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What is Williams' most dissonant score?


Elmo Lewis

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So I was wondering about the different uses dissonances have in film music, and I frustratingly found out I have a very vague notion of what "dissonant" is (i.e. I only recognise it in relatively extreme cases). So I was wondering, what is Williams' most dissonant score as a whole? I would also like to know what the board thinks of this score and how they connect to it from an emotional point of view. Only because it's easy to say that you can't connect with a dissonant score - but then again, there's Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban.

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As a whole, I'd say Images. But many of his scores contains many sections of dissonance such as War of the Worlds, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, A.I., and others.

Ted

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Images,Ce3K(a lot of it),A.I.(some of it),Minority Report,WotW,Lost World.

Okay, those were the ones I had in mind already. Can a music-savvy member confirm if PoA is a whole lot more dissonant than your average action/fantasy writing?

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I haven't heard "The Screaming Woman" (but would love to check it out, -where can i find it?).

There are many levels, and many types of dissonance...And it is a highly relative term.

The dissonance of "Images" and even "Close Encounters" is mostly atmospheric, and isn't used so much in a harmonically contractile way, but rather as harmonic "fields" of color and texture, much in the way the Polish avant-garde of the 60's and 70's would use it (especially Penderecki). I would say that Bartok's chromatic linear writing is more dissonant than most music by Ligeti (with the exception of a few pieces), Pendercki or Lutoslawski, and similarily, that certain cues in "War of the Worlds" are more "sternly" dissonant. Also, the dissonant music in HP:PoA achieves some of it's tension by solo textures within an orchestral fabric, and the effect of this is that of further fragmentation, which can contribute to it feeling very dissonant.

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I'm no expert, but where is the dissonance in Nixon?

Dissonant in the way that Shostakovich and Prokofiev are dissonant. Dissonance doesn't mean just minor seconds stacked on top of each other.

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You're very welcome.

Actually, this cd is a colaborative effort. I shouldn't take all that much credit for it...

So, I will express my debt of gratitude to John Williams Master collector and a dear friend, Jos Graumans, who was able to get a hold of a copy of the film, and was, as he always is, kind to forward it to me. To former message board member and on of my dearest friends in the world, Eric McClellan, who came up with the gorgeus yet terrifiing image for the cover. And finally to Bernie Kyer (aka Goodmusician) who found time to do a little of cleaning up on the ripped files.

Without them, none of you would be listening to this lost work.

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You're all very welcome. It's always a pleasure to share with those who really care.

On a side note: I do hope that the future bring us a release of this score, or at least, some enterprising company like SilvScreen, comissions a reconstruction and recording of it, eitehr parcial or luckilly, complete.

:wave: Torke: December

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Well, that's interesting. I didn't hear anything of it.  

Most people haven't, as there isn't a real release of it. Only me and a few friends who took the work of getting it ripped ;-)

But thanks to this internet era, this will find it's way to everyone's hardrive.

: music : Amazing Stories vol 2

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I don't have much to add to what Marcus said. Images isn't actually that dissonant.

I personally like "Hogwarts Forever"'s beginning from "Philosopher's Stone".

Peio, who would also beg for "Screaming Woman". :)

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Better go back to your Titanic CD Alex. ;)

Now THAT sounds dissonant to me ;) .

don't you know that when Alex plays Titanic, and he listens to my heart will go on, he tugs at his nipples. :)

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I personally like "Hogwarts Forever"'s beginning from "Philosopher's Stone".

Congratulations on your idea, Peio. Perhaps other members could also mention their favorite dissonant passage from a Williams' score?

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I do hope that the future bring us a release of this score, or at least, some enterprising company like SilvScreen, comissions a reconstruction and recording of it, eitehr parcial or luckilly, complete.

That much is certain.

Another hidden gem.

Makes me wonder how many of JW's lost treasures I have yet to hear, and you Miguel have.

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Some of the cues in "John Goldfarb, Please Come Home" display a certain dissonance...especially some of the bits used to underscore the crazy Sultan (played wonderfully by Ustinov).

BTW...does anyone know when this film is being released on DVD? Made me pee my pants with laughter when I first saw it as a teenager, years (and years!) ago.

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