What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)

[mxsch 115]

Expanded edition of Edward Scissorhands, such a beatiful work. Elfman def. at his finest.

[Bespin 8,472]

I wasn't impressed by the Expanded release, the OST is damn efficient!

[publicist 4,643]

 

Elmer Bernstein - The Unused Scores

 

This set spans three Bernstein rejections, starting in 1985 - probably his first - to 1995, when he already became notorious for being thrown off as much as kept on new releases to, finally, 2002 when his style was the dying breath of a bygone era. Bernstein scored big on last time in 2003 with 'Far from Heaven', tellingly a deliberate love letter to swooning 50's style of Frank Skinner and Co. 

 

For PR reasons, the first score featured is a warm-up Scorsese's Weinstein extravaganza 'Gangs of New York', and it sure was a costly way to find out what your film is not. The 70 minutes Bernstein contributed range from lyrical to brutal, mixing his patented americana with a few faint irish touches. It's right for the period, rather austere, and the mix of bold hymns, dirge-like chamber orchestrations with lots of woodwind solos and only occasional detours into big Hollywood gestures seems authentic enough and is conceived as a fabric orchestral work. What Scorsese, hesitantly, decided after numerous rows with bulldozing Harvey Weinstein (he wasn't called Harvey Scissorhands for nothing) was to punch up the soundtrack with a number of populist choices, ranging from U2 to Peter Gabriel and several much more upfront ethnic tunes. Notable precursors of such approach were of course Scorsese himself, Kubrick, Michael Mann, Ridley Scott. Here it's a bit of a watermark, because Scorsese obviously wanted a Bernstein-like approach, but this time his powerful moneylender turned his vision flat-out down as out-dated. Poor Bernstein got caught in the middle and while there is no right nor wrong here, this movie became another blueprint for 'how to do a hip epic'. Goodbye to composers, hello to crossover artists and musical fusions of often debatable eclecticism.

 

The second feature, the Disney depression era adventure flick 'Journey of Natty Gann' needs not much introduction, it's 'The Magnificent Seven' part 8 or 10, robust, tuneful Bernstein Coplandia with big orchestra and rollicking travel montages, obviously too robust for the makers, who preferred Horner's gentler, more feminine take. It's good, but a bit over-familiar, at least if you know your Bernstein well enough.

 

Next in line is Bernstein's 'The Scarlet Letter', a misbegotten Demi Moore vanity project, that was turned over from Morricone (who only contributed demos) to Bernstein and, finally, John Barry, who feasted on his own 'Dances with Wolves' leftovers. Undoubtedly he would have been fired, too, but there was no time left to do so. The 80 minutes of score are clearly the best featured work here, using the historical background to the best advantage of dramatic musical storytelling. There's a romantic streak running through it, depicting the love story between Hester and the priest, but it's divided evenly with many pastoral and sacral (threatening gregorian chanting) elements (nature and church play a pivotal role). Like in Bernstein's own The Field, it features irish pipes that refreshingly do not recall the tourist commercial approach Horner or Zimmer popularized back then.

 

Out of these three, 'Scarlet Letter' comes out on top for me, as it less fragmented and harsh than the first and much more ambitious in scope and execution than the second. But after now almost 20 years, these three scores personify a film music approach that left a lot of trust to the composer/creator, a trust that is a rare commodity these days outside Spielberg/Williams or Polanski/Desplat and (fill in your own handful examples). 

 

 

 

 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

@publicist Whaou! You did feel inspired this morning...

Very interesting though.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Westworld Season One and Two by Ramin Djawadi

Great music, less famous than his Got's score but almost as good.

[Bespin 8,472]

Currently re-encoding the 7th CD of the Gerhardt Boxset (the Herrmann's one)... Ah... gapeless tracks... misplaced CD indexes... 

 

Thanks to EAC and its "Copy Selected Range" feature!

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

I just pop mine into the CD player.

[Bilbo 3,709]

I am listening to Spitfire (Chris Roe) and Pearl Harbour (Zimmer) almost daily. 
 

I’ve also listened to The Last Samurai and Schindler’s List. 

[Bespin 8,472]

16 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

I just pop mine into the CD player.

 

Since I've grown with that... (and well it had an unperfect but usefull anti-skipping feature... but not enough to prevent skipping while listening in the bus!)

 

 

...I never really listened to a CD with a CD player... Buggy physical mechanism that can damage the CDs... and the lens which can be dirty... For me a CD, always was an archival medium, not a playable one. And that horrible sound: THE DIGITAL GLITCH... The worst sound in the universe!

 

I always prefered listening to mp3s and now, FLACs.

 

My music NEVER skips.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

Unless the rip's faulty.

[Bespin 8,472]

27 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Unless the rip's faulty.

 

IT'S NEVER FAULTY WITH EAC. Except if your CD is in terminal phase... 

 

There are some CDs buried in my backyard. May they rest in peace for eternity (as they are not biodegradable).

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Westworld Season Three by Ramin Djawadi

JFK by John Williams

Good and awesome!

[Edmilson 7,376]

Gabriel Yared - Cold Mountain

 

The score is a bit long and repetitive, but my gosh, this theme is extremely beautiful. Almost made me cry, and I never watched the movie.

 

 

[Thor 7,458]

 

HOME (Johnny Jewel).

[Bespin 8,472]

Well, Bernard Herrmann, you got it!

Hangover Square (1945) is my new favorite score!

 

I hear the connection with Taxi Driver already, it's simply marvellous!

 

On the Gerhardt album (arranged as a wonderfull piano concerto, a slight revision made by Herrmann himself for this '73 re-recording) and as a kind of "reconstructed" score on the 2010 BBC re-recording (Gamba).

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

On Deadly Ground is even better.

[GerateWohl 4,322]

54 minutes ago, Bespin said:

Well, Bernard Herrmann, you got it!

Hangover Square (1945) is my new favorite score!

 

I hear the connection with Taxi Driver already, it's simply marvellous!

 

On the Gerhardt album (arranged as a wonderfull piano concerto, a slight revision made by Herrmann himself for this '73 re-recording) and as a kind of "reconstructed" score on the 2010 BBC re-recording (Gamba).

 

 

The piano concerto is great.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

It's grand.

[Bespin 8,472]

I want to play the piano like that! 

[Marian Schedenig 8,160]

13 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

On Deadly Ground is even better.

 

"Dangerous", you mean? The Death Hunt is fantastic, but the rest of the score didn't do much for me and I don't remember it now.

[Bespin 8,472]

Bernard Herrmann for Valentine's day, I find myself so romantic!

 

Bernard Herrmann/Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra, Adriano ‎– Jane Eyre

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Joy in the Morning would be a good Valentines Herrmann listen too.

[Bespin 8,472]

1 minute ago, Disco Stu said:

Joy in the Morning would be a good Valentines Herrmann listen too.

 

You know where I'm going...

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Well, Mother certainly was Norman's Valentine  

[Thor 7,458]

 

Only 15 minutes long, but again a perfect little "musical statement", with elegant melodies and piano flourishes. Heffes usually delivers, whatever he does.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

22 minutes ago, Marian Schedenig said:

 

"Dangerous", you mean? The Death Hunt is fantastic, but the rest of the score didn't do much for me and I don't remember it now.

 

Yes, that's what I meant. You can make a good, suspenseful suite from perhaps a third of the score.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

1941 (LLL) by John Williams

The Prisoner of Azkaban (OST) by John Williams

I think the score presentation from the prisoner of Azkaban is probably the best JW's presentation. It is so fluid, so various that I never feel the hour past.

[Thor 7,458]

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Sabrina by John Williams

So good...

[Thor 7,458]

 

This is one of my absolute favourite Bernstein scores, but I've always found it funny that he had to use the ondes martenot in absolutely everything at this point in time - even about a 14th/15th century nun.  Neat versions of the "Dies Irae" too.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

Yeah, what's wrong with the theremin?

[Thor 7,458]

Or just avoiding that particular colour altogether now and then. But Bernstein obviously had a deep love of the instrument that just wouldn't let go.

[Jurassic Shark 12,012]

Someone said he was bought by the strong underground ondes martenot society.

[Thor 7,458]

 

The sudden marches and galops come out of left field (much like in Young's MURDER IN THE FIRST), but the broad, impressionistic writing is great. Nice to have something from my favourite Bergman, WILD STRAWBERRIES, on album.

[publicist 4,643]

1 hour ago, Jurassic Shark said:

Someone said he was bought by the strong underground ondes martenot society.

 

Some other said he was very taken with player Cynthia Miller.

[Thor 7,458]

Yeah, I heard that story. Cheeky bastard, that Bernstein!

[Thor 7,458]

 

A lot of people find this boring. I don't agree. While there are no fireworks, and plenty of Horner-isms, I can get lost in this type of soulful stuff forever.

[Edmilson 7,376]

I like this score as well. Calling to the Wind is a beautiful, touching cue.

[Thor 7,458]

3 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

I like this score as well. Calling to the Wind is a beautiful, touching cue.

 

Absolutely. And 'cue' is somewhat of a misnomer in many of these superlong Horner tracks, IMO. At 10 minutes, it's almost like a self-sufficient composition.

[publicist 4,643]

1 hour ago, Thor said:

 

A lot of people find this boring. I don't agree. While there are no fireworks, and plenty of Horner-isms, I can get lost in this type of soulful stuff forever.

 

And let's not forget the Britten-inspired action stuff, which is a lot more challenging than what Horner used to put out around this time with his never-ending melodramatic ostinatos.

 

Interestingly, a lot of that was re-written for the movie. This would be a good candidate for a LLL style release.

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

Pain and Gain by Steve Jablonsky

We can say what we want about the Bay's movies but each time Jablonsky write a really pleasant score.

[Thor 7,458]

4 minutes ago, Raiders of the SoundtrArk said:

Pain and Gain by Steve Jablonsky

We can say what we want about the Bay's movies but each time Jablonsky write a really pleasant score.

Superb score for a superb film!

[Edmilson 7,376]

I don't think Michael Bay has ever made a movie that can be classified as "superb". They range from "bad, but watchable" to "completely terrible pieces of crap that don't deserve even being called cinema".

[Thor 7,458]

I’m afraid we’re on different planets there. Always been a big fan.

[Edmilson 7,376]

Do you even like the Transformers movies? I really don't like any of them, they're all utterly horrible. 

[Thor 7,458]

3 minutes ago, Edmilson said:

Do you even like the Transformers movies? I really don't like any of them, they're all utterly horrible. 

I like the first. But the Transformers movies are not where I get my Bay kick.

[Edmilson 7,376]

Yeah, they're not his best work. 

 

Some of his old movies I kinda like, such as the first Bad Boys, The Rock and Armageddon. The Island is also okay, I guess.

[Jay 37,271]

David Arnold - Stargate (25th anniversary)

 

Man, I hadn't listened to this in a while.  What a masterpiece

[Thor 7,458]

 

Rare, but beautiful score from '69 that combines minor-mode, baroque harpschicord and woodwinds with pop sensibilities, odd meters, bursts of dissonance and lyrical romance. What's not to like?

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,429]

10 hours ago, Edmilson said:

Yeah, they're not his best work. 

 

Some of his old movies I kinda like, such as the first Bad Boys, The Rock and Armageddon. The Island is also okay, I guess.

I find that the desert action sequence from Transformers 1 and 2 were pretty good. You can really feel the power of the big robots (damn that sentence is so stupid to say ;)) and I like the fact that you can really see Bay enjoyed doing the movie, it feels always nice to me.

To me his best are The Rock and The Last Knight because it's make no sense and there are humans fighting with giant robots all across history on a Hopkins' narration while a sociopath butler robot plays the organ on Earth which in fact a Transformer!