The Book Thief (2013) - New Williams film score!

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

Pretty good performances. As for the music, it's been pretty but pretty nondescript so far. I hope that the majority of the score isn't like this (I'm sure it won't be).

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

Classic Williams suspended/quartal harmony. Very transparent writing.

Anyone guess what track this is?

[Muad'Dib 1,800]

Ilsa's Library?

And the first one must be Learning to Read (and Finding Coins )

[Sharkissimo 1,973]

I think the second one might be Revealing the Secret.

[King Mark 3,625]

hmm, well, not much to comment on that clip

but the general tone is that's is a light, feel good score, a bit like the E.T. underscore

[Joe Brausam 214]

Especially based on the clip Jason embedded I can already tell I'm going to love this score. This is exactly the kind of stuff I love hearing the most.

It's funny how only 5 or 6 years ago I was itching for bombast in the music I hear, but now the more intimate the better for me.

[King Mark 3,625]

I'm sure there's going to be some grandiose cues in there

[Koray Savas 2,251]

"I Hate Hitler!" for sure.

[BloodBoal 7,538]

[indy4 155]

Does anyone know the music from the first 40 seconds of this video...?

http://youtu.be/8qU1ZeLWg28

I hope that's not JW's score...sounds painfully generic. But maybe in context it will work better, if it is by JW.

[Mari 279]

Yahoo movies has posted another clip:

http://movies.yahoo.com/video/book-thief-clip-did-anyone-160104914.html

[crocodile 7,983]

So far it seems very restrained. It's not necessarily a bad thing.

Karol

[filmmusic 1,823]

Anyone guess what track this is?

I doubt that these brief underscore cues will be in the cd..

[Not Mr. Big 4,639]

The editing in the new clip is super jarring.

The first part of clip 3 appears to be the clarinet theme from clip 1.

[King Mark 3,625]

i dunno so far we seem to be random subdued underscore clips.

There's plenty of that in most JW scores though

[KK 3,307]

Indeed. But are these clips just as they appear in film? Because there are some very strange cuts in there.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

I doubt it, promotional clips are often hacked to pieces to get them down to around 60 seconds. There are probably a few seconds missing between some of those cuts so they could fit in the essential bits.

[Incanus 5,713]

Well no doubt those scenes do not require enormous musical underscore. Williams seems to have provided suitable amount of foreboding and suspense but also heart to those short clips we have seen. And I am sure he has arranged the album as a listening experience and in the process joined some cues together as he usually does with shorter passages.

[King Mark 3,625]

it's the type of Williams score where we sometimes get more music on the album than in the film

[crocodile 7,983]

I doubt it, promotional clips are often hacked to pieces to get them down to around 60 seconds. There are probably a few seconds missing between some of those cuts so they could fit in the essential bits.

Yeah and sometimes you get music in those clips that's not in the film. In The Wolverine train action scene clip you had music over it, but in the film that music plays before you get out of train and then there is no score at all.

Karol

[Incanus 5,713]

it's the type of Williams score where we sometimes get more music on the album than in the film

That is also very true. Angela's Ashes is a good example where almost half of the album consists of music not featured in the film. Same goes for Lincoln really.

[mrbellamy 6,272]

I doubt it, promotional clips are often hacked to pieces to get them down to around 60 seconds. There are probably a few seconds missing between some of those cuts so they could fit in the essential bits.

Yeah and sometimes you get music in those clips that's not in the film. In The Wolverine train action scene clip you had music over it, but in the film that music plays before you get out of train and then there is no score at all.

Karol

True, or vice versa. I remember when Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2 was coming out, a clip was released from the final battle but without Desplat's score. Incredibly odd.

[Tom 4,633]

Speculative question: Do you think the accordion source cues will be original compositions by Williams or arrangements of traditional pieces?

[Sandor 796]

Track times!

http://www.sainsburysentertainment.co.uk/en/Music/MP3/John-Williams/The-Book-Thief-Original-Motion-Picture-Soundtrack/product.html?product=V5457679

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Only 2 tracks longer then 3 minutes. The Book Thief at 7 min. probably a concert/album track.

53 minutes seems just about right for a Williams drama score.

[Richard Penna 3,669]

Surprising amount of shorter cues. Perhaps, since this is a drama score, with probably little variation in style, JW doesn't feel the need to make suites to combine similar parts.

Last track I'd say is certainly a concert suite; probably for the end credits.

[Sandor 796]

Could it be that John couldn't finalize the album, creating an 'ideal' listening experience the way he normally does because the post-production was sped up tremendously..?

[publicist 4,643]

If the only difference is that he didn't slap two cues together and gave them one title it shouldn't do much harm.

[Incanus 5,713]

I think a 52 minute album sounds quite a normal length for a JW drama score album. And the track times are not much shorter than say Memoirs of a Geisha or Angelas's Ashes although those had a few longer set pieces than this score. The final track is most likely a concert suite/end credits.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Thats what I just said!

[crocodile 7,983]

I think a 52 minute album sounds quite a normal length for a JW drama score album. And the track times are not much shorter than say Memoirs of a Geisha or Angelas's Ashes although those had a few longer set pieces than this score. The final track is most likely a concert suite/end credits.

It's a relatively brief album, but, again, sometimes for these types of things 70-minute presentations are an overkill.

Karol - I didn't expect it to cross 60-minute mark.

[Incanus 5,713]

Thats what I just said!

I am glad we agree. Your post says 5 minutes btw, not 52.

[crocodile 7,983]

That's what he meant. Dutchmen get bored real fast!

Karol

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I said 53 actually

[King Mark 3,625]

were sure finding out very slowly about this score

[Incanus 5,713]

I said 53 actually

Ah the miracles of editing. It is like you can go back in time and change your doings.

[Incanus 5,713]

Book Thief Samples!

It sounds gorgeous! Reminds me a bit of Angela's Ashes and A.I. . Beautifully lyrical stuff.

[Bowie 45]

Book Thief Samples!

It sounds gorgeous! Reminds me a bit of Angela's Ashes and A.I. . Beautifully lyrical stuff.

WOW. Very lyrical, wondrous.

Getting a huge Presumed Innocent vibe from some of this.

[Incanus 5,713]

Very lovely writing for harp and piano in this one.

[crocodile 7,983]

I love what I'm hearing.

Karol

[Thor 7,463]

Thank you, Incanus! Listening now....

Edit: Loads of piano....I like it! And yeah, the "Himmel Street" track has a very PRESUMED INNOCENT vibe.

[filmmusic 1,823]

I guess the main theme is the one heard in tracks 1, 6, 16, 22 and I think a couple of others..

I also think it has a "Memoirs of a Geisha" vibe.

Especially since some times it's stated on top of a running ostinato pattern..

[Thor 7,463]

"Foot Race" -- sounds like the sample enters at the end of the track after an awesome scherzo or something. Maybe the only upbeat track on the album.

[Incanus 5,713]

Yes there is also a bit of that Memoirs of a Geisha vibe here.

I also like how to the point the compositions are, probably because the cues are quite short and have to state their message in a concise fashion. As a result they sound to my ears very emotionally direct and melodic with no dead air so to speak so that even from these clips you can get a relatively good idea of how the score is going to be like.

[Marcus 390]

Stunningly, painfully beautiful!

[Thor 7,463]

"Rudy is Taken" -- God, love those aching strings. Nobody does that better than Williams. Kinda SCHINDLER'S LIST.

[Incanus 5,713]

"Rudy is Taken" -- God, love those aching strings. Nobody does that better than Williams. Kinda SCHINDLER'S LIST.

Yes! Same goes for the poignant strings on track The Visitor at Himmel Street.

[Pelzter 0]

Sounds quite lovely, sort of halfway between Jane Eyre and Presumed Innocent, with a lot of A.I. style writing in it as well. The running obstinato is certainly familiar, and the score does seem to a large degree to be a patchwork of familiar Williams ideas and techniques for light drama; quite different from the syrupy sweep of War Horse.

[Ludwig 1,120]

The running obstinato is certainly familiar...

LOL - "obstinato". That's a more appropriate name than the proper "ostinato".

[filmmusic 1,823]

Although I haven't listened to the complete theme (but adding the bits from the different tracks), I wouldn't say that it's among the most inspired Williams has ever written, listening to it with a clear mind..

(although I'm a bit fearful of saying anything negative here because I'll be stoned to death! )

Track 20 seems to me that it might be the most interesting track..