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


Ollie

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On 6/28/2020 at 5:32 PM, The Illustrious Jerry said:

I've linked to the YouTube audio for each of the tracks I recommend sampling.

 

The Personal Life of David Copperfield by Christopher Willis

As it turns out, 2017's The Death of Stalin was no one-time fluke. Willis' most recent team-up with Iannucci draws upon a number of inspirations (no Shostakovich, sorry), ranging from Adams' familiar orchestral energy (see End Credits) to occasional shades of Herrmann's romantic side (see Meeting Dora). Wonderful solo violin at work here too. If 2020 indeed continues to be short on film scores, let alone quality efforts in that regard, you can already safely mark this down at the top of your list for this year. If you're skeptical about trying a more "under-the-radar" composer, you may like the score if you enjoy David's Writingsmy recommended sampler cue.

 

Sicario by Johann Johannsson 

As far as what caught me on this heavy sound design album, might be worth checking out Desert Music for a legitimate melody, and Convoy for the sake of it's technique.

 

Homecoming by Emile Mosseri (@Disco Stu)

Kind of surprised I'm the first to catch this, given that Mosseri's score to The Last Black Man in San Francisco was one of the best of last year. Much of that sound carries over into the score for the second season of this Amazon original series, blending with some very different colours. Recommend trying Leonard's Theme and Redwoods to get a feel for it. 

 

More fun stuff, many being new discoveries for me :music::up:

 

 

Thanks for the link.

LBSF was THE best score of.2019.

Every review I read singled out the music for praise.

Then I go over to AMAZON reviews of HOMECOMING and everybody's complaining about his score being to " intrusive and loud"!?

The music made much of the often boring series watchable

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Batman Returns

 

I'm still iffy on the movie, but the score is growing on me a bit (especially the Catwoman bits). The recording and mixing is okay (especially with headphones), but the studio players just go through the motions. There's no energy or enthusiasm and to make matters worse, the orchestra sounds small. It just doesn't have that freshness and energy of the first score.

 

Elfman and Burton should've recorded this in London. Or got Shirley Walker back to conduct.

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32 minutes ago, Matt C said:

Batman Returns

 

I'm still iffy on the movie, but the score is growing on me a bit (especially the Catwoman bits). The recording and mixing is okay (especially with headphones), but the studio players just go through the motions. There's no energy or enthusiasm and to make matters worse, the orchestra sounds small. It just doesn't have that freshness and energy of the first score.

 

Elfman and Burton should've recorded this in London. Or got Shirley Walker back to conduct.

Film suckz.

Score has a few good moments.

Its no BATMAN

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1 hour ago, bruce marshall said:

Film suckz.

Score has a few good moments.

Its no BATMAN

 

A lot is cribbed from Beetlejuice and Scrooged. Stylistically, it doesn't feel like a natural extension of the first film. 

5 minutes ago, Gruesome Son of a Bitch said:

ShallowEnragedGoldfinch-size_restricted.gif

 

 

 

I do think the first score sounds better than Returns. 

 

Elfman's first Batman score is a masterpiece. Great score, energized musicians, terrific conducting, great album remix by Shawn Murphy.

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Yo-Yo Ma Plays Ennio Morricone

 

The Mission by Ennio Morricone :crymore:

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:music: La Sconosciuta (The Unknown Woman) by Ennio Morricone. Another late gem. It's a bit of a hard score to describe. It gives us heartfelt themes but also a great deal of suspense and darkness. It's delicious.

 

Karol

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Journey by Austin Wintory

 

Abzû by Austin Wintory

 

Medal of Honor: European Assault by Christopher Lennertz

 

Saving Private Ryan (LLL) by John Williams

 

Restoration by James Newton Howard

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You don't know what you're talking about, Batman Returns is a hell of a great score. Delicious themes, fantastic action music, much more lively than Batman, more fun, and the main title is more worth going back to than Batman's. 

 

And the movie is, besides the 89 original, the only one that gets the feeling of what Batman should be, exactly right. Gothic and dark, but still fantastical and a bit campy, and with a serious undertone in the right places. 

I have watched these films over and over. I haven't watched a single Nolan flick even just once after seeing it in theaters because they're so goddamn depressing. 

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The first two tracks in Batman Returns (or a longer track, as you prefer) is one of the most incredible things Elfman has ever written. It's the very best showcase of his style, I think

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1 hour ago, Romão said:

The first two tracks in Batman Returns (or a longer track, as you prefer) is one of the most incredible things Elfman has ever written. It's the very best showcase of his style, I think

Yeah.

It's all downhill from there( except for some of the Catwoman cues)

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First you say it has a few good moments, then you say it's a good score...I don't understand. I've probably made my position on Batman Returns very clear, it's one of my absolute favorite films and scores. The complete score might be a little much to listen to, but there are nice stretches of unscored scenes, namely multiple conversation scenes throughout...the music feels very much like Herrmann in the way it's used only when a heightened sense of reality or subtext is needed--thinking of scenes in Psycho, for example, when Leigh's character is silently grappling with the temptation to steal the money.

 

As for the film itself, it has such a rich bevy of motifs and themes that run throughout, and are, ironically given much criticism for being over-the-top and fantastical, explored in a much more "filmic" way than practically all of Nolan's Batman movies. It's a lot of fun, too.

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4 minutes ago, publicist said:

 

A reactionary late Belmondo thriller gets one of the most long-lined romantic themes: leave it to europeans - Morricone, in this case - to make the best out of a bad situation!

 

 

Haha, damn, that's actually kind of badass.

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Why does Nick Parker care what I think about BATMAN RETURNS?

If You like it, that's all that counts .

It sucks. Deal with it, live with it.

Leave me in peace, frevinnsakes!😁

1 hour ago, PuhgreÞiviÞm said:

Much of the criticism towards Batman Returns here is just neurotic film score nerd whinging. It's about on the highest level a film score can accomplish.

 

Screenshot_2020-06-23-20-12-25.png

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Violin Concerto by Jean Sibelius: Might be my favourite violin concerto.

 

The Wood-Nymph ballade for orchestra by Jean Sibelius: Another one of Sibelius' wonderfully tuneful and brilliantly orchestrated tone poems. I know he would have abhorred the idea but he would have made a wonderful film composer (if not for his elusive inspiration which sabotaged quite a few of his assignments for him as he couldn't deal with the deadlines) because of his tremendous dramatic instincts.

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U.S. Marshals (Deluxe Edition edit) by Jerry Goldsmith: Despite this being a very workman-like effort from good ol' Jerry, I have a soft spot for its rapt rhythms, synth pulses and staccato action writing. The nearly 80-minute Deluxe edition provides more of the same really, adding a suspense cue here and an action cue there but with a wee bit of editing I fashioned a listening experience that makes use of the whole album where I merged several shorter pieces together to form lengthier suites and switched some pieces around to make for a more dramatically satisfying finale and now it works much better. 

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12 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

It's not chronological? :o

That's right! Oh I went there! :devil:

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7 hours ago, Nick Parker said:

First you say it has a few good moments, then you say it's a good score...I don't understand. I've probably made my position on Batman Returns very clear, it's one of my absolute favorite films and scores. The complete score might be a little much to listen to, but there are nice stretches of unscored scenes, namely multiple conversation scenes throughout...the music feels very much like Herrmann in the way it's used only when a heightened sense of reality or subtext is needed--thinking of scenes in Psycho, for example, when Leigh's character is silently grappling with the temptation to steal the money.

 

As for the film itself, it has such a rich bevy of motifs and themes that run throughout, and are, ironically given much criticism for being over-the-top and fantastical, explored in a much more "filmic" way than practically all of Nolan's Batman movies. It's a lot of fun, too.

 

The dialogue is also wonderfully snappy. Am I the only the one to think that blockbusters movies, even the less than good ones,  used to have much better dialogue up until 1995 than they do nowadays?

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12 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Good score.

But there was way too much of it. Wall to wall . How much was UNscored?

That annoys me to no end in the film (which I like a lot by the way).

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1 minute ago, Bespin said:

I got gifts today!

 

20200708_122658.jpg

Those last two R FANTASTIC!

31 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

That annoys me to no end in the film (which I like a lot by the way).

You agree with me?!!!😳

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Amistad by John Williams: I really dig this score and its blend of Americana and African flavoured writing and would be happy if one of the labels decided to expand it. I love the vocal work here as well, not overly operatic but Williams' choral writing is quite varied and atmospheric here with all the African styled choral material and culminating in the wonderful paean for freedom in Dry Your Tears Afrika.

 

Empire of the Sun (LLL) by John Williams: Another perennial favourite. Williams' approach is eclectic in style, almost dream-like in its changing moods and has an episodic quality enforced by the lack a typical ever-present strong main theme as the score really follows the main character's inner journey with such beauty, poignancy and intelligence. 

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1 hour ago, Brundlefly said:

I love these two scores. I wish there were more theme-less scores that focus more on atmosphere and emotional resonance than on a simple theme-driven narrative.

I generally do prefer thematic/melodic scores over setpiece/episodic scores where each piece/cue is its own thing with no apparent relation to the music surrounding it but Empire of the Sun has enough musical common stylistic choices that tie it all together while a lot of the music being very episodic. There are also some exceptions from other composers too but yes I am more of a musical narrative/melody than wafting atmosphere kind of listener. Thomas Newman writes my kind of atmospheric music.

 

And I believe you don't have to look very far for scores that focus on themeless atmosphere over theme driven-narratives since that has been the trend for a long time now.

 

The Accidental Tourist by John Williams: Well here is basically a chamber sized theme-and-variations score as everything is built upon the multi-part central theme but I love this melancholy soundtrack to bit as Williams spins endless variations on the material that are gorgeously lyrical, introspective and at times achingly sad in a curious quiet way. The score culminates in a brilliant dramatically anguished but at the end triumphant A New Beginning and proceeds to the rollicking end credits in  A Second Chance that is more in line with the sprightly John Williams musical signatures people came to love in the 1980's.

 

I really wish someone would record the gorgeous concert suite from this autumnal score which has been previously recorded only for Keisuke Wakao Plays the Music of John Williams album and the ancient Naxos' compilation The Best Of John Williams performed by the "shudder" Philharmonic Rock Orchestra conducted by Richard Hayman.

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Tale of a Forest by Panu Aaltio

Tale of a Lake by Panu Aaltio

The Finnish composer Panu Aaltio's work for these two Finnish nature documentaries is delightful in its exuberant orchestral writing, full of little musical vignettes with their individual tunes but with a main theme running through both of the scores. Aaltio clearly loves the symphony orchestra and every section receives its own little workout whether it is the woodwinds, strings, brass or percussion. As an added colour Tale of a Lake features a female vocal soloist representing the mystical water spirit Ahitar in the documentary's narrative which takes its inspiration from the ancient Finnish folk beliefs.

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12 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

 

I remember that Naxos compilation! It was one of the earliest Williams compilations I bought (along with the Silva Screen Jurassic Park one) and remember quite a bit of it being pretty ropey. However, wasn't the selection from The Accidental Tourist just A Second Chance?

 

 The suite on the Hayman compilation was about 5½ minute version titled The Accidental Tourist (Love Theme) which is the same arrangement Williams himself conducted e.g. on his Boston Pops Japan Tour. Sadly he never recorded with the Boston Pops for any of their numerous albums. But you are right, disc also has the A Second Chance on it as well titled The End Credits Music which is a rather slow reading on the energetic piece.

 

Here is the suite conducted by John Williams on the Pops Japan Tour:

 

The superb Keisuke Wakao album has a chamber orchestra arrangement of the very piece.

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Re:THE UNTOUCHABLES

IIRC this came out on LP so Ennio programmed it with that in mind.

Is there a reason people use the ITALIAN titles for.films that were released in English?

It's confusing, dammit! 

Speak ENGLISH!😠😡😝😳😅

 

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1 hour ago, Tom Guernsey said:

I remember that Naxos compilation! It was one of the earliest Williams compilations I bought (along with the Silva Screen Jurassic Park one) and remember quite a bit of it being pretty ropey.

 

"Quite a bit of it"? Everything, as far as I recall. Hayman's Ewoks sound like he didn't remember the films correctly and confused them with Yoda when choosing his tempo.

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3 hours ago, Incanus said:

 The suite on the Hayman compilation was about 5½ minutes version titled The Accidental Tourist (Love Theme) which is the same arrangement Williams himself conducted e.g. on his Boston Pops Japan Tour. Sadly he never recorded with the Boston Pops for any of their numerous albums. But you are right, disc also has the A Second Chance on it as well titled The End Credits Music which is a rather slow reading on the energetic piece.

 

Here is the suite conducted by John Williams on the Pops Japan Tour:

 

The superb Keisuke Wakao album has a chamber orchestra arrangement of the very piece.


Wow, I’d never heard that arrangement except for the Wakao recording, which is lovely but doesn’t compare to this performance. That’s the definitive interpretation of that material. I can’t believe Williams never recorded it :(

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4 hours ago, Incanus said:

 The suite on the Hayman compilation was about 5½ minutes version titled The Accidental Tourist (Love Theme) which is the same arrangement Williams himself conducted e.g. on his Boston Pops Japan Tour. Sadly he never recorded with the Boston Pops for any of their numerous albums. But you are right, disc also has the A Second Chance on it as well titled The End Credits Music which is a rather slow reading on the energetic piece.

 

Here is the suite conducted by John Williams on the Pops Japan Tour:

 

The superb Keisuke Wakao album has a chamber orchestra arrangement of the very piece.

 

Cool, thanks for the info and clip! I don't have the Naxos compilation any longer to check but I remember enjoying The Accidental Tourist on that album, think it was one of the better performed selections!

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3 hours ago, bruce marshall said:

Is there a reason people use the ITALIAN titles for.films that were released in English?

It's confusing, dammit! 

Speak ENGLISH!😠😡😝😳😅

 

 

I usually use the *original* titles of films. Some of Morricone's English-language films have Italian titles, so I use those.

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Jane Eyre by Dario Marianelli

Jane Eyre by John Williams

 

Two superbly lyrical scores on the same subject matter. Next I should revisit Herrmann's take on the story as well.

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Man Of Steel

(well, 20 minutes of it) 

 

How this score full of ambience, sparsely interrupted by a Best Of Hans Zimmer compilation, made it to picture, I have no earthly idea. 

The horn solo in Goodbye My Son could have been something, but it's drowned in noise, and like all of Zimmer's themes, not developed by an inch. 

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