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Do you like Patrick Doyle's works?


Josh500

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I'm not at all familiar with his works. Hell, until recently I didn't even own GoF.

Do you enjoy his music? Which are your Top 5 favorite PD scores?

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Doyle's output is a bit uneven to my ears but I have been following his musical career for a long time. I generally like his Branagh/Shakespeare collaborations and some of the smaller things he has done. His first film score Henry V still remains tremendous and I was again impressed when I listened to it last week after a long while.

Henry V

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein

La Ligne droite

Dead Again

Much Ado About Nothing

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I only know a few of his early output (late 80s - early 90s, he had a particular style back then that really made me appreciate scores such as A Little Princess, Carlito's Way and Needful Things, his later work has become much less interesting IMO and I don't have too many except for Eragon and The Last Legion. Not even Harry Potter, but I remember it has some great material.

But the two early scores that continue to blow me away with their elegance and genius writing are Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and his debut Henry V. These are just essential if you want to explore Doyle, and should be sampled even if you don't necessarily like him.

I do like a little known game score he did from a couple of years ago called Puppeteer. But sadly that one hasn't been released on CD nor the digital outlets.

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Brave and Cinderella are also the only two I've ever listened to :P

Well, I've heard and don't like his Harry Potter score. It's my least favorite of the eight.

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I've always LOVED Much Ado About Nothing, a score that's pure joy to listen to. I'm not that big a fan of his HP score. Thor was a pretty solid effort as well.

I really need to give Henry V and Hamlet a listen. And you guys have inspired me to check out Frankenstein as well.

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Brave and Cinderella are also the only two I've ever listened to :P

Well, I've heard and don't like his Harry Potter score. It's my least favorite of the eight.

You like the Hooper scores more?

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I don't actually like any of the scores after Williams' 3. I tried them all and didn't like any of them.

Within the films themselves, the score to 4 is actually offensive, being way too bombastic and loud in spots. Hooper's scores in the films at least are more subtle and blend in well with the on-screen action. Desplat's I barely even remember how they functioned in the films.

On album, none of them made any kind of impression on me at all. There are no tracks from the Doyle or Hoopers I'd put on any kind of compilation. Desplat churned out a few tracks I like... Sky Battle, Oblivate, some other one or two

Love the shit out of all three Williams scores, though!

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His themes and melodies from the scores I know are usually very good, but somehow fall flat because of lacking dynamic change and too even orchestrations. "Harry In Winter" is one prominent example.

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He's a composer I *should* like but I don't...dunno why

I like bombastic orchestral music but as you say it somehow falls flat

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No love for his Potter score? Frankenstein? Henry V? Dead Again?

Marian?

I'm coming!

I've lost track of Doyle over the years, since he seems to have had a pretty uninspired phase post 2000, but there have been several recent highlights again.

Favourites:

Much Ado About Nothing

A Little Princess

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (best love theme ever)

Henry V

La ligne droite

Hamlet

Dead Again

Brave

Cinderella might well have a spot on the list, but it's too young for me to tell. His Potter score is fine, and has several highlights, but it's not among his best.

Doyle's forte of course is integrating source music in his scores, especially dances and songs. Notable examples are Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V (both with Doyle himself as a soloist on his songs), Frankenstein, Dead Again (which blurs the line between the score and the in-film opera) and the recent Cinderella.

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Pieces like Voldemort are terrific, and Doyle's love theme there is one of the best moments of the series, but the score as a whole has little re-listening value for me. I find too little depth in it.

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Brave is really good, GoF has some good parts, and his new Cinderella has a few compilation-worthy tracks.

He also did a concert work a few years ago which I like (Impressions of America).

Other than that, his work has never made much impression on me.

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No love for his Potter score? Frankenstein? Henry V? Dead Again?

Marian?

I'm coming!

I've lost track of Doyle over the years, since he seems to have had a pretty uninspired phase post 2000, but there have been several recent highlights again.

Favourites:

Much Ado About Nothing

A Little Princess

Mary Shelley's Frankenstein (best love theme ever)

Henry V

La ligne droite

Hamlet

Dead Again

Brave

Cinderella might well have a spot on the list, but it's too young for me to tell. His Potter score is fine, and has several highlights, but it's not among his best.

Doyle's forte of course is integrating source music in his scores, especially dances and songs. Notable examples are Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V (both with Doyle himself as a soloist on his songs), Frankenstein, Dead Again (which blurs the line between the score and the in-film opera) and the recent Cinderella.

Hell yes! It's absolutely gorgeous. :up:

I also forgot about Indochine, in the same early style, might be worth checking out.

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His Harry Potter score is great as a standalone listening experience, but he abandons all of JW themes apart from the main one. "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is one of my guilty pleasures.

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Really enjoying this: https://www.varesesarabande.com/products/the-music-of-patrick-doyle-solo-piano

Marian will be disappointed that the "best love theme ever" is not included, but I'm pleased that the largely unheralded Into the West makes an appearance.

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Doyle's forte of course is integrating source music in his scores, especially dances and songs. Notable examples are Much Ado About Nothing and Henry V (both with Doyle himself as a soloist on his songs), Frankenstein, Dead Again (which blurs the line between the score and the in-film opera) and the recent Cinderella.

Good list, Marian. :)

IMO, As You Like It belongs on that list as well for these songs:

Thanks for the reminder, Alan. :)

I've purchased it and have only listened once but early standouts include: St. Crispin's Day, Harry in Winter, Into the West, A Little Princess

My top Doyle scores:

Henry V

Hamlet

As You Like It

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire

East-West (Est-Oest)

Secondhand Lions

Brave

Cinderella

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IMO, As You Like It belongs on that list as well for these songs:

I've never really warmed up to that one. But when it comes to Branagh Shakespeare scores, the Elgarian finale for Love's Labours Lost is also first rate.

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When he's in sync with the directors he's working with, Doyle can knock it out of the park. Man to Man and Nanny McPhee don't get enough love IMO.

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IMO, As You Like It belongs on that list as well for these songs:

I've never really warmed up to that one. But when it comes to Branagh Shakespeare scores, the Elgarian finale for Love's Labours Lost is also first rate.

I feel much the same about Much Ado About Nothing. It has every ingredient I usually like in a Doyle score -- early period, Branagh, Shakespeare -- but for some reason it doesn't click with me.

One of his lovelier small scale works is Corasik which was written for Emma Thompson:

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I LOVE Patrick Doyle's scores. He's the only composer whose discography I listened to without knowing 99% of the films he wrote music for. I first got to know his music in the Goblet of Fire, a score that changed my life. Doyle taught me to listen to film music. Today GOF remains one of my favourite pieces of music (and my favourite HP score).

His best works according to me:

1. GOBLET OF FIRE

2. Cinderella

3. Nanny McPhee

4. Much Ado About Nothing

5. Sense and Sensibility

6. Thor

7. Brave

8. La Ligne Droite

(and basically everything else)

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