Composer Threads The Alan Silvestri Thread

[Bespin 8,481]

6 minutes ago, Jay said:

Action/adventure AINEC

 

Jay is not a sentimental person.

[Jay 37,363]

Nah, I'm not saying anything about his romantic/comedic/dramatic music in general, or how I feel about that type of music in general, the specific question was about Silvestri's action/adventure vs Silvestri/s romantic/comedic/dramatic, and for me, Silvestri does the former better.  Simple as that.

[Bespin 8,481]

Not a sentimental bone in this Guy!

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Sidebar: Richie Rich is his best kid film score, NOT Mouse Hunt

[Jay 37,363]

I don't think I've heard Richie Rich!  Mouse Hunt is fun

 

Too bad both are the victim of the 30 minute Varese OST

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

I doubt there's anything of significance to add to Mouse Hunt. Nice main theme, though.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I love the Richie Rich OST.  I’d welcome an expansion for archival purposes but the OST is a very nice program.

[Bespin 8,481]

It has to be connected to Copland somehow... 

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

Copland wrote the rejected score.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Macaulay Culkin is Aaron Copland's love child.

[Bespin 8,481]

 

[mrbellamy 6,286]

5 hours ago, Disco Stu said:

I generally prefer his drama/comedy style, I actually don’t think he’s particularly strong on action music, but certainly not bad or anything.  Silvestri’s strength is definitely emotion and sentiment.  Of course what makes the BTTF trilogy so killer is that it’s a great dramedy score with action elements.  Anyway I love Gump and Father of the Bride and Contact, Silvestri is just great at treacle and I lap it up.

 

I agree with Disco Stu

 

I think there's probably some nostalgia at play but pretty much invariably whenever Silvestri leaps out at me, it's when he's being more yearning or whimsical. 

 

Like, "Portals" is cool and all but he loses me as soon as the battle starts. The moments where he really made the difference in that movie to me were little things like Tony and his dad or Cap giving the shield to Falcon. That's when I remember thinking "Oh this one feels like a real movie for once." He still has that knack of taking a Sharpie marker and outlining the emotional curves of dialogue scenes with a melody. Used to be more of a prerequisite, now it's like a specialty. But when I look at his career, that's the area where I'm like "Ah yeah, Silvestri, good guy."

 

And I just find it more frequently listenable from him than his action stuff. The best of it is obviously pretty badass. 

[Disco Stu 15,495]

I mean, can you imagine a shitty video game movie these days getting a cue like this????  Classic treacly Silvestri and it's fantastic.

 

 

[Thor 7,504]

On 2/20/2021 at 4:58 PM, Edmilson said:

Question for the Silvestri fans in the forum: what kind of Alan Silvestri score do you prefer?

1. His action/adventure scores, like Predator 1 and 2, Judge Dredd, Eraser, The Mummy Returns, G.I. Joe, The Avengers, etc;
2. His more soft and warm scores for rom-coms, dramas and kid movies, like Father of the Bride, Forrest Gump, Stuart Little, Mouse Hunt, Contact, Cast Away, etc;
3. Or somewhere in between these two extremes?

 

These days, the calm stuff. So 2. But I'm prone to put on one of the big action scores once in a while. Rarely from after THE MUMMY RETURNS, though.

[Edmilson 7,448]

1 hour ago, mrbellamy said:

Like, "Portals" is cool and all but he loses me as soon as the battle starts. The moments where he really made the difference in that movie to me were little things like Tony and his dad or Cap giving the shield to Falcon. That's when I remember thinking "Oh this one feels like a real movie for once." He still has that knack of taking a Sharpie marker and outlining the emotional curves of dialogue scenes with a melody. Used to be more of a prerequisite, now it's like a specialty. But when I look at his career, that's the area where I'm like "Ah yeah, Silvestri, good guy."

 

 

I agree that the best parts of Endgame's score is the more calmer, dramatic music, specially those from the movie's first hour, when they're dealing with the consequences of Thanos' action. 

 

The music for the action scenes is okay, but it has one big problem for me: most of it was already taken from his previous action scores. And it's very weird that a lot of the climax' music is taken directly from the action music of The Avengers and Infinity War. 

[Bespin 8,481]

I just made a playlist using the programmes of the Gent festival CD + the one of the Prague City Philh.... using the original versions when they were available... so it made a sort of "Best Of".

 

 

[Jurassic Shark 12,075]

16 hours ago, Bespin said:

 

Jay is not a sentimental person.

 

He's more machine than man now.

[Anthony 572]

The films Silvestri is known for: Back To The Future, Forrest Gump, Cast Away, The Avengers

 

However I believe his best scores are actually: Back To The Future Part III, Judge Dredd, The Mummy Returns, Captain America, Ready Player One

 

Also excellent but I feel are underappreciated: Who Framed Roger Rabbit and Mouse Hunt

 

So to answer the question directly - his action adventure style is my favourite by far.

[mstrox 6,651]

Silvestri writes a good action/adventure theme but usually the stuff around it isn’t my favorite, and the themes are not particularly varied throughout their uses in the score.  I prefer his gentler stuff.

[Henry Sítrónu 494]

 

[bruce marshall 1,315]

Just borrows/downloaded  FERNGULLY

On 2/21/2021 at 3:57 AM, Disco Stu said:

 Predator.  I like the Coplandesque theme in Predator but in general it’s a bit of a slog.  As are most of his action scores.

Try this.

 

[Jay 37,363]

New interview with Silvestri

 

https://www.podbean.com/media/share/dir-zq7g8-e066532

 

According to an FSM poster, "Among many things he talks about the new BTTF: The Musical, working with Spielberg on Ready Player One (and having John Williams visiting the recording session), his scores for the Avengers movies (especially the "Portals" cue) and a special anecdote about Danny Elfman. "

[Disco Stu 15,495]

If it's just talking Back to the Future (as the episode title would suggest) I can't imagine it being anything but the stories we've heard many times.

[Jay 37,363]

See my edited post

[Disco Stu 15,495]

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

I'm listening and it's fantastic! 

 

I love how Alan tells stories, he's so entertaining and hilarious

[Jay 37,363]

Please share what he says about Williams attending the Ready Player One scoring sessions!

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

First of all, it's quite funny because he refers to Spielberg and JW as Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Williams at all times. I don't know if he ever called them by their first names, but it shows just how professional Silvestri is

 

Second, he says a couple of interesting things about RPO:

 

- He mentions that at the beggining of the process, Spielberg asked Silvestri via email (if I understood correctly) if he would provide piano sketches played to picture (which Silvestri mentions is Williams' usual practice) and he had to reply something starting with "Mr. Spielberg..." that said he didn't do piano demos, but he could provide some mock-ups. But there was some stuff Silvestri could only show Steven on the recording studio, so Spielberg replied something like "Ok! I'll see you when I see you". 

On the recording day, Silvestri mentions being really nervous and that they played the first couple of bars of a brassy fanfare from the beggining of the movie and Spielberg jumped of his seat and screamed: "SOLD!".

 

- Regarding the Williams visit, Silvestri tells that one day he received a phone call from someone (I don't recall if it was Spielberg or one of his people) where they said that Williams was interested in visiting one recording session and that Williams had asked if Silvestri was ok with that. Silvestri replies something like: "I told them, Mr. Williams can do whatever he wants whenever he wants!"

On the day of the visit, Silvestri was conducting as usual and noticed the orchestra kinda distracted and after a little while, because of this, noticed that Williams was on the booth. He greeted him and Williams thanked Silvestri for letting him visit the session and mentioned that he hadn't been on a recording session that wasn't his in 30+ years and was really to happy to hear how the studio sounded "from the outside" (that is, from a composition that wasn't his). 

And so Williams sat next to Spielberg, and Silvestri commented something like: "I thought I couldn't be any more nervous when Spielberg was listening alone, but with Williams as well I proved myselft wrong".

 

Silvestri adds that both Mr. Spielberg and Mr. Williams were extremly gracious and generous during the whole process and I think that's the most important stuff I can remember right now. 

 

I'll add more if I remember something else!

[Jay 37,363]

Wow, that's great stuff!

[Bespin 8,481]

I follow Alan Silvestri on his Instagram account and he post great sexy pics.

 

It seems he's currently working hard on the Premiere of "Back to The Future: The Musical", so I guess he adapted himself the music for the piece...

 

 

 

 

[Thor 7,504]

Yes, he did. Along with Glen Ballard.

[Tom Guernsey 2,284]

In amongst all the other stuff released and announced today, the cast recording for Silvestri's Back to the Future: The Musical is released today (digitally at least). Couple of tracks in and it's fun, if pretty insubstantial stuff... I rather think everyone will remember the original BTTF theme, Johnny B Goode and the Huey Lewis tracks by the end. Sure I'll see it eventually anyway!

[publicist 4,643]

 

T'is is not the season, but since it was Silvestri's birthday this seems most celebratory.

[Jay 37,363]

I'm listening to the 1993 Edel compilation CD "Best of Science Fiction", and there's a 5 minute suite of music from "My Stepmother is an Alien", and it's great!

 

A bit of Predator, but with a way more on-the-nose sci-fi twinge to it.  Super fun!

 

Anybody know if a specialty label has ever talked about potentially releasing this one?

[Bespin 8,481]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

I'm listening to the 1993 Edel compilation CD "Best of Science Fiction", and there's a 5 minute suite of music from "My Stepmother is an Alien", and it's great!

 

A bit of Predator, but with a way more on-the-nose sci-fi twinge to it.  Super fun!

 

Anybody know if a specialty label has ever talked about potentially releasing this one?

 

Oh, nice double album, I have to listen to this!

 

 

[Jay 37,363]

That's the one.  It's the Czech Symphony Orchestra conducted by William Motzing, recorded in July 1993

[Muad'Dib 1,802]

 

I used to have this CD and always came back to this superb suite.

[Bespin 8,481]

So what's happening with this release? Still OOR? Any hope for a reprint or a reissue?

Alan Silvestri – The Abyss: The Deluxe Edition

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

This needs definitly a reissue, as well as Volcano and Back to the Future part. III, the three biggest gap in my Silvestri collection

[Bespin 8,481]

How can we live a normal life with these gaps in our collections? 

[Raiders of the SoundtrArk 2,433]

It's simply impossible! I wake up every morning with a headache at the very idea to spend another day without them

[bruce marshall 1,315]

"Cat's Eye" reissued on Intrada next week

[Bespin 8,481]

Trying to make a basic CD collection of Alan Silvestri is not easy. After 3 years of collecting, this is what I was able to do. Not perfect, but it's only a beginning!

 

* The thiny CD case, is my purchased FLAC version of the Ghent Concert conducted by Dirk Brossé.

[Disco Stu 15,495]

Confession: Father of the Bride Part II is my most listened to Silvestri OST, more than any BTTF or Predator or Gump or Contact.  It's such a great listening experience!

 

The first movie is obviously miles better than the second as a film, but man what a score.

 

 

[publicist 4,643]

There is a collection with 'Predator 2' and there is one...without. Tragic.

[Bespin 8,481]

For my defense, the EXCELLENT and I agree, ESSENTIAL, Predator 2 score, well the best of it (the 8:46 End Credits Suite), appears on the compilation "Voyages".

[publicist 4,643]

Though beware, there was a mixing error on the old release, the new one is mastered too hot, but it's miles better.

[mstrox 6,651]

I’m happy with my Silvestri collection.  No pics because they’re alphabetized by film title with everything else on my shelf.  What essential Silvestri releases am I missing besides apparently Predator 2?

 

Back to the Future (2 disc expansion)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Back to the Future 2 (expansion)

Back to the Future 3 (OST and expansion)

Father of the Bride

Forrest Gump

Father of the Bride 2

Practical Magic

Stuart Little (OST tracks)

Mummy Returns (OST and expansion)

Lilo and Stitch (OST tracks)

identity

Polar Express OST

Christmas Carol

A-Team

Captain America

Avengers (expanded Intrada version)

Croods

Red 2

Night at the Museum

Night at the Museum 2

Night at the Museum 3

Ready Player One

Avengers Infinity War (both versions)

Avengers Endgame

The Witches

[Disco Stu 15,495]

2 minutes ago, mstrox said:

I’m happy with my Silvestri collection.  No pics because they’re alphabetized by film title with everything else on my shelf.  What essential Silvestri releases am I missing besides apparently Predator 2?

 

Back to the Future (2 disc expansion)

Who Framed Roger Rabbit

Back to the Future 2 (expansion)

Back to the Future 3 (OST and expansion)

Father of the Bride

Forrest Gump

Father of the Bride 2

Practical Magic

Stuart Little (OST tracks)

Mummy Returns (OST and expansion)

Lilo and Stitch (OST tracks)

identity

Polar Express OST

Christmas Carol

A-Team

Captain America

Avengers (expanded Intrada version)

Croods

Red 2

Night at the Museum

Night at the Museum 2

Night at the Museum 3

Ready Player One

Avengers Infinity War (both versions)

Avengers Endgame

The Witches

 

RICHIE RICH

 

(not a joke)

[mstrox 6,651]

As a fellow Father of the Bride fan, I respect your Silvestri opinion without reservation!