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Schindler's List - 2CD 25th Anniversary Edition from La-La Land Records (2018)


Jay

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I listened through both discs last week. It's a moving and reflective experience. 

 

I'm so happy to have the material on Disc 2. I particularly enjoyed Remembrances (alternate), I love the flute performance on the melody at the start. It's such a beautiful melody, that first leap of a minor 9th almost cries out, painfully beautiful.

 

Sitting through both discs in one listening session, I can certainly understand why the unreleased source cues were not included. They serve their function in the film, but as a listening experience, I think they would have taken me out of the mood and flow of the score. 

 

The artwork is gorgeous, and the liner notes very interesting. It's interesting to imagine John Williams planning a family vacation and then finding out he'd need to spend his time writing this score at the place they rented...and how that impacted the score and his writing, by allowing him to have a serene location away from the business of L.A. to focus on getting the music right. 

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The film version of "Schindler's Workforce" is one I've always wanted to have. I'm so happy to do so now.

 

I remember listening to the OST as a kid and being puzzled at why the OST version sounds so much different than what's heard in the film. While musically, I prefer the more fleshed out OST version, the film version has its charms too. It's more raw, and unflinching. A wonderful and indispensable addition to the JW collection.

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I have to admit it's something I can listen to only occasionally. I remember exactly the day I first heard this album -- 4th of September 2000. I was 15 and it was a particularly gloomy and rainy day. It was also a first day at my new school. So I felt bit all over the place already and the music crushed me. But I do love it. There's nothing else quite like his in his repertoire. There are many good and great drama scores in Williams' career but nothing quite matches the raw emotional power of this. What's odd, it isn't really a traditionally sentimental score. I always thought that it feels more like source music. 

 

I'm listening to this right now as well. It's track 13 of disc 1 now. And it puts me in the same mood again...

 

I will hear the additional material in a moment.

 

Karol

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2 hours ago, crocodile said:

I have to admit it's something I can listen to only occasionally. I remember exactly the day I first heard this album -- 4th of September 2000. I was 15 and it was a particularly gloomy and rainy day. It was also a first day at my new school. So I felt bit all over the place already and the music crushed me. But I do love it. There's nothing else quite like his in his repertoire. There are many good and great drama scores in Williams' career but nothing quite matches the raw emotional power of this. What's odd, it isn't really a traditionally sentimental score. I always thought that it feels more like source music.

I never understood why it "crushed" so many people and why many people rarely listen to it, because it's so depressing. It's more melancholic and beautiful and doesn't affect me in this particular way. It's more of a pleasant sadness. Things like Sleepers, Rosewood and Presumed Innocent really make me depressive. More so Conan the Barbarian and La Califfa which destroys my mind every time I listen to it, which I cannot resist for some reason.

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On 12/14/2018 at 8:50 PM, Jay said:

I'll add a tab that covers the source music and the recording sessions leak at some point

 

I hope for now people are just enjoying listening to the new set as-is

Well... in this case one can say that we have enjoyed disc 1 for 25 years... so if people want to assemble a more C&C presentation with film version of cues i couldnt blame them... :P

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40 minutes ago, Brundlefly said:

I never understood why it "crushed" so many people and why many people rarely listen to it, because it's so depressing. It's more melancholic and beautiful and doesn't affect me in this particular way. It's more of a pleasant sadness. 

 

You're describing World War II and the slaughter of millions of innocent people, one of the greatest tragedies of mankind, as "melancholic and beautiful" and "pleasantly sad." Even if the protagonist is a "good" Nazi that went against the herd and did good things, that's what it's really about!

 

What the hell!

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4 minutes ago, John said:

 

Josh, he's talking about Williams' score, not the actual Holocaust.

 

Yeah, but the score was written for a film dealing with just that subject matter, and maybe it's not hard too understand that that's why some people may find it so depressing and crushing...

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The score is Williams's personal commentary on the subject matter.  It is tragic, yet, because of forgiveness and hope within darkness, it is beautiful.  All very human.

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The score is beautiful in its sadness, crushing, oppressive, and overwhelmingly, unbearably tragic.

 

I believe "Theme from Schindler's List" itself is more about humanity, kindness, and sacrifice, than about sadness per se. It's sad also, sure, but the sadness is more due to the whining, lonesome violin solo.

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One cannot deny the power of John Williams score on this one. No matter how many times you watch the movie or listen to it; its always an overwhelming experience.

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3 hours ago, Brundlefly said:

@Josh500, could you please stop these imputful, reproachful, statement-twisting comments. It is not a rare scenario that you twist somebody's words, comment them disdainfully and a few posts later you state the exact same thing that you just a few minutes ago critiziced populist-style. The offensive tone doesn't improve on the affair. And all that is just in addition to your arrogant comments which I'm not sure, whether they are serious or not. I hope your view on Germany and America is not really that one-dimensional as you often blatantly imply.

 

Aren't you overreacting a bit?! This is the thread for the score of Schindler's List! And we cannot even discuss or mention (even marginally) the Nazis and the Holocaust, without you taking it somehow personally or the wrong way? Here I simply reacted to your own statement. You're reading too much into it and getting needlessly upset, instead of just addressing what I said...

 

Be respectful yourself, and I'll be respectful toward you as well! That's all. And a little advice: if you don't understand something (and I'm sure it happens from time to time), just ask, instead of assuming too much and writing asinine, offensive posts about it! Talk about arrogance! 

2 hours ago, Amer said:

One cannot deny the power of John Williams score on this one. No matter how many times you watch the movie or listen to it; its always an overwhelming experience.

 

Agreed! 

 

And one tends to forget (or overlook) that Schindler's List is actually crammed full with music! Not just JW's score, but with source music, pop and folk music of that era, even сlassical music (that piano in the night scene) etc. A powerful combination of picture and music, that's for sure.

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@Josh500, I didn't feel personally attacked in this particular example, however, I wanted to draw your attention to the questionable tendencies of some of your posts.

I don't wanna ignore you, because many of your posts, especially in the HP threads, are worth reading.

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I find the Schindlers Workforce Film Version track to be kind of mesmerizing. It's so effective at creating a specific mood, then keeping you in it for a while.  

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30 minutes ago, Jay said:

I find the Schindlers Workforce Film Version track to be kind of mesmerizing. 

 

You mean in contrast to the OST version? 

 

The film version is more sparsely orchestrated, I believe, it's really the same melody and structure, just the orchestration is different. The film version is a bit more unobtrusive, yet raw and clinically detached, I feel like, whereas the OST version is more fleshed out, and hence warmer and more emotional.

 

The different part starts only at 0:42:

 

 

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Yup, that's exactly what I mean.  I like both versions, but I feel the more empty and repetitive nature of the film version creates a more mesmerizing effect on me.  And it was right to save all the warm music for the end of the film

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5 hours ago, Josh500 said:

The film version is more sparsely orchestrated, I believe, it's really the same melody and structure, just the orchestration is different. The film version is a bit more unobtrusive, yet raw and clinically detached, I feel like, whereas the OST version is more fleshed out, and hence warmer and more emotional.

 

Is the album version of "Schindler's Workforce" more richly orchestrated because it was only ever intended as an album version, where it wouldn't have to compete with dialogue and sound effects? Or were the takes that are combined into the album version truly early attempts at the actual film cues?

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33 minutes ago, jamesluckard said:

 

Is the album version of "Schindler's Workforce" more richly orchestrated because it was only ever intended as an album version, where it wouldn't have to compete with dialogue and sound effects? Or were the takes that are combined into the album version truly early attempts at the actual film cues?

 

See above for a very detailed answer. I don't have such precise and detailed information.

 

But it seems to me that, in putting together the album version of "Schindler's Workforce," JW selected the best performed and musically most powerful and impactful sections and edited them together. The result speaks for itself! It's seamless and perfect. I used to love this piece as a kid (and I still do!), it never ceases to amaze me. The drive, the force, the unrelenting urgency! 

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IIRC Spielberg was at all the recording sessions and likely suggested some of these tonal changes in how The Money Exchange was performed right away, knowing the tone he wanted the early parts of the film to have. 

 

Usually JW tries to use the same versions and takes on album as the film does so it is a bit surprising this OST track ended up so different.

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Sorry for the double post but apparently JWfan is much more interested in the HP release than SL. Does anyone have a custom play order that mixes of the of the OST and the new material? I'm trying to do that now but haven't quite settled on a good order yet and was wondering if others have shared.

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I'd probably just make it chronological. Switch out the Schindler's Workforce track for the film version, ditto I Could Have Saved More.

 

The Money Exchange makes for an odd first track so perhaps one of the Remembrances tracks would be a stronger opener, considering there's 3 versions altogether (and you don't want to place them all at the end). I'd probably suggest the Itzhak Stern version as the film credits use the version without and the alternate is more of a curiosity that belongs with the other alternates. 

 

I'd probably place Jewish Town somewhere towards the start of the sequencing (rather than at the end) simply because I like Williams concert suites as introductory tracks on his soundtracks.

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I would probably try something like this. Essentially chronological with a few concert suites inserted strategically (as the opening track and the Jewish Town suite early in the presentation as in the film. Also, an alternate included alongside its final film version, similar to MM's current methodology). One track from the OST (Give Me Your Names) requires editing; sadly there's a crossfade so you'll need the sessions for clean openings/endings.
 

The Film Score

D1-13. Remembrances [with Itzhak Perlman] * 5:16
D2-1. Schindler's Workforce (Film Version) 12:09
D1-2. Jewish Town [Krakow Ghetto – Winter ’41] * 4:40
D1-9. Stolen Memories 4:20
D2-5. The Perlman Family 1:15
D1-6. OYF’N Pripetshok *** and Nacht Aktion ** 2:56
D1-3. Immolation [With Our Lives, We Give Life] 4:44
D1-10. Making The List 5:11
D1-11. Give Me Your Names 4:55 (16M2 only 0:00 - 2:15)
D1-8. Auschwitz-Birkenau * 3:41
D1-11. Give Me Your Names 4:55 (18M1 only 2:15 - 4:54)
D2-6. I Could Have Done More (Film Version) * 5:56
D1-12. Yeroushalaim Chel Zahav [Jerusalem Of Gold] 2:17
D1-1. Theme From Schindler’s List * 4:16
D1-14. Theme From Schindler’s List [Reprise] 3:00
D1-4. Remembrances (End Credits) 4:20

 

Additional music section arranged to match the film's narrative, like MM's assemblies.

 

Additional Music
D1-5. Schindler’s Workforce (Album Version) 9:08
D2-2. Reflections (Unused Insert) 2:42
D1-7. I Could Have Done More (Original Version) * 5:52
D2-3. Theme For Recorder 2:15
D2-4. Remembrances (Unused Alternate) 4:31

 

Feel free to correct if I've mixed some cues up in this order. This was my source. Obviously source music is excluded at this stage, I'd probably keep that entirely separate from the score.

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Tracks sequence on a CD.... We are in 2018, we all encode our stuff in FLACs now... well I think?

 

So we can all use the sequence we want!!!

 

I usually like to make some alternative playlists on my computer, I love to have the choice!

 

____

 

Sorry if the question has been asked before, is this release sums up all the previous ones, if we talk about the "remastered" thing?

I mean the 24k Gold CD, the japanese remaster, etc.

 

So the new release, is this the "best of the best"? (Really different than the old OST, or not so?)

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Listened to the entire set. It's a terrific score, of course, but the presentation is a different matter.

 

It's a shame that there's a clear volume difference between discs 1 and 2. I've just stopped re-ordering these albums on my computer, but it's very jarring for those who do want to change track positions.

 

and they really need to stop this absurd OST re-issue +bonus tracks thing. Yes, World War 2 was dreadful, we all know that, it was very sad and tragic, but this is not a concept album designed to move you to tears. It's a film score and film scores should be presented chronologically. We all buy these things because the OST isn't what we wanted. I've heard all the arguments about this score being sacrosanct and what have you, but I just don't buy it. This is was a missed opportunity. In 20 years’ time, they’ll do a complete presentation and then nobody will care about all these arguments.

 

As for excluding the source music, I would have understood that decision had they also ditched the choral pieces. They are really effective, of course, but there's plenty of room on disc 2 and, no, I wouldn't consider including them to be offensive to Jewish people or whatever. On the contrary, it would have made things much more vivid.

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4 minutes ago, Nick Parker said:

Another complete and chronological vs. re-ordered for better listening debate on JWFan, this should be an enlightening conversation with novel and thought-provoking points brought up and discussed. 

 

I resolved the case.

 

During the week I listen to extended and C&C releases. During the week-end I listen to OSTs only.

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I usually read the end of a book first.  

But, for scores,  I think chronological is best.

I mean, do you listen to the overture in the middle of an opera?  Or the adagio after the finale in a symphony?

 

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There are indeed overtures in the middle of operas, usually referred to as preludes.

 

8 hours ago, Faleel J.M. said:

Here's something I don't think has been iterated in these discussions: we all care for a good listening experience, we just all have our own ideas on what a good listening experience is

 

Yeah, some people basically want to watch the film without picture, dialogue and sound effects with the music in the intended order, while others just want the music reordered and turned into the best purely musical work possible.

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The OST play order is brilliant but I prefer a sequence that incorporates some of the new material. On top of that, one of the few OST track order decisions I never quite agreed with was starting with the SL theme concert arrangement. It is beautiful but a little repetitive and doesn't sound like the opening to a larger listening experience. Right now I have The Perlman Family as the opener. It works well for delicately introducing the theme without overstaying its welcome or getting too dramatic too quickly. I prefer the kind of bigger, emotional writing to mostly come in the second half of the score.

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3 hours ago, artguy360 said:

one of the few OST track order decisions I never quite agreed with was starting with the SL theme concert arrangement. It is beautiful but a little repetitive and doesn't sound like the opening to a larger listening experience.

 

That's not a concert arrangement. That's the final cue in the film, the last one before the end credits. It's 20M3 Placing The Stones

 

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1tjZ3in_WVERGW9Kk6IcH3UqG002yv-oU6hJVU6Lv28o/

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So is there a C&C playlist to include some of the tracks present on the 2nd CD in it?

 

I love Schindler's Workforce (movie version), I think it's the first time I like a movie version better than the album one!

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