Incanus 5,714 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 The Music of America John Williams:I discovered this stunning album by stumbling upon this message board and reading about someone praising it, can't remember who.I can't get into the bassoon concerto but everything else is to die for, some of the best performances of the respective cues. Yes it is a very good introduction to Williams's works, soundtracks and concert hall, but as a dedicated JW fan who has been collecting his music for a long time there is quite a lot of music that I already owned on other compilations. But the Suite from Memoirs of a Geisha and Air and Simple Gifts are more than worth the price of the set.And please give the Bassoon Concerto a chance. It is probably my favourite JW concerto but it took a bit of time for me to get into it as well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Well yes, I try to give it a chance, but it's so far removed from the style that made me worship the man and his music. I mean it's very classical sounding, and not the most accessible kind. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incanus 5,714 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Well yes, I try to give it a chance, but it's so far removed from the style that made me worship the man and his music. I mean it's very classical sounding, and not the most accessible kind.I feel that along with the Tuba Concerto and Oboe Concerto it is probably the most accessible of his concertos. For a fan more used to his film works it is certainly a bit different. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,006 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Lethal Weapon 4 by Michael Kamen (and those two other guys)Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 Those two other guys that have their names credited everywhere as co-composers of that film. I shall now send you a piece of claptonite for calling them the other guys. Just kidding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Red 75 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 The Empire Strikes Back The Phantom Menace For some reason the Battle of Hoth has been playing in my head all morning. Which is of course not a bad ear worm at all.I get that one every once and a while. The low piano thumping with the incoming AT-AT's in the distance. Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Planes Fun score. Excluding the oddly out of place and over-solemn choral material heard in "Skipper's Theme (Volo Pro Veritas) and other similar statements of that theme, it's 100% predictable. Adventures of Tintin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jay 37,352 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Planes is super fun!Fire and Rescue is too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Haven't heard the sequel score yet. I'll look for it on Spotify later.Indiana Jones 4- "Ants" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Haven't heard the sequel score yet. I'll look for it on Spotify later.Indiana Jones 4- "Ants" A track so dull I find it astonishing it was written by Mr Williams. And that isn't the only dull track. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Haven't heard the sequel score yet. I'll look for it on Spotify later.Indiana Jones 4- "Ants" A track so dull I find it astonishing it was written by Mr Williams. And that isn't the only dull track.There are many dull tracks in KotCS (John Williams music rarely gets more boring than "Grave Robbers" and "Hidden Treasures and the City of Gold") but "Ants" isn't one of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Ants is one of the better on es. but KOCS is such a dull score. Especially in its complete form. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Ants is one of the better on es. but KOCS is such a dull score. Especially in its complete form.True, it's still solid though. It's clear that John Williams wrote the score on auto-pilot more or less. Hopefully he's putting more effort TFA. The recent rumors of him orchestrating it by himself give me hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brónach 1,302 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I partially blame the film for the boring parts of the score. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocodile 8,006 Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 Yeah, there is a laaaaaaaarge section of the film in which you mostly have boring expository dialogue only. It's not very well balanced this way.The only issue I have with the score is that Williams reuses some snippets of material from previous scores. Like that tiny snippet from Rats! that turns up randomly in the warehouse sequence (what the...?). Other than that, it's just as much excitement as you can get from the almost eighty year old.Karol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 11, 2015 Share Posted April 11, 2015 THE WAR OF THE VENDEE - KEVIN KASKAFans of the maestro (that means everyone here) should immediatly check out the score to this little known film for it's essentially Kaska doing his best interpretation of Williams' work on The Patriot.I bought this on a whim because some people over at FSM were raving about it, stating it's a very Williams-like score in sound, even down to the track titles (Secret Mass in the Woods and Leaving for War).They weren't wrong and luckily it's available to buy: Kaska's score is available only on the website of the film's production company.Listening to it right now, it turns out to be a bit of a gem and comes totally recommended for anyone into rich orchestral scores (that means everyone here). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The Patriot This actually might be my favorite John Williams score. It's not the most well written or original of his scores but it gets more listens than virtually every other score in my collection. Sharkissimo 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 "Yah I vood never go beck to vorking vith komposers leik Devid Ahnuld und John Villiams. Ze scores by Kloser und Vanker are much superior!" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Indeed... what a tragedy. To go from brilliance to generic crap is not the way it's supposed to go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Hans Zimmer Batman fans, which cues from the trilogy would you recommend for a 13 track compilation cd I feel like making for the car? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BloodBoal 7,538 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Why 13? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Because he wants it finished tomorrow? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Because it makes people think harder and it's normally a comfortable length. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 From the second i kept: Why So Serious?I am not a HeroA Dark Knight Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Okay that's 3 noted, thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 TDKR :3. Gotham's Reckoning7. The Fire Rises9. Despair11. Why Do We Fall?13. Imagine the Fire15. RiseI don't have the other two. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uni 306 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 THE WAR OF THE VENDEE - KEVIN KASKAFans of the maestro (that means everyone here) should immediatly check out the score to this little known film for it's essentially Kaska doing his best interpretation of Williams' work on The Patriot.I bought this on a whim because some people over at FSM were raving about it, stating it's a very Williams-like score in sound, even down to the track titles (Secret Mass in the Woods and Leaving for War).They weren't wrong and luckily it's available to buy: Kaska's score is available only on the website of the film's production company.Listening to it right now, it turns out to be a bit of a gem and comes totally recommended for anyone into rich orchestral scores (that means everyone here).This is a great score for what is the cinematic equivalent of a high school play (no, literally—it's all young actors playing adults). But Kevin's a brilliant orchestrator who brings a vivid richness to everything he puts together, and he doesn't let the format of this film keep him from turning in another wonderful effort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Hans Zimmer Batman fans, which cues from the trilogy would you recommend for a 13 track compilation cd I feel like making for the car?How about 14 instead of 13?BB: 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12TDK: 1, 13, 14TDKR: 2, 3, 11, 13, 15Of course this is just going by the commercial albums. Full scores would be tougher. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Lee asking about Zimmer scores? Is a the new GF a Zimmer fanatic? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The end credits suites from each film would be a good trio of pieces. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 THE WAR OF THE VENDEE - KEVIN KASKAFans of the maestro (that means everyone here) should immediatly check out the score to this little known film for it's essentially Kaska doing his best interpretation of Williams' work on The Patriot.I bought this on a whim because some people over at FSM were raving about it, stating it's a very Williams-like score in sound, even down to the track titles (Secret Mass in the Woods and Leaving for War).They weren't wrong and luckily it's available to buy: Kaska's score is available only on the website of the film's production company.Listening to it right now, it turns out to be a bit of a gem and comes totally recommended for anyone into rich orchestral scores (that means everyone here).This is a great score for what is the cinematic equivalent of a high school play (no, literally—it's all young actors playing adults). But Kevin's a brilliant orchestrator who brings a vivid richness to everything he puts together, and he doesn't let the format of this film keep him from turning in another wonderful effort.Right on. Goes to show great orchestral scores continue to be written but they're in films the masses will never see and that's a crying shame for its composers.I used to think Giacchino could be the successor to Williams, but now I think Kaska sure has the chops for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Kaska is just another poor replica Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DreamTheater 131 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 A replica of Mr. Williams? Is that a bad thing?At least his music isn't generic. That score definitely isn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 A good copy is still a copy. I prefer an artist who has his own style Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 It doesn't sound like Williams...or let's say it could have been written by someone like Yared or Marianelli without anyone accusing them to copy JW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Williams clones are as much a problem for the film music world as Zimmer clones are. No style should be perpetuated artificially. This isn't 1825 when there was sort of an obvious direction to head in if you wanted to be a composer. There's no excuse in such a period of stylistic diversity as this to be anything but individual. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 The traditional orchestra should be retired from film music after JW stops in Hollywood Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 No, but people should do their own thing rather than grabbing on to whatever seems the most cool or appealing and imitating that.Good music is born of craft and honesty, not poring over the scores of Williams to figure out how to sound just like him. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Who in the world earns any enviable income by copying Williams...in 2015? Btw, i always found Chris Gordon's ON THE BEACH the perfect example of honoring the traditional while having a distinct style. I return to this score from time to time and am always delighted how much staying power it has. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Who in the world earns any enviable income by copying Williams...in 2015? Not many, but there are many who try. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 I don't hear them in motion picture music. BTW, here's Kaska copying Williams: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 In the field of "aspiring" Hollywood composers, 85% are either a Williams or Zimmer disciple with little to say of their own, at least as long as they remain content to imitate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Do you consider Horner a Williams plagiator? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 No, not at all. Horner, for all of his "borrowings" and influences, has his own identity at the core of the music. Influence isn't the problem, though, even in his extreme cases. It's seeing a successful model and aping it rather than actually being creative. Some people will say this is the way to finding your own "voice." Maybe sometimes, but just as often it's the way to stagnancy and failure, as is evidenced by the current bleak flood of pesudo-Zimmer blockbuster music. The people writing that are not evolving. They're not becoming better composers. But look at Powell. He never wrote in an imitative way. And he's the best to come out of RCP. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Then i hardly hear any Williams imitators, at least not in movie scores. Not even Giacchino like many people here claim, he may try but ends up copying Horner (see SUPER 8). I remember frenchman Frederic Talgorn being the perfect Williams embodiment back in the 90's. Much better than McNeely or Debney who always would end up re-doing either INDY, FAR AND AWAY or the Olympic fanfare. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dixon Hill 4,234 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Yeah Giacchino also does manage to have his own identity, even if lately it's kind of a boring one. Though JA has a good amount of offerings made to the Williams shrine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Most of the Williams imitators aren't as successful in the big movie scene. Not anymore at least. Most of these imitators instead write cinematic music in the vein of Williams for the concert hall or studio recordings to add to their profile. But there are plenty of them out there, among them being the likes of Kevin Kaska, Peter Boyer, Andrew Pearce, etc.Yeah Giacchino also does manage to have his own identity, even if lately it's kind of a boring one. Though JA has a good amount of offerings made to the Williams shrine.Yeah. Giacchino definitely has his own sound, but one can't help feel it is one that sometimes resembles a water-down pastiche of past superiors. In fact, it's like you once said, he lacks an inherently unique musical DNA that's actually interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 His ostinati writing has become pitiful. And while i still have a soft spot for RATATOUILLE and maybe two cues from UP, this is awfully slim pickens for a guy as productive as MG is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Basically the MG formula is to find a "catchy" action ostinato, and modulate it ad nauseum from 5-10 min. And the small clips we've heard/seen for JW seem to be following the same route.Ratatouille succeeds in its organic sound. Everything comes together in a very satisfying way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
publicist 4,643 Posted April 12, 2015 Share Posted April 12, 2015 Only that it isn't even catchy. Sketchy at most... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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