Fit for a King?

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

2 hours ago, GerateWohl said:

Yes. Cinderella somehow for me sounded too much like Much Ado About Nothing to not be compared to it and is by far not as good. Never saw the movie. But there are pieces which obviously are supposed to mark emotional climaxes in the movie and there the music is loud but flat in an intrusive way.

The themes are just weak here. 

It is like listening to a pop album, where each song reminds you of something similar but better.

Not for me.

Same feeling I have, by the way, listening to his "Hamlet" score.

 

I never really thought Cinderella sounded much like Much Do (if I had a gun pointed to me head, I'd probably pick that as my favourite Doyle score - a handful of terrific thematic material, not a dull moment, an absolutely stonking effort from beginning to end - they really don't write them like that any more) but it has always underwhelmed me a bit. I can't even think what the main theme is offhand (yet I could probably play the themes from Much Ado, Henry V, Hamlet and others on the piano at the drop of a hat) so while it's delightful stylistically, it's never quite landed. It seems to be a common problem (presumably related to Hollywood producers/directors becoming even more tin-eared, if that were possible) of composers who smothered us with one brilliant theme after another then in about the year 2000 the switch was flipped off and the bulb on sporadically flickers back into life. I mean Doyle is still a composer where I'll get more or less anything he writes, but don't expect to have my ears tingle in the way they used to.

 

God that was depressing.

 

Oh I do rather like Hamlet, even if it's quite a lot more low key than Much Ado or Henry V. The main theme is gorgeous even though I'm not sure it needed an operatic version, Doyle's own singing voice would probably worked better than Placido Domingo (only stylistically, not a slight on Domingo's abilities!). 

[GerateWohl 4,371]

My favourite theme and for me the main theme from Much Ado is this:

 

It is everywhere throughout the score. But it is always played with a foot on the break pedal, just like here.

 

But often my issue with Doyle scores is, that his thematic material became quite similar with time and the weakest point for me is, when it comes to variations of the themes throughout the score. There I would expect a little more. His variations are always just in instrumentation or tempo. But I would love to hear a different counterpoint or different harmonization. It is very rare in his scores.

An example, where I feel that intensely is Frankenstein. It starts of great and the love theme is beautiful. But after some time it feels kind of dull to me.

 

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

1 hour ago, GerateWohl said:

My favourite theme and for me the main theme from Much Ado is this:

 

It is everywhere throughout the score. But it is always played with a foot on the break pedal, just like here.

 

But often my issue with Doyle scores is, that his thematic material became quite similar with time and the weakest point for me is, when it comes to variations of the themes throughout the score. There I would expect a little more. His variations are always just in instrumentation or tempo. But I would love to hear a different counterpoint or different harmonization. It is very rare in his scores.

An example, where I feel that intensely is Frankenstein. It starts of great and the love theme is beautiful. But after some time it feels kind of dull to me.

 

I kinda know what you mean, although the material itself is so good that it doesn't really bother me, plus I'm sure he does more interesting things with far superior material than contemporary film composers. The one thing he does that was pointed out by FSM was his themes don't (rarely?) have a B section, they just repeat the A section instead of doing something else. I'm not sure if it's quite as prevalent in his more recent scores where the themes are considerably more subtle, but it's pretty noticeable in his early scores. Only have to listen to Non Nobis Domine and you realise that melody just repeats over and over. Good job it's a cracker.

[BB-8 3,483]

"A NEW KING" by Patrick Doyle ;-)

 

 

 

And a coronation...

 

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,210]

3 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Oh I do rather like Hamlet, even if it's quite a lot more low key than Much Ado or Henry V. The main theme is gorgeous even though I'm not sure it needed an operatic version, Doyle's own singing voice would probably worked better than Placido Domingo (only stylistically, not a slight on Domingo's abilities!). 

 

Hamlet is rather dreary, but that's the point I think. There's still fine stuff in there. The song sung by Doyle himself would be lovely, I'm sure - I always thought Domingo was rather overkill, plus he sounds a bit strained (or perhaps just disinterested).

 

Much Ado is of course Doyle's masterpiece, and a rare case of a modern film score with a proper overture that introduces the major themes and is probably one of Doyle's most formally rounded pieces - and all that (unlike traditional overtures) while accompanying the film, with some of the best spotting & syncing I've seen:

(NSFW warning: Lots of arses)

(Shame it's a truncated version that starts only after Emma Thompson's opening song-poem; there's a full version on YouTube, but it has weird sound issues)

 

The film is a favourite of mine anyway. It's definitely the Doyle score I'd love to get autographed someday. In fact, I do have his autograph in the booklet, graciously sent to me by a friend who attended one of his concerts, in exchange for my un-signed booklet, but it's *inside* the booklet, over the text, so it doesn't really "count" for my brain, and it's not very presentable. If I ever get the change, I'll probably just ask him to sign the Blu-ray - he's in the film after all.

[BB-8 3,483]

I just started a YouTube search for "coronation soundtrack" and soon gave up...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[BB-8 3,483]

Coronation Music Store - Coronation Music Store (decca.com)

[Thor 7,519]

I can't see any track listing on that site. But I assume it's a mix of classical pieces and the new comissions.

[BB-8 3,483]

7 minutes ago, Thor said:

I can't see any track listing on that site. But I assume it's a mix of classical pieces and the new comissions.

 

"The complete album, which will be more than four hours long, will be made available digitally on the day itself. The physical version of the album (featuring the entire service and all 12 of the Coronation commissions) will then be available in stores globally from 15 May."

 

Source:

Coronation album will be recorded live and released the same day | Classical Music (classical-music.com)

 

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

3 hours ago, BB-8 said:

Coronation Music Store - Coronation Music Store (decca.com)

 

Fuck's sake.

[BB-8 3,483]

2 Royal coasters

 

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

2 Royal coasters 

 

 

 

[Brónach 1,302]

i think they should play intense trailer music

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

Brought to you by Ping & Bwwaaaammm.

[Richard Penna 3,695]

9 hours ago, BB-8 said:

The complete album, which will be more than four hours long, will be made available digitally on the day itself.

 

I'd be impressed if they got a live recording out a few days after the ceremony. But the same day... has that ever happened before? That'll involve some mega-fast editing.

 

I'll be wandering around the South Downs on Saturday and hopefully Monday and generally as far from festivities as possible.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

7 hours ago, Richard Penna said:

I'll be wandering around the South Downs on Saturday and hopefully Monday and generally as far from festivities as possible.

 

[BB-8 3,483]

 

[Sweeping Strings 2,363]

 Hehehe. 

[BB-8 3,483]

 

Apparently, Richard Strauss' VPO Fanfare will be played directly after the "God save the King" exclamation!

 

Wow!

 

Small world...

 

Fanfare
Strauss: Wiener Philharmoniker

The Abbey bells ring for 2 minutes.

A fanfare is sounded followed by a Gun Salute which will be fired by
The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery stationed at Horse Guards Parade.
This will be accompanied by Gun Salutes at His Majesty’s Fortress the Tower of London
fired by the Honourable Artillery Company, and at all Saluting Stations
throughout the United Kingdom, Gibraltar, Bermuda, and Ships at Sea.

 

Source:

https://www.churchofengland.org/coronation/liturgy

[Marian Schedenig 8,210]

6 hours ago, Sweeping Strings said:

 Hehehe. 

 

What about "man in hat sits on rock carted from Scotland to London specifically for him to sit on"?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

Yeah, and we fucking want it back, when he's finished!

[Marian Schedenig 8,210]

Completely irrelevant trivia: I first heard about the Stone of Scone some 20 years ago, indirectly, when I read Terry Pratchett's The Fifth Elephant. Of course, until a couple of years ago I was unaware of the real thing and thought Pratchett's Scone of Stone was entirely fictitious. I should have known better.

[BB-8 3,483]

On 05/05/2023 at 9:35 PM, Marian Schedenig said:

 

What about "man in hat sits on rock carted from Scotland to London specifically for him to sit on"?

...and to listen to a fanfare composed for the opening of the Vienna Philharmonic Ball.

[Jurassic Shark 12,088]

 

[BB-8 3,483]

The Doyle didn't really work during the live broadcast (BBCworld) as it was faded out half-way just to show Charles and Camilla leaving Buckingham Palace.

[Jurassic Shark 12,088]

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/the-coronation-of-their-majesties-king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla/hnum/11488941

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

12 minutes ago, Jurassic Shark said:

https://www.jpc.de/jpcng/classic/detail/-/art/the-coronation-of-their-majesties-king-charles-iii-and-queen-camilla/hnum/11488941

Those hats... they look so fucking ridiculous. Oh sorry, I mean, thanks for posting the link ;-)

[BB-8 3,483]

14 minutes ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Those hats... they look so fucking ridiculous. Oh sorry, I mean, thanks for posting the link ;-)

I seriously hope this is NOT the official cover! I prefer the above floral design. 

 

I want to listen to the music without the distraction of faces with hats!

[Jurassic Shark 12,088]

You guys.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

4 hours ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Those hats... they look so fucking ridiculous.

 

The whole thing was a fucking joke, except that no-one was laughing.

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

10 hours ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

 

The whole thing was a fucking joke, except that no-one was laughing.

Just think of the music.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,552]

1 hour ago, Tom Guernsey said:

Just think of the music.

What? Katy Perry? Take fucking That?

No chance.

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

30 minutes ago, Naïve Old Fart said:

What? Katy Perry? Take fucking That?

No chance.

I meant more the Walton, Doyle, Bruckner...

[Richard Penna 3,695]

Doyle's is a pleasant piece, although the section from around 30 seconds to 1 minute comes across slightly as a piece of 'positive, factual' library music. (I hear a lot of stock pieces with that sort of sound).

 

The rest of it - more fun and sprightly than I was expecting. For some bizarre reason I was anticipating some sort of solemn 'funeral march' sort of thing.

 

I'm not a fan of that album cover though. Looks like an event that happened a century ago with those silly crowns.

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

Doyle's is a pleasant piece, although the section from around 30 seconds to 1 minute comes across slightly as a piece of 'positive, factual' library music. (I hear a lot of stock pieces with that sort of sound).

 

The rest of it - more fun and sprightly than I was expecting. For some bizarre reason I was anticipating some sort of solemn 'funeral march' sort of thing.

 

 

I kinda agree about the middle section which doesn't sound terribly inspired at times, but overall it's pretty enjoyable but guess it slightly exposes PD's weaknesses as a composer in that it doesn't really develop that much. If it's possible for something to be more or less what you would have guessed without being quite sure what to expect then what Doyle wrote is pretty much that! I certainly didn't expect any kind of funeral march, you only have to listen to how florid and (brilliantly) OTT the Walton coronation marches are that Doyle's is almost quite restrained comparatively. Then again, it's kinda clear that Walton really was in a whole other league as a composer (and much more interesting than Elgar if we're going for his contemporaries). Currently listening to Crown Imperial and it's absolutely bloody marvellous - plus the way he weaves all the various ideas together gives it a sense of drive and purpose you don't really get from PD's march.

 

For anyone who enjoys Walton's two coronation marches, I highly recommend his Johannesburg Festival Overture which is a bit more a whirlwind than the coronation marches and a lot of fun.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Richard Penna said:

I'm not a fan of that album cover though. Looks like an event that happened a century ago with those silly crowns.

 

 

You do half expect for people to say that it looks like Disney did it, but nobody will because deep down they know that Disney's designs would have more taste...

 

Not sure I'll be going for the full album to be honest, hopefully be able to buy Doyle's piece on its own digitally.

 

 

[Richard Penna 3,695]

I think one would be particularly uncharitable to fault the cover that much. It's clearly a photoshopped picture taken during the ceremony, and given the album dropped at some point that afternoon/evening, means someone literally had just a few hours to prep the cover.

 

I'm trying not to be the usual apologist for shoddy work, but that's an insanely tight deadline with source materials that may not be ideal.

[Tom Guernsey 2,287]

52 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I think one would be particularly uncharitable to fault the cover that much. It's clearly a photoshopped picture taken during the ceremony, and given the album dropped at some point that afternoon/evening, means someone literally had just a few hours to prep the cover.

 

I'm trying not to be the usual apologist for shoddy work, but that's an insanely tight deadline with source materials that may not be ideal.

Totally agree, my comment about Disney was purely directed at the clothes and hats, not the production of the album or the cover art. Although, to be fair, I don't think anything other than some kind of awkward picture of them in their hats was on the cards to be honest! 

[BB-8 3,483]

La Vie en Robes

 

[Marian Schedenig 8,210]

On 09/05/2023 at 1:53 PM, Tom Guernsey said:

If it's possible for something to be more or less what you would have guessed without being quite sure what to expect then what Doyle wrote is pretty much that!

 

[Brónach 1,302]

I prefer the cue from Frozen

[BB-8 3,483]

The physical coronation OST double-Decca arrived yesterday from the UK.

 

It's in a normal jewel case with the funny-hats cover. :-(

[BB-8 3,483]

Btw, I like the Doyle after all. It's a classic Doyle that would actually deserve a proper audiophil recording.