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The best theme/track to be played during a swordfight in a theater?


m0hawk

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My school production this year is Macbeth. I'm cast as Macduff, and fortunately for us, Macbeth and I get to have a sword-fight at the end. Now, to maximise the epicness of this battle (oh yes, it will be epic), we want a fitting song for a fight. However, the only restriction I have is a time-limit of two minutes. 120 seconds is a long time for a theater fight scene, but with enough inspiration from the Prequel Trilogy, I'm sure that we can pull it off. :huh:

So, do you have any recommendations for music? Even the most obscure of recommendations would be helpful. The ones that I have in mind, currently, are:

"Duel of the Fates" - The Phantom Menace

"Hector's Death" - Troy

"The Opened Way" - Shadow of the Colossus (Game)

"Gatekeeper of the Castle Ruins" - Shadow of the Colossus

Thanks in advance!

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Legally, you're not allowed to play copyrighted music during productions. Are you planning on licensing the chosen duel cue? If so, don't choose something well known like "Duel of the Fates."

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Duel of the Fates sounds great, but it may be too well known (a Henry Buck mentioned). Most cues from POTC are too well known, as well. Perhaps "To Die For" from Lion King, but that may not fit too well. Maybe "Quidditch, Third Year", but that not fit well either. Maybe someone who has the soundtrack to Cutthroat Island could help.

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"The Opened Way" - Shadow of the Colossus (Game)

"Gatekeeper of the Castle Ruins" - Shadow of the Colossus

Oh :huh: yes.

"Battle of the Heroes" seems like it would be appropriate.

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Personally I wouldn't choose a well known piece of music. You don't want the audience thinking about where the music's coming from when they should be thinking about the fight.

If you had access to more professsional resorces I'd suggest rummaging around some music libraries and picking out stuff as was done for Monty Python and the Holy Grail, but that's probably out the question here. Still, I'd avoid the "name brands" and go with something obscure. Your last three suggestions probably would work well.

BTW, as a theater person are you sure you should be throwing the name of the Scottish play around willy-nilly like that? :huh:

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How about a piece from Trevor Rabin's Dark City. Ever seen the fan film lightsaber duel, Ryan vs. Dorkman? Dark City worked amazingly well for that.

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Legally, you're not allowed to play copyrighted music during productions. Are you planning on licensing the chosen duel cue? If so, don't choose something well known like "Duel of the Fates."

While thats true, would anyone be so cruel as to sue a bunch of school kids?

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Ahh, I see. Well, I probably won't license the cue. It's a school production anyway, so I doubt that it would be taken too seriously.

actually, your school would be commiting a serious crime by using non licenced tracks in a production.

No matter how small it may seem, it's still a violation of copyright law!

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*cough*DISNEY*cough*

And did you hear about Disney refusing permission for the parents of a baby who died to put mickey mouse on the tombstone because of 'copyright reasons'? They apparently only allowed it after a public outcry. So I'm sure you'll forgive my cynicism that most corporations these days, especially involved in copyright matters, really don't give a crap about consumers.

But enough of that... what about something from Chicken Run like Building the Crate or Escape to Paradise? Both are relatively short (or could be edited) and have a slightly 'jaunty' feel to them.

Ahh, I see. Well, I probably won't license the cue. It's a school production anyway, so I doubt that it would be taken too seriously.

actually, your school would be committing a serious crime by using non licenced tracks in a production. No matter how small it may seem, it's still a violation of copyright law!

May be, but there are far bigger problems for publishers to worry about. This is why I'm in the 'copyright needs to be brought out of the stone age' camp. Back when I was a magician, I used some song for my act at a small school talent contest, and no mention was ever made of copyrights. Granted, the organiser was a friend of mine, but I'm sure someone would have raised the copyright issue if it was something to worry about.

serious crime
I pulled every single field agent off all other cases to track you (Bart) down and bring you to justice. It was a tough decision, but I think I made the right call.

You just blew up Shelbyville A.I..

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"Duel of the Fates" for Macbeth? Good heavens.

I'd humbly suggest "Part Them, They Are Incensed", from Patrick Doyle's Hamlet. Or, you know, nothing at all if the scene has no dialogue, which I can't remember right now.

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In regards to all the copyright nonsense:

A. Copyright laws today are a ridiculous infringement of what should be basic rights. Therefor, I personally have no qualms about breaking them from time to time, however:

B. Most companies are ok with granting permission for music to be used in a non-profit, educational setting, such as a school play. So if you just write a letter to the company that produced the music you decide on, and you emphasize that it is for educational purposes, they most likely won't turn you down.

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I don't think so. "The Ultimate War" is too swashbuckling and cheery for something like Macbeth.

Now, if they were doing Peter Pan, there would be no better choice.

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In regards to all the copyright nonsense:

A. Copyright laws today are a ridiculous infringement of what should be basic rights. Therefor, I personally have no qualms about breaking them from time to time

My thoughts exactly. It seems that all the DRM and laws to do with media these days are simply companies trying to withhold fair use and sell them back to us; hoping that no one will notice. I have no problems therefore doing things if they are guarded by clearly stupid laws, or those designed only to gain maximum profit for corporations.

One example is ripping the soundtrack from a DVD. Quite how many laws this theoretically breaks I don't know, but do I care? Nope. If it isn't available any other way then they're just denying us the music and deserve it for their cheapness. An example is the OST for Dante's Peak included on a second audio track on the R1 DVD. I could buy the CD, but it's included, and in a place where no 'layperson' is going to find it easily and it's entirely unrelated to what's happening on screen. What therefore, do they expect someone to do except rip it to listen to it away from the DVD?

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I don't think so. "The Ultimate War" is too swashbuckling and cheery for something like Macbeth.

Now, if they were doing Peter Pan, there would be no better choice.

Ok, you might be right. Then maybe better look for some small fanfare for orchestra. Something by Korngold would be fitting, if you can find the music to Captain Blood it'd be great.

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My school production this year is Macbeth. I'm cast as Macduff, and fortunately for us, Macbeth and I get to have a sword-fight at the end. Now, to maximise the epicness of this battle (oh yes, it will be epic), we want a fitting song for a fight. However, the only restriction I have is a time-limit of two minutes. 120 seconds is a long time for a theater fight scene, but with enough inspiration from the Prequel Trilogy, I'm sure that we can pull it off. :)

So, do you have any recommendations for music? Even the most obscure of recommendations would be helpful. The ones that I have in mind, currently, are:

"Duel of the Fates" - The Phantom Menace

"Hector's Death" - Troy

"The Opened Way" - Shadow of the Colossus (Game)

"Gatekeeper of the Castle Ruins" - Shadow of the Colossus

Thanks in advance!

Do you not have a talented composer in your school who could compose the music for you? You could have him/her write the music according to the feel of the choreography and your recommendations. It would be more of a custom fit than using "canned".

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But if you still go with canned,I just stumbled across this:

http://www.amazon.com/Hamlet-Dmitry-Shosta...p;sr=1-8#disc_1

Clonk on "Listen To Samples" on the left below the CD cover,wait for the window to load then go to track 23(The Duel/The Death Of Hamlet/Hamlet's Funeral (Suite, No. 8)

Shastakovich would be a bitchin' film composer in the now!

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I don't think so. "The Ultimate War" is too swashbuckling and cheery for something like Macbeth.

Now, if they were doing Peter Pan, there would be no better choice.

Ok, you might be right. Then maybe better look for some small fanfare for orchestra. Something by Korngold would be fitting, if you can find the music to Captain Blood it'd be great.

They could use portions of "The Ultimate War", like Rufio's death.

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Clonk on "Listen To Samples" on the left below the CD cover,wait for the window to load then go to track 23(The Duel/The Death Of Hamlet/Hamlet's Funeral (Suite, No. 8)

That's what I was going to recommend. Williams must like it too, as The Desert Chase sounds slightly similar at times.

It's been a while since I've read Macbeth though and I can't really recall the duel. It might well be best without any music at all.

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Ever heard of Korngold? He had a few great scored swordfights :music:

Exactly what I was thinking. Specially the Duel from Robin Hood.

When it comes to swordfights, give me Korngold any day!

It seems the collective film music memory here doesn't go back further than 1985 :(

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Clonk on "Listen To Samples" on the left below the CD cover,wait for the window to load then go to track 23(The Duel/The Death Of Hamlet/Hamlet's Funeral (Suite, No. 8)

That's what I was going to recommend. Williams must like it too, as The Desert Chase sounds slightly similar at times.

It's been a while since I've read Macbeth though and I can't really recall the duel. It might well be best without any music at all.

I agree. Music in general undermines this play.

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If you can get either "Opening Battle" or "Duel" from Korngold's Sea Hawk, I think that would be a great choice.

Get the 70's Gerhardt recording or the new 2007 complete score recording.:music:

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May be, but there are far bigger problems for publishers to worry about. This is why I'm in the 'copyright needs to be brought out of the stone age' camp. Back when I was a magician, I used some song for my act at a small school talent contest, and no mention was ever made of copyrights. Granted, the organiser was a friend of mine, but I'm sure someone would have raised the copyright issue if it was something to worry about.

That's not the point, it never was. Publishers care big or small, about infringement. That's how they survive as a business, by having a product that will be bought, rather than stolen.

Would you like it if someone came into your house and stole something of yours? Would you write it off as 'fair use' ? That's exactly how copyright theft is. someone stealing from you and your pocket. Directly from your pocket. It's not just you that are taking it, it's also the myriad of others who take these files, instead of buying it.

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Would you like it if someone came into your house and stole something of yours? Would you write it off as 'fair use' ? That's exactly how copyright theft is. someone stealing from you and your pocket. Directly from your pocket. It's not just you that are taking it, it's also the myriad of others who take these files, instead of buying it.

But it's not stealing at all. You've already bought the music, now you just want to use the music you bought. Using music in a non-profit production should be no different than listening to it yourself.

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