Quintus 5,399 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Remember when war movies and 'boys own adventures' used to sound like this? Where Eagles Dare, The Dirty Dozen etc etc; nowadays it sounds like some old jingoistic music from a bygone era, but I still think it sounds wonderfully punchy and gratifying on a purely simplistic, self-indulgent level. Comfort bombast. Even from the opening notes the musical shape and arc of this sort of composition is reassuringly predictable - and no less enjoyable to hear play out to its inevitable conclusion, the 'going through the motions' of it strangely playing very much a part in such basic musical pleasures.Another thing I wonder is whether perhaps this particular sound is largely the domain and pleasure of male tastes; women I imagine (perhaps incorrectly) being rather turned off by the percussive machismo and broadly militaristic overtones. Or maybe it actually functions on a 'pop' level - having a wider appeal than one might give it credit for. Are snares and brass universal?Do you miss this sound in movies? Or is it best left buried with the aged sensibilities it used to underscore? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jilal 569 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Oh I love this kind of war scoring. Too bad it's gone, like the films themselves. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anthony 574 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Ah the Battlefield theme...love it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quintus 5,399 Posted February 13, 2013 Author Share Posted February 13, 2013 Played by the London Philharmonic, no less Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nick1Ø66 4,874 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Yeah, that kind of score is really jarring. It definitely holds a nostalgia factor for me when watching those old war movies, but that kind of music, to my ears, doesn't really hold up that well on its own absent the movie. And I'm not sure it is that well suited for modern sensibilities. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 You'll probably only find this type of military brass band scoring nowadays in an ironic context. Pastiche. Quintus and Jilal 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,778 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I really like that piece. Sort of thing we still hear in documentaries, BBC-produced ones particularly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muad'Dib 1,802 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I remember we used to play the Battlefield theme with a friend on the piano. I would play the melody and he the rythmic base. Quite fun days...Someday it'll return, I imagine. In a good context, I hope.By the way, the above piece from Big Al's movie is a wonderful homage to Stravinsky's C Symphony, particularly the first movement.Based on that Stravinsky bit right there, I think that's exactly the problem we're having in modern mass-produced film music: Newer composers don't seem to be playing around with anything that's modern or more audatious. They're sticking with pre-XVIII composers. Where's the Alex North of today, mixing both traditional techniques with more avant-garde ideas? There doesn't seem to be one, but not so much because the composers can't do it, but to my mind it seems that people have become really square in what should be film music or not.Imagine what Powell could do, if he was given the chance of writing his own Rite of Spring... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brónach 1,303 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 I really like that piece. Sort of thing we still hear in documentaries, BBC-produced ones particularly.That show had a great score. That cue was always a favourite of mine. The theme at 2:54 kicks ass, and so does the climax and the statement of Al's theme afterwards. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gruesome Son of a Bitch 6,493 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Isn't this similar to, say, the finale of First Blood Part II? Goldsmith did this sort of thing well. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymenard 54 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Giacchino loves that style of orchestration. It's everywhere in his gaming WW2 scores, and even in stuff like Star Trek. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Penna 3,778 Posted February 13, 2013 Share Posted February 13, 2013 Yeah good point - Medal of Honor is full of this, and loads of fun as a result. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
movied 24 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I'd say Silvestri is guilty of this style in multiple scores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,453 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Snares + Brass + Good Melody/Theme = Awesomeness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Henry B 50 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 I heard this style made a triumphant return in Red Tails. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLUMENKOHL 1,070 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Akira Ikufube's Godzilla work is still the best at this. Mainly because it was written on such a short schedule. Days I think? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Would Kelly's Heroes fit this description? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JoeinAR 1,949 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 1941 would/does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gkgyver 1,646 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Akira Ikufube's Godzilla work is still the best at this. Mainly because it was written on such a short schedule. Days I think? Some of the most iconic motifs come from his Godzilla scores. Invasion of the Astro-Monster or Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla, or Godzilla vs. Mothra ... or the end title march from Godzilla vs. Destroyah. BLUMENKOHL 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandor 799 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 It is my opinion that Hollywood traded the 'masculine' way of scoring for a more 'feminine' approach. The foundation for this may have been laid by James Horner with the broad and lyrical themes in Braveheart: a violent, 'manly' film with a touching, sensitive score. A think part of why that film worked so well, including at the Oscars, is because the score gave it a sense of depth.The soundtrack that completely took out the masculine tradition of scoring 'manly' films was Zimmer's Gladiator. In a sense a brilliant score that changed film music for a generation. Having Lisa Gerrard contribute to such an essential part of that score only emphasises the change from masculine-driven scores (Goldsmith) to a more feminine-like way of scoring. Lisa's voice became a symbol of this change.Or maybe I'm just talking crap here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 You made an interesting point with Horner until you brought up Gladiator. If anything, Zimmer's Gladiator re-popularized a "masculin" style in modern action music. It may not have been old-school, but early MV music is very much "masculin" music. Using Lisa Gerrard's voice was simply a complementary musical colour, it in no way made the action "effeminate". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sandor 799 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 You made an interesting point with Horner until you brought up Gladiator. If anything, Zimmer's Gladiator re-popularized a "masculin" style in modern action music. It may not have been old-school, but early MV music is very much "masculin" music. Using Lisa Gerrard's voice was simply a complementary musical colour, it in no way made the action "effeminate".There are indeed 'old school' MV elements in Gladiator. However; it is the wailing and sensitive parts that have been copied to death and have found their way in virtually all scores ever since. When even a Star Wars score 'borrows' from the Gladiator blueprint, you know you're in trouble... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharkissimo 1,973 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 Alex North was great at this type of orchestration. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KK 3,307 Posted February 14, 2013 Share Posted February 14, 2013 You made an interesting point with Horner until you brought up Gladiator. If anything, Zimmer's Gladiator re-popularized a "masculin" style in modern action music. It may not have been old-school, but early MV music is very much "masculin" music. Using Lisa Gerrard's voice was simply a complementary musical colour, it in no way made the action "effeminate".There are indeed 'old school' MV elements in Gladiator. However; it is the wailing and sensitive parts that have been copied to death and have found their way in virtually all scores ever since. When even a Star Wars score 'borrows' from the Gladiator blueprint, you know you're in trouble...You made an interesting point with Horner until you brought up Gladiator. If anything, Zimmer's Gladiator re-popularized a "masculin" style in modern action music. It may not have been old-school, but early MV music is very much "masculin" music. Using Lisa Gerrard's voice was simply a complementary musical colour, it in no way made the action "effeminate".There are indeed 'old school' MV elements in Gladiator. However; it is the wailing and sensitive parts that have been copied to death and have found their way in virtually all scores ever since. When even a Star Wars score 'borrows' from the Gladiator blueprint, you know you're in trouble...Oh, completely agreed there. I just wouldn't describe that wailing as "feminine" music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ymenard 54 Posted February 16, 2013 Share Posted February 16, 2013 Goldsmith' The Blue Max is also exactly that. And it's awesome, full of tension and heroic releases. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now