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Matrix Suite World Premiere


ChrisAfonso

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Howdy Folks...

Tonight the Hamburg Symphony Orchestra under Frank Strobel gave the world premiere of Don Davis's Matrix (Trilogy) Suite (in the course of a "Greatest Hits of film music" concert). It was an incredible experience, witnessing this great complex music performed live, watching the frenzied string runs, blubbering bassoons, shrieking flutes, circulating brass chords etc. etc. I really wish I could hear and watch something like this more regularly...

I'm not absolutely familiar with the whole scores of the 3 films, but as far as I could determine, the suite (with a duration of approx. 27 min) was broken down into 3 segments (for the 3 scores) of somewhat equal duration, with a brief moment of silence in between (which was the reason for the unfortunate round of applause between Matrix and Reloaded, as some people couldn't see all of the stage (due to the layout of the hall) and Strobel standing with his arms raised, and so began to clap when they didn't hear the orchestra play anymore).

The Suite includes a lot of diverse material from all 3 scores, though none of the "collaboration" pieces or anything with choir (no Power Plant, no Mon Lisa Overdrive, no Burly Brawl, no Neodämmerung).

Anyone who's not afraid of somehow sub-par mp3-player recordings (it's still listenable most of the time 8O) can PM me... *wink*

-Chris, reliving an exhilarating evening

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so began to clap when they didn't hear the orchestra play anymore.

I hate when that happens.

I wish they could have employed a chorus for the suite. Did Davis not write for it in the suite at all, or was it just not included in this particular concert? It's hard to imagine a lot of it without chorus, especially the last parts of "Revolutions" during the Spirit of the Universe/Bridge of Immortality section.

Did the "Revolutions" section end with the glorious trumpet finale from the end of the film? (AKA "For Neo")

Tim

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I hope so... (and that the score is being published... no matter the cost 8O)

Though this concert was sponsored and moderated by "Klassik Radio", they obvisously didn't record it, at least there were no mics anywhere.

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Well, it says World Premiere, so I wouldn't think so.

I personally like the new ending to the whole suite. Instead of coming to an immediate climax at the end of the crescendo, as it does in the movie, in this version it keeps sinking and rising like it's harkening back to the trumpet/echo theme from the beginning, and then ends in a second crescendo. Clever. Very clever.

Tim

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Anyone who's not afraid of somehow sub-par mp3-player recordings (it's still listenable most of the time 8O) can PM me... *wink*

-Chris, reliving an exhilarating evening

i listened to the sub-par mp3-player recording. i can imagine how it would really sound.

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What he said was (not word for word, but from content):

"Usually film music is written for a film, recorded (usually still by a symphony orchestra), and then the music has fulfilled its purpose, it's entered film history... and usually the score is just thrown away. We, and other people round the world, try to save those of these scores that are worth being heard in the concert hall, and get them played in the concert hall. Now, how we got the Matrix Suite here: A school friend of mine later went to Los Angeles and became a film composer, and is a friend of Don Davis's. So we contacted Davis on the matter of a Matrix Suite for the concert hall, and he did arrange one. There were other orchestras round the world that wanted this premiere, but in the end..." (Moderator interrupts: "We did get it") (Audience laughs)

Yeah, that was about it... 8O

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I guess it's only a matter of decades now until this gets performed here in Vienna...

Marian - who'd love a CD of this suite (and with more depth to the sound than the OSTs), but is afraid this might not happen for a long time due to license issues.

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And to think that Vienna was once the hub of musical life...

I'd love a professional studio recording of this too, but the 2-disc complete scores that Davis released for each film will tide me over until that time comes :)

Oh, and thanks Chris for the translation 8O

Tim

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And thanks again to Marian, without whose VISA I couldn't have been there at all! ;)

Sure, rub it in. I bought a ticket for this concert and didn't even get to go. 8O

Marian - ;)

:) Small Soldiers (Jerry Goldsmith)

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I've just got to listen to The Matrix Revolutions c.d. recently and quite like it(most of it).Before I put Matrix music in the same league as Media Ventures stuff,now I see it's more than that.

K.M.

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I may not be the greatest Don Davis fan, but his work for the Matrix films is far above the average Media Ventures stuff.

Most of the Zimmer clones have simplistic, waferthin orchestrations and arrangements. Davis' orchestrations are infinatly more complex and interesting.

I often play Neodammerung just before I arrive at work, just to wake me up.

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Anything from the Matrix scores is pretty much the complete opposite from anything by MV. That said, the Revolutions score has its share of Horner-type music, and I actually like it least of the three.

Marian - who still likes it. :)

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Media Ventures is basically a large team of composers who work together on projects but get limited credit. It was started, I believe, by Hans Zimmer and another man named Jay Rifkin who then assembled and employed about a dozen composers. A group of them would then work on a score, largely electronic and also part orchestra, usually with very unbalanced, "cookie cutter" results. Some of the more famous names to work for that company are Klaus Badelt and Harry Gregson-Williams. They have since started branching out on their own, which has been good for Gregson-Williams.

Tim

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Sorry :oops:  What is this Media Ventures , you are always talking about

here? I'm so new and a small worm...

Don't worry. At least you dared to ask. I had to google and google to finally learn it :) Shouldn't we do a FAQ with this kind of things?

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Media Ventures is basically a large team of composers who work together on projects but get limited credit.  It was started, I believe, by Hans Zimmer and another man named Jay Rifkin who then assembled and employed about a dozen composers.  A group of them would then work on a score, largely electronic and also part orchestra, usually with very unbalanced, "cookie cutter" results.  Some of the more famous names to work for that company are Klaus Badelt and Harry Gregson-Williams.  They have since started branching out on their own, which has been good for Gregson-Williams.

John Powell's doing quite well too, I might add.

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I'm working on a recreation of this concert suite. I have the first part, 'The Matrix Suite' finished if anyone wants a 320 MP3, let me know.

I think it turned out darn well, actually. Its not exact, obviously...because the music was rearranged for the concert...but its pretty dang close if I do say so!

Let me know, and please post your feedback in the thread.

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tlbauerle's Suite is really really good. i'm sure its what the real suite would sound like live. i encourage everyone to get this.

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As far as I hear he's found the exact cues from the score that make up the suite for part 1 :| The only really noticable change Davis did for the suite is replacing the solo boy soprano with an oboe. Good work! :|

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Thanks! There were a few tricky edits, especially in the 'Ontological Shock' cue and at the very end.

A few other bits don't match up on timing, because he altered the meter a bit for the suite in some spots. Thats why this runs a few seconds longer.

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Oh, WOW!

I read on Davis' Website a while back that he was arranging a concert suite, but after not hearing anything about it, I assumed that it had just been brushed under the rug, so-to-speak.

Jack - Can't wait to hear this! :)

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Hey...if anyone out there can do a high quality rip off THE MATIRX Music only track, please PM me.

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