film music style lecture 12 13
DESCRIPTION
TRANSCRIPT
FILM MUSIC:
COMPOSITION STYLE
WHY? = meaning
HOW? = structure
WHY THIS MUSIC?
As one of the three codes…
• Visual
• Dialogic
• Musical
In some sort of relationship with the other codes…
• Music confirms the other codes
• Music reveals hidden agendas
• Music opposes the other codes
• Music structures the visual imagery
• Music evokes time and place
HOW IS IT DONE?
• Perspective:
…how much do we notice it and how do we stand in relation to it?
Perspective:
• Background diegetic: dance music
Underscored: Frankie Limon & the Teenagers
Flagged diegetic: Connie Francis
Foregrounded in action: Tiny Tears
Full presence in credits: all episodes
HOW IS IT DONE?
• Structure:
…microstructure: the cue
…macrostructure: the whole film
‘REAL’ CLASSICAL MUSIC
Platoon Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings
2001 Johann Strauss: Blue Danube Waltz
Solaris Bach: Chorale Prelude in F minor
SPECIALLY COMPOSED ‘CLASSICAL’ MUSIC
Dangerous Moonlight Richard Adinsell: Warsaw Concerto
Hilary and Jackie Barrington Pheloung: Cello Concerto
FILM MUSIC DRAWING ON CLASSICAL INFLUENCES
John Williams The Witches of Eastwick
Composition Style in Film
• romantic 19C classical; Rachmaninov Nino Rota: Dream of Olwen
• suspense Schönberg/20th C avant-garde Bernard Herrman: Psycho
• Americana Copland Maurice Jarre: The Witness
John Williams: The Reivers
Alexander Courage: The Waltons
David Rose: Little House on the Prairie
• Hispanic flamenco (via Falla?) Ennio Morricone: A Fistful of Dollars
• Italian Sicilian folk music; Verdi Nino Rota: The Godfather
• Mid East Arab music (via Shehrazade) Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia
Peter Gabriel: The Last Temptation
• Far East Chinese music (via Turandot) Bruce Montgomery: Fu Manchu
• future minimalist Cliff Martinez: Solaris
(1972)
Sicilian folksong: Zappatu
Verdi: La Forza del Destino
Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Rimsky-Korsakov:
Sheherazade (1888)
The Last Temptation of Christ (1989)Music by Peter Gabriel: titles music on solo nay
Peter Gabriel: The Last Temptation…
Arab usul: fast Maqsum
Film Noir
Raymond Chandler / Philip Marlowe films…
• The Big Sleep 1946
• Farewell My Lovely 1977 (music by David Shire)
• Philip Marlowe, Private Eye 1983-86 (music by Samuel Matlovsky)
Other films in the genre…
• Chinatown (Roman Polanski) 1974
• LA Confidential (Curtis Hanson) 1997
Film Noir
Pastiche = pastiche of earlier films
…in Film Noir it has become an imperative
Philip Marlowe…Film: Farewell My Lovely (1975)Music by David Shire
Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)speech underscore
Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)building tension
Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)action underscore
Philip Marlowe…radio series
The High Window (1983)
Film Noir…Chinatown (1974)
Roman Polanski; music by Jerry Goldsmith
Film Noir…L.A. Confidential (1997)
Roman Polanski; music by Jerry Goldsmith
Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)Italian style
John Williams1969 The Reivers 1991 JFK
1970 Jane Eyre 1993 Jurassic Park
1972 The Cowboys 1993 Schindler’s List
1975 Jaws 1995 Nixon
1977 Star Wars 1997 Jurassic Park 2
1977 Close Encounters 1998 Saving Private Ryan
1978 Superman 1999 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace
1980 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 2001 A.I.
1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Star Wars: Attack of the Clones
1982 E.T. Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone
1983 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 2002 Minority Report
1984 Indiana Jones / the Temple of Doom 2002 Harry Potter: the Chamber of Secrets
1987 Witches of Eastwick 2004 Harry Potter: the Prisoner of Azkaban
1988 Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade 2005 Revenge of the Sith
1989 Born on the 4th July 2005 War of the Worlds
1990 Home Alone 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha
1991 Hook 2005 Munich
John Williams: Star Wars
1977
Korngold: The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex
1939
…an example of the model coming from an earlier film
The Reivers
1969
4ths and 5ths
have come to
represent
pioneering
energy…
Little House on the Prairie (1974-82)Music by David Rose
Little House on the Prairie: titlesMusic by David Rose
And even…
Copland: Statements (1932-5)
Copland: Symphony 3 (1946)
Under Siege (1992)Music by Gary Chang
ChesterWilliam Billings of Boston
Shaker Hymn
original version
Shaker Hymn
Copland’s version
Canonic writing increases the sense of flow through the cadences
The Witness (1985)
Music by Maurice Jarre
Geronimo (1993)
Music by Ry Cooder
Lonesome Dove (1989)
Music by Basil Poledouris
Witches of Eastwick (1987)
George Miller; music by John Williams
• Cher earth mother wants: sex
• Susan Sarondon romantic cellist wants: passion
• Michelle Pfeiffer good, idealistic wants: true love
The Witches of Eastwick ()
George Miller; music by John Williams
The Witches of Eastwick (1987)
Bar
Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra…4
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Bartok: Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion…3
Lemony Snicket
Thomas Newman
Witches of Eastwick: Music Styles = Worlds
• 18C Haydn boring, suburban…where they are
• 19C Dvorak; Puccini passion…what they want
• 20C Bartok pastiche dangerous, occult, demonic
…what they get
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)Chris Columbus; Music by John Williams
Prokofiev
Romeo and Juliet
Jurassic Park: Final Cue
1. Small dinosaurs approach creates tension
2. Dinosaurs fight expedites action
3. Brief dialogue (Neill/Attenborough) provides underscore
4. In helicopter…intimate atmosphere creates expression
5. Sea and birds evokes epic landscape
6. Titles becomes foregrounded
Style changes: action & tension = 20th
century
expression = 19th century
Williams: Jurassic Park (1993)
Wagner: Lohengrin Act 3 scene�III