Guest Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Hi. This may be a tough question...but since I can't figure it out...I'm sure someone here has got to know! Can anyone tell me the name of the instrument John Williams uses in the piece "Escape from Venice" from Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? It's easy to pick out...it comes in with a traditional italian melody shortly into the piece. Thanks! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morlock 11 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 I was just thinking that, since I recently got the CD. It sounded to me much more Greek than Italian, but I'm no expert. I don't remember the name of the instrument I'm thinking of though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Could it be a Mandolin?-Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 It could be a Ondioline or synth. Ondioline is an old 60's electronic instrument with a similar sound. I have a golden age old score which uses it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,222 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Sounds more like a string instrument than a synthesizer. Of course, it could be a synthesized string instrument. The Draughtsman's Contract (Michael Nyman) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector J. Guzman 1 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 I always thought it was a mandolin. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Justin 2 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Perhaps a Ukelele? (Heck I don't know how to spell the dang thing what do you think I am a dictinary?? )Justin - Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hector J. Guzman 1 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Perhaps Kissinger's Ukelele? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TownerFan 4,991 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Yes, it IS a mandolin. From the non-italian point of view, it's considered a kind of "quintessential" italian sound, albeit it's a huge clichè. I think that Williams used that instrument in a humorous manner, a sort of musical joke as Indy said "Ah, Venice...". I always found it funny and spirited. Maurizio -- who knows what a mandolin is because he's Italian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 They could synthesize a mandolin quite well in the 60's though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted July 16, 2002 Share Posted July 16, 2002 Christ, of course it's a mandolin! Venice... Vivaldi... DUH!!!!Figo, who knows what a mandolin is because he's not an imbecile... like Morn. :twisted: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,222 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 They could synthesize a mandolin quite well in the 60's though!Yes, but why should they?Marian - who knows that Williams is not Zimmer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Why hire a mandolin player when you can use synth? I imagine they are harder to come by than stand orchestra players Besides, it sounds like they are using more than one.I can imagine this conversation with Williams and his orchestrator.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 That melody has a expanded version in midi in the Lucasarts adventure game Indiana Jones and the Last crusade.In that game, you can also hear a very cool development of the catacombs theme, and it turns out to be an amazing theme.Have you guys heard these midis? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruciformSword 2 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 Why hire a mandolin player when you can use synth? I imagine they are harder to come by than stand orchestra players Besides, it sounds like they are using more than one.But it's John Williams, I'm sure he can get anyone and anything he wants.-Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 There are more mandolin players than you think, Morn. So-called "early music" is very much in demand these days -- although if you ask me, if you've heard one Vivaldi concerto, you've heard them all. Yes, it definitely sounds as if there is more than one mandolin. I suppose if they really wanted to cheap-out (shave a few cents off the already multi-million dollar budget), they could have simply resorted to overdubbing.Figo, severely doubting that was the case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 if you ask me, if you've heard one Vivaldi concerto, you've heard them all. .That sums up my opinion about ALL classical music.Stefancos- Who can imagine Figo :roll: while reading this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 As if ignorance were something to brag about. You would make an excellent American, Stefancos. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted July 17, 2002 Share Posted July 17, 2002 You would make an excellent American, Stefancos.I find that remark...insulting.- Spock, Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered CountryStefancos- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruciformSword 2 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 As if ignorance were something to brag about. You would make an excellent American, Stefancos.That hurts Figo.-Jason, AMERICAN Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Don't blame Figo for your countries popular small minded and arrogant attitudes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruciformSword 2 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Wow, that's a stereo-type if i've ever heard one.-Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Stereo types are always true.Stefancos- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruciformSword 2 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 What you said shows that the stereotype that all european people dislike americans is true. -Jason, who has to watch his back from now on because the europeans outnumber the americans Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 European? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CruciformSword 2 Posted July 18, 2002 Share Posted July 18, 2002 Yeah European. People who live in Europe. -Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 I believe that's a balilaka (SP?). It's a southeastern Europe ethnic instrument, and in Russia, they have entire Symphonies formed of just balilakas and percussion.The Ghoest- With another (nearly) useless fact. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Figo 2 Posted July 19, 2002 Share Posted July 19, 2002 It's not. Why would Williams employ balalaikas in a Venetian chase scene, when the mandolin is so strongly identified with Venetian musical history? It was practically THE secular instrument of choice for Vivaldi, Lotti, and innumerable others associated with San Marco in the baroque era. What's more stereotypically Venetian, a gondolier with his mandolin, or a vacationing Osipov folk musician drifting down the Grand Canal with his trusty balalaika?Figo, listening to a disc of Neopolitan mandolin concertos -- by Paisiello, Lecce, and Giuliani -- from nearly half a century later. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 20, 2002 Share Posted July 20, 2002 Anyone know an ondioline? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trumpeteer 302 Posted July 24, 2002 Share Posted July 24, 2002 I was thinking that it was a lute, and was prepared to assert that fact.But it's probably a mandolin. The mandolin, according to Webster's Dictionary, is "a musical instrument of the lute family, with four to six pairs of strings stretched over a fretted neck ... played with a plectrum, which is moved rapidly back and forth to give a tremolo effect.The tremolo effect is a "rapid reiteration of the same tone," which is what is done on this cue.So there you go. Game. Set. Match.Jeff -- who learns something new every day Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Morn 8 Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Yeah European. People who live in Europe. -JasonYou should have said the whole world Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Luke Skywalker 1,798 Posted July 25, 2002 Share Posted July 25, 2002 Did you miss the film version of that cue? I do it's more venecian... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 27, 2002 Share Posted July 27, 2002 Yeah European. People who live in Europe. -JasonYou should have said the whole world Now that i think of it, that is more accurate.-Jason Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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