tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post5066734373258115912..comments2024-03-05T17:26:44.559-08:00Comments on Roman's Movie Reviews and Musings: Movie Music Musings: Favorite Composers - Bernard HerrmannRoman J. Martelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-33058766897367567772012-10-10T08:03:58.802-07:002012-10-10T08:03:58.802-07:00I see where you're coming from, and I certainl...I see where you're coming from, and I certainly see some of that. I think Williams started out that way with "Star Wars". If you listen to his work on films previous to that one, like "Close Encounters", you hear music much closer to what was going on in the late sixties and early/mid-70s. Very atonal, very dissonant but still musical. Yeah, "Close Encounters" had a very memorable theme (the communication tune), but the rest of the score is very different.<br /><br />I think Williams grew into the more "retro" sound he resurrected in "Star Wars" and really relished it. He does such wonderful things in "Empire" and "Raiders" that I can't think he didn't enjoy it.<br /><br />On the other hand we have another favorite composer of mine, Michael Giacchino. He works big and bold, but you can hear the fun and joy he's having by going big. Very much with a wink and a smile. It works great most of the time, but I agree it feels a bit like he may be laughing at the music instead of laughing with it. Still, he writes some great stuff (I'll devote a whole post to him).<br /><br />Like you said, Herrmann and other gents like Steiner (Gone with the Wind and King Kong) and Rozsa (Ben Hur, King of Kings, and countless epics) all felt genuine in their power and passion in their music. What is also interesting is that these guys were all classically trained (as was Williams and another favorite of mine Goldsmith). These days many movie composers come from pop music, television music, video game music, etc. Nothing wrong with it, but you can hear less and less influence of the classical styles. Things change, but it would be sad to lose that classic sound.<br /><br />Anyway, Herrmann is one of my favorites because he was so inventive and colorful. And anyone who does not love a good Theremin is dead to me. ;)Roman J. Martelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09545497713474664555noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2801441755423984496.post-68147489118052113212012-09-30T15:03:04.789-07:002012-09-30T15:03:04.789-07:00There was an innocence to his work and that of oth...There was an innocence to his work and that of others of his era that is appealing. Greater cynicism invaded music along with the rest of the culture in the 60s, and by the time Star Wars (yeah I'm aware of how long ago that is now), bold scores had become self-conscious. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars and numerous other scores (including for suspense thrillers) since then work, but along with the music you almost can hear a chuckle and the embarrassed explanation: "OK, we're using an old-fashioned big score because, you know, it kind of fits.<br /><br />...and how can anyone not love a Theremin? Richard Bellushhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10108081864942272619noreply@blogger.com