quality of the lesser dynamic tracks that I am talking about.

Don't know if you like them but I love Stepmom, Sabrina, Saving Private Ryan and many more soundtracks that don't involve ffff.

Are these soundtracks explosive?

No, but the writing had been done in a way where it keeps me listening to the music instead of drifting off from boredom.

I just think Williams is much more capable that this.

[BurgaFlippinMan 7]

Stepmom and Private Ryan still pretty much bore me, so I guess we are just looking at difference in tastes. :?

I don't hate Webber, but I do dislike the fact one of his most famous melodies was stolen from Prokofiev's Alexander Nevsky. Oh wait nevermind. Purely coincidence.  

You're thinking of James Horner....

Here...

Andrew Lloyd Webber

http://hometown.aol.com/Orlandopiano/phantom.wma

Sergei Prokofiev

http://hometown.aol.com/Orlandopiano/nevsky.wma

Hmmm...I didnt think it was similiar enough to really worth bothering.

[Salacius 7]

Stepmom and Private Ryan still pretty much bore me, so I guess we are just looking at difference in tastes. :?

Absolutely,

and I'm sure you'll agree there is nothing wrong with that

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

I need to get Alexander Nevsky.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I need to get Alexander Nevsky.

Get the complete one on RCA Victor with Yuri Temirkanov and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Frightfully good.

[Ollie 1,059]

I need to get Alexander Nevsky.

Horner has ruined Prokofiev for me.

[pixie_twinkle 48]

I need to get Alexander Nevsky.

Get the complete one on RCA Victor with Yuri Temirkanov and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Frightfully good.

I was disappointed by the performance on that recording. When it was first released I bought it straight away, but the orchestra sounds a bit rough IMO. BUT, I agree it's an amazing piece. You really do need to buy it Mr. B. The Claudio Abbado recording on DG is excellent.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

I need to get Alexander Nevsky.

Get the complete one on RCA Victor with Yuri Temirkanov and St. Petersburg Philharmonic. Frightfully good.

I was disappointed by the performance on that recording. When it was first released I bought it straight away, but the orchestra sounds a bit rough IMO. BUT, I agree it's an amazing piece. You really do need to buy it Mr. B. The Claudio Abbado recording on DG is excellent.

Abbado's is great, but it is only the Nevsky "suite". Temirkanov's is the complete score.

By the way, anything Abbado does is as good as it gets. 2nd best conductor alive today after Simon Rattle imho.

[scottsinct 3]

Clint Eastwood should stick to directing and acting, which he is amazing at. I'm not a fan of his scores...