Film Score Friday 8/6/99

by Lukas Kendall

Listen for a segment on Jerry Goldsmith on NPR's Morning Edition today at either 7:40AM or 8:40 AM (depends on your local station). It's around 8 minutes and features interview clips with Goldsmith, Paul Verhoeven... and me! It was produced by Pat Dowell and ties into Goldsmith's concerts this weekend at the Hollywood Bowl.

John Williams is bowing out of next summer's Bicentennial Man, probably due to a scheduling conflict. James Horner will be the composer.

Monte Walsh and Prince of Foxes are on their way. Thanks for your patience, for those of you who ordered these discs.

Williams Article

Yes, John Williams's first prequel was Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, not Phantom Menace (see yesterday's article). Oops.

Here are some other letters we got:

From: "Larry Best Sr." <LarryBestSr@hotmail.com>

I was impressed with Mr. Snedden's list of Film composer John Williams's accomplishments and his assessment that Mr. Williams is "as prolific as Mozart" may have merit. I doubt that any dedicated follower of modern film music would disagree.

However, I strongly disagree with Mr. Snedden's assertion that Mr. Williams is "the Beethoven of our age". In spite of the fact that Mozart died at the young age of 35, Mr. Williams prolific writing of music in a "Major Key" does indeed place his music in the same category as Mozart's whose entire musical catalog is written predominantly in the major.

Indeed, Mr. williams is an accomplished film music composer in today's cinema and had most likely done more in the last 20 years to bring the film music into serious recognition by the symphonic concert going public. Prior to Mr. Williams zealous effort to champion the cause of modern symphonic film scores into acceptance by the concert crowd, it was Elmer Bernstein who almost single-handedly stood as the one voice to educate the general public on such matters in the 20 years prior to Mr. Williams appointment as conductor of the Boston Pops Orchestra which gave Mr. Williams a platform to bring film music to the concert hall on a grand scale.

Of course, who can ignore the work of the Late Charles Gerhardt (Conductor) and the Late Christopher Palmer (Arranger) who brought many concert film pieces to the recording studio and changed forever the merchandising of film music recordings.

In my opinion, as film composers go, it is Elmer Bernstein, not John William's who most follows the musical sytle and creativity of the Great Beethoven. Beethoven was not prolific in any sense, his output of music was not nearly as great as Mozart's even though he lived a lot longer and composed music long after his hearing failed. Beethoven created music that was not always mainstream, but he had a definitive, creative style. It is his creative musical style that Mr. Bernstein has captured very subtly and in my opinion, quite unintentionally.

Others may feel differently, but I have been following Mr. Bernstein's music and career since 1951 ever so closely and my study of "the great man" lead to draw this conclusion long ago.

Not to detract in any way from the music and career of John Williams, for I admire his music and creativity, but it may honestly be observed that great minds think alike and from that perspective, and in my opinion, Elmer Bernstein most definitely IS the Beethoven of our modern age.

From: Oz <webuser@pdi.com>

This web site has really lost it's luster. John Williams is not the Beethoven of our times, in fact, there isn't one. Just because a small hand full of people are in love with William's music and are totally devoted to him does not mean that such malarkey should be posted on your web site. Please, be a bit more creative and publish, or post, material worth reading. As is, I've already have wasted to much time writing this response.

Here's some of the stuff that came into my in-box while I was away. Enjoy!

Superman IV

From: GandAlfDC@aol.com

Recently Alexander Courage said that he didn't think it was worth having a Superman 4 soundtrack release. He didn't think anyone would be interested but he is wrong, there are buyers out there.

We need your help, I am gathering letters to persuade Alex to change his mind and get him to work alongside a few people to get this thing on CD.

We need you to write a paragraph saying why you want a Superman 4 CD. Send it to me gandalfdc@aol.com and the letters will be sent straight to Alex.

Just over 100 minutes of music was composed by Alex with some help from John Williams, maybe a 2 CD Set and no reuse fees to hamper a possible release.

Lost Horizon

From: "Russell, Kirsten" <RussellK@brevard.cc.fl.us>

I love this recording and have never seen it on CD, although I know a CD version of Tiomkin's "Classic Film Scores" was produced. When I used to listen to the LP, I never played Side Two, but Side One, LOST HORIZON, was one of my very favorites from the "Classic Film Scores" series. I've never heard any other movie score, even among Tiomkin's scores, quite like it. Unlike many famous Tiomkin scores, you can't pull a hit tune out of it, but it weaves a symphonic spell in the Gerhardt recording. I'd never seen the movie when I first heard that recording, but I was immediately enchanted by the music -- one of the best examples, in my view, of movie music as absolute art.

I've been looking all over for the CD, guess it must be out of print. Can you suggest a source that might track it down for me?

You picked a good time to write, since Brigham Young has just issued a complete score restoration of Tiomkin's original recording. It's available from www.screenarchives.com, who also have the 2CD set of Max Steiner's scores for United States Pictures (Distant Drums, South of St. Louis, Cloak and Dagger, My Girl Tisa) now in stock.

Francesco Lupica

From: JimMeacock@aol.com

I am a film composer and would like to know more about Francesco Lupica, featured on The Thin Red Line . Can anyone help?

Inspector Gadget

From: "Winston Pear" <queentakespawn@hotmail.com>

Although the movie--inspector gadget--looks absolutely horrid i have been very excited for this score for a while. what could be better than that classic theme on a big orchestra. but i can find absolutely no hint anywhere that this is going to be released on cd. any news concerning the score and a possible release date???

Not that I know of -- sorry.

CD Fix It

From: Mark Trachtman <mtrachtman@erols.com>

Just had to pass this tip on - it relates to CDs of all kinds, but as a longtime soundtrack buff, I know how important these discs are to all of us. So if, heaven forbid, a rare treasure happens to get scratched, which can indeed happen, all is not lost.

I had just purchased "The Beyondness of Things" (this is a technical tip, it's not about the music) and had barely listened to it more than once when a visiting jeuvenille managed to drop the disc not once, not twice, but three times and got a nice visible scratch onto the surface about 1/2 inch long near the center. Despite popular assumptions, CDs are not indestructable, and when I tried to play it, I got that dreaded "digital hiccup" effect all through the first two tracks, making them unplayable. I figured I'd have to buy another copy, never did, but a review last week of CD repair kits in The Washington Post had an amazing tip. Instead of the $12 Maxell "cleaner, polisher" substance, the Post used, are you ready, regular car wax. I am here to tell you that Maguair's Cleaner/Wax is a wonder! Not only does my disc play perfectly, it's as shiny as a mirror! Honest to God, all I did was apply a smidge of wax with a soft, dry cloth, let it dry, buff (from the center outward, of course) and, voila! First try did a 95% fix, a repeat application was 100% effective. I've never been so amazed. So, when you return from vacation, please pass this miracle on to the masses. Maybe someone out there would like to do a comparison with Turtle Wax.

Current Poll

From: "Robert Cooper" <shakespeare@xtra.co.nz>

i found the current poll question rather interesting as it can be interpreted in a number of ways. Is it asking who i never want to score a horror movie again based on whether they have done a good job or based on other factors. for example i voted John Ottman because while i very much like his work thus far i would like to see him doing a widely range of styles and genres, therefore i dont want to see him doing another horror score because i want to hear him doing other genres. but others may have voted on who did the worst work in a horror movie, in which case i would answer differently.

From: dwilcox9@idt.net (Dana Wilcox)

I am not a big fan of horror scores, but you certainly missed the boat on this month's vote (your "who should never do another horror score?" contest). It's your one glaring omission that truly deserves the hook -- that pseudo-would-be-wannabee-composer John Carpenter, talentless indulger of that sick fantasy, "I'm the boss so I get to write the music." Pull the plug on that loser. The others may live!

New Varese

From: julien hazotte <jhazotte@caramail.com>

I bought last week the three new Varese Sarabande discs : The Haunting, the Wild Wild West and Lake Placid. I was very dissapointed by the Jerry Goldsmith score. Although his main title is really haunting and some other cues very good, the rest of the score is too weak for such a film. I think this is the bigger disappointement i had when listening to a Jerry Goldsmith score since his resurrection with First Knight. I now hope his upcoming The 13th Warrior will be as excellent as the Mummy, probably the best score Goldsmith composed in the 90's. The Wild Wild West is a great score composed by Elmer Bernstein. The main title is powerfull, funny and entertairning. The rest of the score is always inspired and very rich. I think the best cue of the disc is Dr. Loveless plan. It is Elmer Bernstein at his best and i can't wait for his upcoming Bringing out the dead, the new scorsese movie. I wish the score will be jazzy.

Finally, Lake Placid is another great score composed by the always inspired John Ottman. This guy can do evrything : composing, editing and now helming (Urban legend 2). The first track of the disc reminds me of the earlier works of James Horner. The score is once again beautifully orchestrated and deeply inspired. The disc contains many action cues which are terrific!

South Park

From: Roger Grodsky <grodskr@email.uc.edu>

I hope you will consider doing some extensive coverage of the "South Park" movie music in the magazine. It has been very difficult to find out any details of the score and the places that should be covering it (it being a musical and all) are completely ignoring it. Other than a small article about Marc Shaiman in the July 19 New Yorker (to which you should direct your readers), I have seen nothing. The orchestrations are amazing as are the arrangements. There are unbelievable musical tributes to EVERYTHING.

I think that this year's best song Academy Award nominations have the potential to cause a lot of arguments and pulled-out hair. But it will all be worth it when we see Debbie Allen's big production number for "Uncle Fucka."

Bill Conti

From: Randall Derchan <DSPY007@aol.com>

Kudo's to you for bringing Conti back into the spotlight. I t's great to hear him scoring high profile films once again and it's great that you have an article on his past sucesses.

As a major film composer, Conti showed promise in the late seventies and he excelled in the eighites. He took many of the important films during that period, incl. televsion ,and brought much class and feeling to his works. You can always count on some jazzy-classical-baroque melody based on italian opera with a fugal section to show up in his music. It was just great stuff. I am glad he is backI am looking forward to hearing "Thomas", he's perfect for it, and I'm anxious to hear much more from this classic composer.

TNT's roughcut.com is having "movie music month" this August, with stories about various aspects of film music, giveaways, interviews, and Yahoo!Chats with composers and musicians like Mark Mothersbaugh, Don Davis and Isaac Hayes.

Have a good weekend!

MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com