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Top 10 Film Scores of 2011

Jim Lochner — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 13:00:09 +0000

Film Score Click Track readers have had their say, now it’s my turn. I wonder if I’ll look back ten years from now and see 2011 as a turning point in my film music development. This past year, I found myself listening in different ways, with my attention captured by details and intricacies beyond the surface effect of the music. And perhaps I was far more open and receptive to more composers and musical styles than in years past, or maybe it there were other reasons.

Of course, the year offered joys and the inevitable disappointments, uninspired mediocrity and total surprises. Needless to say, the quality of 2011′s film music goes beyond the ten scores listed below.

As always, these are my Top 10—not necessarily the “best” (as that is subjective), but my favorites, at least at the time I hit the “pubish” button on this post. These are the scores I keep returning to again and again. I reserve the right to amend and adjust them at any point due to my ever-changing moods.

10. MONEYBALL – Mychael Danna

Probably no other movie and score of 2011 surprised me more. Who knew a movie about baseball statistics could be so thrilling? I’ve never been particularly impressed by Mychael Danna’s music, but this score did anything but strike out. Danna leaves behind the rah-rah excitement of typical sports scores and instead uncovers layers of psychological depth that give further resonance to Brad Pitt’s conflicted manager. A combination of electronic and acoustic instruments, oscillating harmonies, and repeated notes and rhythms, Danna’s score churns with Steve Reich-like minimalism. It may not offer much to those fans who hunger for melody, but for those willing to dig a little deeper, you’ll find much more behind the plate.

9. SOUL SURFER – Marco Beltrami

This score rides a wave of excellent scores by Marco Beltrami recently. With its inspiring main theme, lush exotic orchestrations, and hint of Hawaiian flavor, Beltrami’s music never panders to the audience. The shark attack is even more harrowing thanks to the music and the highs and lows of Bethany Hamilton’s perilous journey are given emotional resonance in this rich score. While the movie is on the level of a Lifetime or Hallmark Channel movie-of-the-week, Beltrami’s music is strictly big screen.

8. THE GIRL WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO – Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross

Film music fans can be ruthlessly unforgiving toward film music and composers that don’t conform to accepted traditions. The latest recipients under community fire are Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. Their Oscar win this past year for THE SOCIAL NETWORK only further fueled the flames, practically guaranteeing them a spot in the pantheon of continually bashed composers like Gustavo Santaolalla and Alan Menken. I for one thought their work on SOCIAL NETWORK gave that film an atmosphere and energy it might not have had otherwise. With DRAGON TATTOO, R&R have once again contributed a score that is every bit as essential to that film as their earlier work on TSN. If anything, the music this time around is even more harsh and distancing. The characters are dead (inside and outside), and R&R’s music reflects the cold (in every sense of the word), harsh landscape of Stieg Larsson’s bleak, brutal story. It’s not pleasant music by any stretch of the imagination, but neither is the story. R&R’s well-crafted electronica keeps you tense and uncomfortable in context of the film (as it is supposed to), and often on its own. Three hours of the CD can be a tough listen for listeners who don’t appreciate this kind of music, and I’m usually one of them. But this is one fascinating, nuanced score that continues to challenge and hypnotize me.

7. A BETTER LIFE – Alexandre Desplat

Chris Weitz’s tale of immigration and gangs in East L.A. might have garnered more attention had it not been foolishly released during the summer. What also got lost was Alexandre Desplat’s moving score. Desplat adapts his signature orchestrations with a touch of South of the Border guitar, providing a moving voice to the plight of Mexican immigrants without veering into mariachi territory. Hope (and hopelessness) in the face of the American dream never sounded so beautiful.

6. WATER FOR ELEPHANTS – James Newton Howard

In this adaptation of Sara Gruen’s bestselling novel, the elephant had more personality than either Robert Pattinson or Reese Witherspoon. What the film may have lacked in excitement or romantic chemistry, it made up for in period detail with lovely cinematography, art direction, and a typically fine performance by Christoph Waltz. James Newton Howard’s haunting score has a sepia-toned nostalgia to it. Americana strains raise the big top, while delicate strings, harp and woodwind lines weave in and out of period songs. Howard downplays the circus oom-pah-pah, instead dancing around memories and complementing the visual landscape with lush harmonies.

5. HUGO – Howard Shore

Martin Scorcese’s shout out for film preservation offers a visual and aural treat for the eyes and ears. Howard Shore’s music wisely doesn’t try to compete with the visual splendor, instead content to waltz nimbly along, providing Gallic atmosphere and charm. While the score still rings true with Shore’s inimitable voice, this is a lighter, tenderer side of the composer that we seldom get to see. As magical as the film, the score also makes the perfect musical accompaniment to reading Brian Seltzer’s equally magical book.

4. EXTREMELY LOUD AND INCREDIBLY CLOSE – Alexandre Desplat

Critics and audiences love or hate this film. Many people are annoyed by the young boy (the astonishing Thomas Horn) who travels around New York City trying to unlock the mystery of a key found in his dead father’s (Tom Hanks) closet. Others can’t accept a fictional story surrounding 9/11. But Stephen Daldry shows us the grey in between the black and white, directing the film with his customary light touch. The result is a moving, if not perfect, film that could have gone so wrong in less capable hands. Alexandre Desplat was a last-minute replace for Nico Muhly (who did such a beautiful job scoring Daldry’s THE READER) and the score caps yet another banner year for the composer. With its seesaw main theme, the music swings between light and dark, and everywhere in between, generating sincere emotion without capitalizing on the tragedy hanging over the film. Pure Desplat from beginning to end. A haunting meditation on life, death and rebirth.

3. ALBERT NOBBS – Brian Byrne

Glenn Close has been trying for decades to get this pet project made about a woman posing as a man in late-19th century Dublin. It paid off with a heartbreaking performance, equaled by co-poser Janet McTeer. Relative newcomer Brian Byrne gives the score the proper amount of Irish lilt without going overboard, and the delicate orchestrations for primarily piano, harp, harpsichord and strings have a nimble quality that never telegraphs or overplays the emotion. Albert’s theme is particularly lovely, whether instrumentally or as sung by Sinead O’Connor in the touching lullaby at the end of the film. Byrne is a name to keep an eye out for. I hope film music fans and the powers-that-be open their eyes.

2. WAR HORSE – John Williams

Lush, warm and brimming with beautiful, heartfelt melodies, the score proves that on the cusp of 80, Williams is still at the top of his game. With hints of NIXON, FAR AND AWAY, SAVING PRIVATE RYAN, and other scores, the music hearkens back to the past but doesn’t feel borrowed or second-rate. The score’s lush, elegiac quality has the feeling of Williams’ swan song, which I sincerely hope it’s not. I could do without the duck music (and the duck for that matter…shame on you, Spielberg) and the score is more than a bit too obvious within Spielberg’s glossy soap opera, often competing against distractingly (and deliberately) obvious cinematography. Still, whatever emotion I felt came strictly from the beauty and majesty of Williams’ music rather than Spielberg’s machinations with the much-ado-about-nothing plot. And why not? It’s hard to resist musical craft that is this strong. Top-tier Williams, at least away from the film.

1. THE ARTIST – Ludovic Bource

No other score this year made me sit up and take notice more than THE ARTIST. As a card-carrying Golden Age lover, Ludovic Bource’s memorable score captures the tone of classic Hollywood film music while still sounding fresh. The score crackles with energy, emotion, musical wit, and pure joy. Call it pastiche, call it spoof, call it what you will. I call it a winner and I hope Oscar does too. I can’t wait to hear what Bource does next.

So there you have it. Another year gone by. What were your top scores of 2011? And what are you looking forward to in 2012?

Top 10 Film Scores of 2011 is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Readers Poll: Top 10 Film Scores of 2011

Jim Lochner — Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:00:37 +0000

2011…what a year in film music! Patrick Doyle took his music in “new” directions. Alexandre Desplat found his music subject to severe dissections. And two more John Williams scores were added to our collections. All three of these composers not surprisingly made the list of this year’s Readers Poll. Thanks to everyone who participated in the voting. Now let’s get to your results…

10. THE GREATEST MIRACLE – Mark McKenzie

The Catholic-based animated film barely made a blip at the box office (a paltry $492,000) but film music fans have been enraptured by McKenzie’s lush, majestic score and its lovely main theme. McKenzie, a longtime orchestrator, and his publicist have been heavily promoting the score, so it’s nice to see that their hard work paid off with the fans.

9. SOUL SURFER - Marco Beltrami

The true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton’s recovery from a shark attack gave Marco Beltrami an opportunity to compose pulsating action cues and sweeping themes, with a touch of authentic Hawaiian flavor in the vocals and orchestrations. While the movie overplays the religion card a bit (though not as muchas it could have), Beltrami’s music thankfully foregoes the piety and sentimentality, resulting in a nice departure from the genre scores he’s usually called upon to write.

8. THE TREE OF LIFE – Alexandre Desplat

Alexandre Desplat’s ethereal music may or may not have helped Terence Malick’s pretentious clusterf*** of a film. With only five to ten minutes of score surviving in the film, we’ll never know for sure. But as a concept album, Desplat’s delicate, swirling score serves as an indicator of what might have been and further evidence of Desplat’s prodigious talents.

7. THOR – Patrick Doyle

Patrick Doyle scored two of the biggest films of the summer and found himself moving in new directions. He adapted his trademark sound with more contemporary overlays which sat well with some fans and not so well with others. When he’s not being hampered by the Remote Control trappings imposed by the filmmakers, he can still conjure up a properly heroic main theme.

6. THE THING – Marco Beltrami

Marco Beltrami could probably score a horror film in his sleep. Yet for this cheesy prequel to John Carpenter’s 1982 remake, he doesn’t just resort to the tired tricks of the trade. While there weren’t too many scares onscreen, Beltrami’s music made us think there were. And the sliding motif at the heart of the score is truly creepy.

5. HUGO – Howard Shore

Martin Scorcese’s love letter to the birth of film and film preservation is just as beautiful visually as it is musically. Howard Shore leaves behind the weighty melodies and harmonies of Middle-earth for something more Gallic and tender. The main waltz at the heart of the score contains one of Shore’s loveliest melodies and keeps the film lilting along.

4. HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS, PART 2 – Alexandre Desplat

Though I was unhappy with Alexandre Desplat’s entry into the series with DH PART 1, PART 2 made for one of the better entries in this lackluster series, thanks in no small part to Desplat’s contribution. The music conjured up far more excitement and emotion than the film had any right to expect. And that final cue is heartbreaking.

3. THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN – John Williams

It’s no surprise that there is a lot of love for Williams this year, and deservedly so. He has been too long absent from the big screen. I was hoping for a stronger theme for our hero. But since he’s not much more than a tag-along in his own story, it shouldn’t be up to Williams to fix Spielberg’s mistakes. I’m by no means a fan of TINTIN the film, but no one can write an action cue like John Williams. And since the film is nothing but action, it gave him plenty of opportunities.

2. THE ARTIST - Ludovic Bource

When I first heard of this film following the Cannes and Telluride film festivals, I had no idea that a silent film about old Hollywood would become a major player at awards time. Then I heard the music, which is equally charming within the context of the film and crucial to its success. From the first listen, Ludovic Bource’s score swept me away to film music long gone by. I’m happy to see other film music fans swept away as well.

1. WAR HORSE – John Williams

I wish I was a betting man. This would have been easy money. It is no surprise that fans have responded to the direct emotions of John Williams’ lush score. Even on the cusp of 80, WAR HORSE proves that Williams has not lost any of his gift of melody or his command of the orchestra.

Readers Poll: Top 10 Film Scores of 2011 is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Vote: Best Film Scores of 2011

Jim Lochner — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 15:36:54 +0000

Vote: Best Film Scores of 2011 is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Life Is…

Jim Lochner — Mon, 03 Oct 2011 16:09:48 +0000

Life is what you do
While you’re waiting to die…

Or so says the opening song of the 1968 Kander & Ebb musical Zorba. The pessimist in me identifies with this typically caustic Fred Ebb lyric completely. But I identify even more with something that Oscar-winner Tan Dun said in our recent interview for FSM Online—“To me, life is music, music is life.” Truer words were never spoken.

In addition to my dogs, music is my constant companion. Since I work from home, music plays day and night (probably much to the chagrin of my neighbors). It accompanies me on my walks through the streets of New York City and shuts out the incessant white noise of humanity that threatens to overwhelm even the most jaded, long-term resident. Film music, contemporary music, classical music, opera…it’s all grist for the ever-churning mill of notes that constantly turns inside my head.

Music is food, water and breath for me. Music truly is life. Like a lover it occasionally lets you down. But like a good friend it’s always there when you need it.

I don’t understand people who don’t listen to music, any kind of music. I don’t trust them. In my most uncharitable moments, I feel there is something fundamentally wrong with them, like people who don’t read or hate dogs. You can have one, even two, of the three missing from your genetic makeup, but the absence of all three means we have absolutely nothing to discuss.

Have you ever played that pointless, twisted game where someone asks you, “If you were forced to give up one major sense, what would it be?” I love to read and giving up my sight would be difficult. But touch and hearing could help overcome that. If I had to give up my mobility, it would be incredibly difficult in New York City, but still doable with a little (okay, a lot of) patience (which, admittedly, is not one of my virtues). However, the loss of hearing might prove to be the most debilitating. Without music, without the sound of my dogs, my family and friends, I think I would be devastated. It would require a major overhaul of my priorities to rethink exactly what life meant to me going forward.

Thankfully (knock on wood), I don’t have to deal with these issues. But for some reason, those questions enter my mind from time to time, perhaps for no other reason than to remind myself how fortunate I am. I hate it when I catch myself taking things for granted (which happens more than I care to admit). And that could be something as foolish as the latest film score release or 2-day shipping from Amazon. Yes, my life is enriched by such seemingly innocuous events and I often struggle to keep that in mind.

So what’s it all about, Alfie? As if I know. However, I do know that no matter the mood, no matter the scenario, my life is enriched through the inexplicable power of music. If life—and in my case, by extension, music—is what you do while you’re waiting to die, then “this is how the the time goes by.” That Fred Ebb was a damn good lyricist and a smart man.

Can you think of a better way to “go”? I can’t.

Life Is… is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Give Credit Where It’s Due

Jim Lochner — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:14:10 +0000

Since film composers first began practicing their craft, they often have not received proper credit. Back in the early days of film, composers were usually listed (if at all) in the opening credit cards sandwiched in between other “technical” craftsmen. Separate titles cards for composers were rare, much less giving credit to the numerous composers who worked uncredited on a project. Though separate title cards are now the norm, the practice of not giving proper credit still continues.

It was recently brought to my attention that the credits for a contemporary score this summer listed a certain name as primary composer, when the bulk of the actual score was instead completed by the composer who was given an “additional music” credit in the end title scroll. The awkward (but far too typical) situation has been compounded when the lead composer has been caught unawares at talkbacks following screenings of the film, unable to properly discuss the music since he didn’t write it. Since the composers won’t go on record, I won’t be naming names, so as to spare them potential embarrassment. Besides, they are understandably caught between a rock and a hard place. To speak out could jeopardize future composing gigs and potentially damage their relationship with that studio.

The issue of credit—in any job, in any field— will always be a thorny issue. And for film composers, it’s a catch-22. You can’t get the gigs without the credit and you can’t get the credit without the gigs. It’s an issue I have no control over and I’ll let those men and women on the front lines fight their own battles. From my end as a writer, the issue goes beyond a single composer’s career and livelihood. It affects the future of film music journalism.

As a journalist, when I am sent information from a label or studio, I rely on the information in those credits to inform my reviews and articles. If that information is incorrect or misleading, so is what I print. And what goes on the Web, stays on the Web, forever and ever, hallelujah, amen. So when future generations continue to read misleading information, it perpetuates the myths of who composed what.

I don’t flatter myself that what I write will have any lasting power—maybe it will, maybe it won’t. I have no control over that either. But I don’t like to have it brought to my attention that my contributions to film music journalism contain errors, simply because the studio didn’t provide me with the proper information. Credit always comes down to financial considerations and I’d be a fool to think it was otherwise in this case. But some consideration should be given to the publicity that is being generated for a particular film and score, especially when the information in that publicity is incorrect.

When I first found out about this a few weeks ago, I was livid. It’s not the first time this has happened in my career, and it certainly won’t be the last. Without a look at the recording session cue sheets, I doubt you can never be sure who wrote exactly what for any particular score, and sometimes not even then. And I realize this is a far bigger issue than my own selfish, naive dreams of error-free journalism.

I wonder what would happen in our own small world of film music journalism if my colleagues and I banded together and refused to give any publicity to film music until the situation changed and we could be assured we were given the proper information. Sure, it’s an extreme scenario. But in my angrier moments, it’s fun to contemplate. Would we be willing to give up our free promos for the sake of a cause? For some, probably not.

For all I know, maybe nobody cares—not the composers, my fellow journalists, or film music fans. Some of the biggest names in Hollywood have written uncredited work—Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Franz Waxman, the list goes on and on. And I can probably count on two hands the people in the industry who actually care who wrote what track on a particular score. I didn’t know Fred Steiner contributed material to RETURN OF THE JEDI until he died. Wouldn’t it have been nice to give him credit for his work on such a seminal franchise of film music history while he was still alive?

For all of my faults and weaknesses (and they are many), I’m a trusting person. This gets me into trouble more often than I care to think about. I do not like to have my trust tested—by myself or others—and in this particular instance it was. But putting my own ego aside (if that’s possible), it’s the bigger picture of film music history that bothers me. I feel for the composers who have to perpetuate the lies simply to save their careers. And I feel for all of us film music fans who continue to live with incorrect information, whether we care or not.

Maybe the fact that Fred Steiner wasn’t given proper credit for JEDI means nothing to you. But if you’ve read this far, it damn well should.

Give Credit Where It’s Due is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

The Terrible Two’s

Jim Lochner — Wed, 20 Jul 2011 14:57:07 +0000

Film Score Click Track turned two back in April and the blog is now going through what parents commonly refer to “the terrible two’s.”

Some days it’s me. I stomp around my cave like some petulant Neanderthal (accompanied by the appropriate cues from Alex North’s rejected score for 2001, of course), throwing fits and tantrums, complete with tears and screaming, as I rail and rant about having to write another blog post. Then there are days when I’m the frustrated parent who has no clue how to tame this out-of-control beast that every day seems to become more and more difficult to handle.

I get bored with the design. I get tired of the topics and categories that I’ve corralled myself into. I get tired of the “sound” of my own voice in print. My attempts to add new things to the site don’t always work, and neither do my pathetic attempts at discipline—at the blog and myself. So I continue to examine and experiment.

As I’ve said numerous times, I hate writing reviews, especially negative ones. There are plenty of film music sites featuring reviews, and I’m not sure my voice adds much to the discourse, either positively or negatively. And yet the stats for the site consistently report that reviews generally get the most traffic, which no doubt has something to do with the design of the blog. So do I eliminate reviews (or cut them way down) and sacrifice potential (and probably some longtime) readers? I don’t know.

Do I move to a simpler design with less categories where I’m not so straight-jacketed into what I’m writing about? Does anyone really care about categories or is that just some OCD flaw of mine that is now outdated on the site? I don’t know.

On the one hand, you could argue that it’s my site and I can write about whatever I want to. And on some level that’s true. But I don’t write for my own personal enjoyment. I write to share, to connect. I write to convey my thoughts and feelings with all of you, even as I wonder why anyone could possibly give a damn. Otherwise, I’d just keep a journal. Boring.

It always bears repeating… What you want and what you say matters to the life of this blog. As always, feel free to share your thoughts—the good, the bad and the ugly—in the comments. Or you can shoot me an email at jim@filmscoreclicktrack.com if that’s easier for you.

A blog, or any website, is an ever-changing and often unpredictable entity. Like any child, there are good days and bad days—days where it’s a joy and others where I’d just wish it would leave me the f*** alone. At this point, I’m not sure which needs the firmer parental hand, me or the blog…

The Terrible Two’s is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Avast, Ye Matey!

Jim Lochner — Thu, 26 May 2011 14:39:22 +0000

“‘Avast, ye matey’?!…What the hell does that mean?”
—Jerry Seinfeld

Maybe it’s the time period, the powdered wigs, or all the repetitive (though usually impressive) sword fighting that turns me off, but I’ve never been a big fan of pirate films. So it should come as no surprise that I had very little, if any, interest in the PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN films over the years. Even with all its popularity, I only saw the first film when it came out on DVD. When all was said and done, I couldn’t understand what all the fuss was about, much less why it made so much money. And I understood the appeal of the sequels even less.

So how can I explain why I looked forward to the fourth film? I can’t. But I was so jazzed about seeing ON STRANGER TIDES that I purchased the first three POTC films on Blu-ray and the boxed set of the soundtracks to gear myself up for the latest romp.

As I’ve said many times before, much of my love of film music over the years has come either from the Oscars or from films I’ve wanted to see. If I don’t care about a particular film, I tend to not care about the score, no matter whose name is in the credits. Of course there are exceptions, but that’s the general rule. And since I didn’t care about the POTC films, my interest in the scores was nil. In fact, outside of that one time of viewing the first POTC film, I’d never heard a note of any of the scores. Made to walk the plank, I couldn’t have recognized a single theme. So the viewings of the first three films and listening to the soundtracks were a big discovery for me. The goal? To put the latest score in perspective (more on that in a later post) and to try to understand not only the music’s appeal, but what divided film music fans so decisively about these particular scores.

In the video “The Man Behind the Pirates Music” included with the soundtrack box set, Hans Zimmer admits that the scores are not what is traditionally known as “pirate music.” “I got criticized quite heavily by ‘the purists,’ because it’s not Korngold and Errol Flynn movies,” he said. “It’s not that at all. It’s sort of our own language.” Once you accept the fact that (rightly or wrongly) it’s not going to be Korngold, it frees your mind to look at the pros and cons of the music a little more objectively.

When producer Jerry Bruckheimer called Zimmer to work on the first PIRATES film, THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL, Zimmer was already attached to another project and assigned the film to Klaus Badelt, a member of the Remote Control team. Zimmer contributed most of the major themes, which were written in the span of two days. Then it was up to Badelt to flesh out the score. As with many Remote Control projects, other RC composers—Lorne Balfe, Ramin Djawadi, James Dooley, Nick Glennie-Smith, Steve Jablonsky, Henry Jackman, Blake Neely, Geoff Zanelli, and more—have contributed “additional music” to the music for the franchise over the years.

There’s an energy and a charm to the first score compared to the others in the franchise as Zimmer & Co. experimented with their new “language.” But there’s something missing from BLACK PEARL as well. The score is a carbon copy of what it should be. Even with Zimmer at the helm of the majority of the themes, the score is “Zimmer lite,” missing the composer’s unique touch as a composer and producer. This is fixed (or worsened, depending on your point of view) in the later scores when Zimmer devotes more time and energy to the project, no doubt encouraged by the box office receipts of the original.

Zimmer points out the music’s “anarchy and recklessness, and…simplicity.” The anarchy and recklessness can be found in the inclusion of rock and other electronic elements, such as director Gore Verbinski on electric guitar. The scores, especially from DEAD MAN’S CHEST on, are produced (or “overproduced” as it’s pointed out in the CD credits) to the nth degree. The score has to compete with numerous sound effects and, by God, Zimmer is determined to win the battle as layer upon layer of electronically enhanced instrumental lines are assembled together to make a raucous whole. All of these remove the music further and further away from the Viennese romanticism of Hollywood’s Golden Age into the digital world of the 21st century.

If the production values are busy by half, the themes themselves represent the scores’ simplicity. “If you strip the orchestration away,” said Zimmer, “it could all be Irish sea chanties.” Nearly all of the themes throughout the franchise are in minor keys. Combined with the layers and layers of mixing and a feeling that “more is more,” this lends an oppressive weight to the music that can become wearying. Your ears long for a major key and some quiet.

“The marriage of images, etc., now conjure up the idea that this is pirate music,” says Zimmer, and perhaps that is what irritates many film music fans the most. They long for the acoustic, musically intricate days of Korngold et al, and I can’t say I blame them. But for better or worse, the POTC scores have changed the face of film music and there’s no turning back. This is pirate music to today’s moviegoing public. But as high school bands and orchestras (professional and otherwise) continue to perform selections from the scores, new generations of fans are being introduced to film music. And I’m okay with that.

Though I normally prefer to be taken on an emotional journey with my film music, not every score has to do so. So I confess that I unashamedly like the POTC scores. I like their energy and their bombast. Though it goes against every fiber of my being as a film music fan and journalist, I like the simple themes that seldom change in their orchestration or key. I like that I can turn my brain off and just enjoy them for what they are—pure entertainment. I still prefer the pirate music of yore, but there’s nothing wrong with a little anarchy, recklessness and simplicity every now and then.

Arrrrr, there goes me film music street cred!

Avast, Ye Matey! is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

The ABC’s of Film Composers

Jim Lochner — Tue, 17 May 2011 14:00:22 +0000

A is for Addison, André and Arnold

B is for Barry, Bennett and Burwell

C is for Corigliano, Conti and Copland

D is for Delerue, Doyle and Desplat

E is for Ennio, Elmer and Elfman

F is for Friedhofer, Fielding and Fenton

G is for Goldenthal, Grusin and Gold

H is for Herrmann, Hamlisch and Henry

I is for Iglesias, Isham and Ikifube

J is for John, Jerry and James

K is for Korngold, Kaper and Karlin

L is for Legrand, Lewis and Lai

M is for Menken, Michael and Maurice

N is for Newman, Newman, Newman, Newman, Newman and Newman

O is for Nino, Pierro and Lalo

P is for Prokofiev, Portman and Powell

Q is for “Quit with all the Zimmer clones!”

R is for Rosenman, Rozsa and Raksin

S is for Shostakovich, Shire and Shore

T is for Theodorakis, Takemitsu and Tiomkin

U is for Bruno, Bruce and Stu

V is for Van Cleave, Vangelis and Vlad

W is for Walton, Walker and Waxman

X is for Fox, Alex and Max

Y is for Yared, Young and Young

Z is for Zimmer, Mizzy and Ziv

Okay, so I cheated a little bit…

What are YOUR ABC’s of film composers?

The ABC’s of Film Composers is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

The ABC’s of Film Scores

Jim Lochner — Mon, 16 May 2011 14:00:22 +0000

A is for ALL ABOUT EVE, THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD and ALEXANDER NEVSKY

B is for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES, THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL and BEN-HUR

C is for CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, CAPRICORN ONE and CLEOPATRA

D is for A DOUBLE LIFE, THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK and THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL

E is for THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL and ELMER GANTRY

F is for THE FURY, FIRST KNIGHT and FINDING NEMO

G is for GONE WITH THE WIND, THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR and THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY

H is for HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON, HAWAII and THE HEIRESS

I is for IVAN THE TERRIBLE, ISLANDS IN THE STREAM and IT’S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD

J is for JAWS, JOHNNY BELINDA and JULIET OF THE SPIRITS

K is for KING OF KINGS, KUNDUN and THE KEYS OF THE KINGDOM

L is for LAWRENCE OF ARABIA, THE LION IN WINTER and LILI

M is for MUTINY ON THE BOUNTY, THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN and MURDER ON THE ORIENT EXPRESS

N is for NORTH BY NORTHWEST, THE NUN’S STORY and NOW, VOYAGER

O is for THE OMEN, ON GOLDEN POND and ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA

P is for PATTON, PEYTON PLACE and PLANET OF THE APES

Q is for QUO VADIS, QUENTIN DURWARD and THE QUIET MAN

R is for RAGGEDY MAN, RETURN TO OZ and THE RED VIOLIN

S is for STAR WARS, SPARTACUS and THE SONG OF BERNADETTE

T is for TWO FOR THE SEESAW, TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and TARAS BULBA

U is for UNDER FIRE, THE UMBRELLAS OF CHERBOURG and UP

V is for THE VILLAGE, VIVA ZAPATA! and VERTIGO

W is for THE WIND AND THE LION, WHO’S AFRAID OF VIRGINIA WOOLF? and THE WIZARD OF OZ

X is for 8 1/2, 1941 and 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY (Alex North’s rejected score)

Y is for YOUNG BESS, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN and THE YOUNG LIONS

Z is for ZULU DAWN, ZORBA THE GREEK and Z…duh!

…and a whole lot more.

What are YOUR ABC’s of film scores?

The ABC’s of Film Scores is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!

Masterpiece Theater

Jim Lochner — Mon, 02 May 2011 19:46:40 +0000

Masterpiece, like genius, is an often overused word, especially in the arts. Merriam-Webster defines a masterpiece as “a work done with extraordinary skill; especially: a supreme intellectual or artistic achievement.” So how does that apply to film music?

If you look at the first part of that definition, pretty much every film score qualifies as a masterpiece in my book. I certainly don’t have the skills to compose a score. I have certain compositional skills (lame though they are), but the craft, technical and otherwise, that is required to compose for film is beyond me. I consider these extraordinary skills that I believe every film composer has, even if I’m not particularly fond of their music. But the second half of that definition is the more common understanding of the word (hence, MW‘s italics, I suppose), and yet it seemingly negates what comes before it.

The intellectual portion of the equation poses a problem. I can’t see into someone else’s brain. And even if I could, I wouldn’t know how to judge what was there. Because of my education and training, I might be able to understand some of the more complex musical elements from an intellectual standpoint, but complexity doesn’t necessarily equal quality. There are plenty of complex musical pieces, in film and elsewhere, that have all the emotional resonance of a computer manual.

Artistic definitely calls for subjectivity. What is artistic? My personal definition fluctuates with my mood. There are certain things I consider artistic that many people wouldn’t understand. And there are plenty of generally accepted artistic things that I can’t comprehend. Bach comes across as musical math and I can stare at some of the “greatest” paintings until my eyes cross and still shrug my shoulders at their worth.

Achievement is the ultimate aim of the definition, I believe. And yet, what level of achievement is needed? MW says “supreme,” but what is “supreme”? For some, just finishing a score is a supreme achievement that has utilized every bit of a composer’s intellectual and artistic capabilities. Or does that not enter into the picture? And whose achievement are we talking about—personal from the viewpoint of the composer or public recognition? Is it simply left up to us to decide?

If so, then let me ask again, “What defines a masterpiece in film music?” Is it based solely on the quality of the music, or does its role within the film play a part in the consideration as well?

Many film score fans consider Jerry Goldsmith’s STAR TREK THE MOTION PICTURE to be a masterpiece. I too think it’s great score. I’ve yet to meet many people who care for the film. Thirty years later, fans seem to be much more forgiving than they were in 1979, but I think the general consensus is that the film is lacking in most areas. Does the score’s association with such a lumbering dead-weight film lower it a few notches? Or does Goldsmith’s ability to rise above what the picture deserves, perhaps even giving it a score for what might (and should) have been, push it beyond the “normal” film score?

What about John Williams’ STAR WARS? Here’s another generally accepted film music masterpiece, written for a far better film than STTMP. Sure, the score was lauded upon its release and it is one of the few soundtracks to cross over to non-film music fans. Is it truly a masterpiece, or do fond memories of a beloved film come into play here?

Sometimes “major” titles in a composer’s canon that have not been released get labeled masterpieces, perhaps out of nostalgia or a simple desire to have a particular score finally see the light of day. It certainly happened with Alan Silvestri’s BACK TO THE FUTURE, a score I still don’t get what the fuss is all about. Now, because the full score has finally been released and all the hubbub has died down, that particular label seems to have waned a bit. Fans still clamor for Bruce Broughton’s YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES, another score that is often labeled a masterpiece. Will that change when/if it’s released? Time will tell.

Perhaps that is the ultimate factor in determining a masterpiece. Time. Maybe it takes time and historical perspective, a comparison of one score against many others. Or perhaps we’re so seemingly starved for decent film music these days that any personal Holy Grail that gets released or any new score that is a step above sonic wallpaper is automatically labeled a masterpiece. A beautiful violin solo and a couple of themes do not necessarily equate great film music.

Is all of this splitting hairs? Perhaps. I hesitate to call any film score (or any work of art, for that matter) a masterpiece, though I often fall into lockstep as well. But usually the choice is too internal, too personal. Whenever possible, I’d rather judge a score on its own terms without the baggage of opinion and nomenclature. One person’s masterpiece is another’s “WTF?!”. Then again, maybe personal is enough.

Masterpiece Theater is a post from Film Score Click Track. Visit the site for more great film music!