FILM SCORE FRIDAY 12/3/04
By Scott Bettencourt
First, a note from Lukas Kendall:
NEW FSM CDs: MUTINY HAS ARRIVED!
NOTE: FSM CDs are now being distributed by Screen Archives Entertainment.
You can still order using our website, but the orders will be shipped from
SAE in Linden, Virginia. Our new and improved website is easier to use
than ever, but please email craig@screenarchives.com if you encounter any
difficulties. Thanks and have a great holiday season!
Silver Age Classics: MUTINY
ON THE BOUNTY (1962)
Film Score Monthly's 100th "Classics" CD release is a 3CD set of one
of the most popular symphonic film scores of all time -- the 1962 Mutiny
on the Bounty, composed by Bronislau Kaper. M-G-M's epic remake
of the classic true-life story starred Marlon Brando, Trevor Howard and
Richard Harris in some of the most expensive sequences ever put to film.
Mutiny on the Bounty is a blockbuster film score, and soundtrack
album, in every way. Not only is the movie a bona fide "epic" production,
with Overture and Entr'Acte and three-hour running time -- not only is
the score performed by one of the largest orchestras assembled in Hollywood
- not only is the work the pinnacle of Kaper's career, with multiple, memorable
themes -- but Kaper recorded every cue two and sometimes three times. This
was due to the film's lengthy post-production, which kept Kaper on the
project for over a year.
To accommodate all of the recorded music, FSM presents three programs
running over three discs: the complete score as heard in the film; an earlier-recorded
"alternate score" covering nearly the entire picture; and additional outtakes
and alternate versions. All told, it is four hours of music on three CDs,
all in stereo and remastered from the original six-track 35mm film.
Golden Age Classics: SADDLE
THE WIND
Saddle the Wind (1958) was a "psychological" western starring
Robert Taylor, John Cassavetes and Julie London, scripted by a pre-Twilight
Zone Rod Serling. Under Serling's thoughtful writing, typical western
tropes are subverted for an intriguing take on the American frontier.
The score to Saddle the Wind was by Elmer Bernstein --
two years away from The Magnificent Seven -- who provided a somber
and pensive mood, and also exciting flourishes and "big sky" moments. Bernstein
made use of the title song by Jay Livingston and Ray Evans ("Bonanza"),
performed by Julie London twice during the picture.
Bernstein was not the first composer to score Saddle the Wind
-- M-G-M's Jeff Alexander was the original composer, and recorded
a score in its entirety. In addition to Bernstein's score, Alexander's
complete unused score has been unearthed and presented here (both in monaural
sound), making this the definitive Saddle the Wind soundtrack.
The Varese Sarabande CD Club's experiment in determining
whether absolutely any soundtrack will sell out if few enough copies are
printed has proven a rousing success, as their 1000-copy release of Richard
Hartley's Sheena sold out in one week. Can we look forward to Dead
Heat next? Firewalker? Down Twisted?
Composer Cy Coleman died on November 18th of heart
failure after attending the Broadway premiere of Michael Frayn's play Democracy.
Born on June 14, 1929, Coleman was a child piano prodigy, and performed
in clubs before partnering with lyricist Carolyn Leigh, their collaboration
resulting in such classic songs as "Witchcraft" and "The Best is Yet to
Come." With lyricist Dorothy Fields, Coleman wrote his most famous stage
musical, Sweet Charity, which was based on Fellini's Nights of
Cabiria (scored by Nino Rota) and introduced the songs "Big Spender"
and "If My Friends Could See Me Now." Coleman won Tonys for the scores
to On the Twentieth Century, City of Angels and The Will Rogers
Follies, and his other shows include Wildcat, Little Me, Seesaw,
I Love My Wife, Barnum, and The Life. He was Oscar-nominated
for Scoring of a Musical Picture for the film version of Sweet Charity,
the feature directing debut of Bob Fosse, wrote the theme song to 1972's
The Heartbreak Kid, and dabbled occasionally in film scoring, writing
the music for three comedies in the early 60s -- The Troublemaker
(score LP on Ava), Father Goose and The Art of Love (score
LP on Capitol), as well as three Sidney Lumet films from the 1980s -- Garbo
Talks, Power, and Family Business. He was at work on several
new stage musicals at the time of his death, and a Broadway revival of
Sweet Charity starring Christina Applegate is planned for next April.
He is survived by his wife Shelby and a four-year old daughter, Lily.
FROM: Joe Sikoryak
I'm always interested in what civilians think of film scores, so I took
note of the following exchange in a couple of editions of Parade magazine,
that lowest-common denominator of Sunday newspaper supplements (well, maybe
next to the laundry detergent coupons...)
Movie Themes on Parade
The original reader's question from the Oct.
3 2004 edition
Q. In your opinion, what are the best film themes of all
time?
--Debra Frigulti, Sisters, Ore.
A. Our Top 10: Gone With the Wind, by Max Steiner; "Raindrops Keep
Fallin' on My Head," from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, by Burt Bacharach;
Dr. Zhivago and Lawrence of Arabia, by Maurice Jarre; "Moon River," from
Breakfast at Tiffany's, and "The Pink Panther Theme," by Henry Mancini;
The Magnificent Seven, by Elmer Bernstein; Star Wars, by John Williams;
"The James Bond Theme," by Monty Norman; and "Do Not Forsake Me" from High
Noon, by Dimitri Tiomkin.
And the response from the Nov.
14 2004 edition
Q. You recently ran your picks for the Top 10 Movie Themes
of All Time. Have you gotten any criticism from readers?
--Wallace Poulter, Windsor, Calif.
A. Not much -- though many had their own favorites. Here's a Top
10 List of Movie Themes From Our Mailbag: Where
Eagles Dare by Ron Goodwin; Dances With Wolves by John Barry; Gladiator
by Hans Zimmer; Laura by David Raksin; Now, Voyager by Max Steiner; The
Big Country by Jerome Moross; "As Time Goes By" from Casablanca by Herman
Hupfeld; "Three Coins in the Fountain" by Jule Styne; "Love Is a Many Splendored
Thing" by Sammy Fain; and "Over the Rainbow" from The Wizard of Oz by Harold
Arlen.
A recent Cary
Wong column discussed possible contenders for this year's music Oscars.
For those as obsessed with the subject as I am (though to be honest, NO
ONE is as obsessed with the subject as I am), here are the official rules
from the Academy's Music Branch, as found on the AMPAS
website.
Rule Sixteen
Special Rules for The Music Awards
A. CATEGORIES
I. Original Score:
An original score is a substantial body of music in the form of
dramatic underscoring written specifically for the film by the submitting
composer.
II. Original Song:
An original song consists of words and music, both of which are
original and written specifically for the film. There must be a clearly
audible, intelligible, substantive rendition (not necessarily visually
presented) of both lyric and melody, used in the body of the film or as
the first music cue in the end credits.
III. Original Musical
An original musical consists of not fewer than five original songs
(as defined in A.II above) by the same writer or team of writers either
used as voice-overs or visually performed. Each of these songs must be
substantively rendered, clearly audible, intelligible, and must further
the storyline. What is simply an arbitrary group of songs unessential to
the storyline of the film will not be considered eligible. The adapter
(if any) or the composer of the instrumental score may be considered eligible
- in this category only - if his or her contribution is deemed relevant
and substantial.
B. ELIGIBILITY
1. The work must be specifically created for the eligible feature-length
motion picture.
2. The work must be the result of a creative interaction between
the film maker(s) and the composer(s) or songwriter(s) who have been engaged
to work directly on the film.
3. The measure of the work's qualification shall be its effectiveness,
craftsmanship, creative substance and relevance to the dramatic whole.
4. The work must be recorded for use in the film prior to any other
usage including public performance or exploitation through any of the media
whatsoever.
5. Only the principal composer(s) or song writer(s) responsible
for the conception and execution of the work as a whole shall be eligible
for an award. This expressly excludes from eligibility all of the following:
(a) supervisors
(b) partial contributors (e.g., any writer not responsible for
the over-all design of the work)
(c) contributors working on speculation
(d) scores diluted by the use of tracked or pre-existing music
(e) scores diminished in impact by the predominant use of songs
(f) scores assembled from the music of more than one composer.
6. The Executive Committee shall resolve all rules interpretations
and all questions of eligibility.
7. It is within the sole and confidential discretion of the Board
of Governors to determine what awards, if any, shall be given.
C. SUBMISSION
1. For an achievement to be eligible for nomination in any of the
three music categories, an OFFICIAL SUBMISSION FORM, obtainable from the
Academy, must be requested personally by the principal writer(s) who alone
may make the submission.
2. The submission form must be accompanied by a complete Music Cue
Sheet (listing all music cues), Vocal Lead Sheets (in the Original Song
and Original Musical categories), and the signatures of all submitting
writers.
3. Submissions may be made prior to the qualifying Los Angeles release
opening, but must be made no later than sixty days after such opening,
or Tuesday, December 1, 2004, whichever comes first.
4. The Executive Committee has the right, but not the obligation,
to initiate submissions in all three categories, but must do so no later
than noon of December 31, 2004.
D. VOTING
1. A reminder list of works submitted in each category shall be
sent with a nominations ballot to all members of the Academy Music Branch
who shall vote in the order of their preference for not more than five
achievements in each category.
2. The five achievements in each category receiving the highest
number of votes will become the nominations for final voting for the Music
Awards.
3. If there are 25 or fewer qualified works submitted in any category,
the Executive Committee may recommend to the Board of Governors that nominations
be limited to three. If there are four or fewer qualifying works submitted
in any category, the Executive Committee may recommend to the Board of
Governors that no award be given in that category this year.
4. The entire active and life Academy membership shall vote for
final selections in each category:
ORIGINAL SCORE, ORIGINAL SONG and ORIGINAL MUSICAL
Rule B5e means that, for example, Craig Armstrong's Ray score could
easily be considered ineligible, since the songs of a certain Ray Charles
Robinson so clearly dominate the film that the Music Branch wouldn't want
the voters-at-large to give Armstrong an Oscar based on Mr. Robinson's
work. And though the "For Your Consideration" ads list James Newton Howard's
contribution to Collateral, the fact that both Antonio Pinto and
Tom Rothrock contributed original cues (which are even featured on the
soundtrack CD) suggests that Howard will probably be ultimately ineligible.
CDS AVAILABLE THIS WEEK
Danny the Dog (aka Unleashed) - Massive Attack - Virgin
The Fountainhead - Max Steiner - Screen Archives
House of Flying Daggers - Shigeru Umebayashi - Sony
Mutiny on the Bounty - Bronislau Kaper - Film Score Monthly
Saddle the Wind - Elmer Bernstein/Jeff Alexander - Film Score
Monthly
Unforgivable Blackness - Wynton Marsalis - Blue Note
Unlikely Heroes - Lee Holdridge - Citadel
IN THEATERS TODAY
Brother to Brother - Marc Anthony Thompson
Closer - Damien Rice (songs)
House of Flying Daggers - Shigeru Umebayashi - Score CD on Sony
COMING SOON
December 7
Earthsea - Jeff Rona - Varese Sarabande
Flight of the Phoenix - Marco Beltrami - Varese Sarabande
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events - Thomas Newman
- Sony Classical
Ocean's Twelve - David Holmes - Warner Bros.
Ray - Craig Armstrong - Rhino
Shrek 2 - Harry Gregson-Williams - Varese Sarabande
24 - Sean Callery - Varese Sarabande
A Very Long Engagement - Angelo Badalamenti - Nonesuch
December 14
Carnivale - Jeff Beal - Varese Sarabande
January 11
The Aviator - Howard Shore - Decca
Meet the Fockers - Randy Newman - Varese Sarabande
The Merchant of Venice - Jocelyn Pook - Decca
Racing Stripes - Mark Isham - Varese Sarabande
Spanglish - Hans Zimmer - Varese Sarabande
Date Unknown
The Big Empty - Brian Tyler - La-La Land
The Brave Little Toaster - David Newman - Percepto
Extreme Prejudice - Jerry Goldsmith - La-La Land
Farscape Classics, Vol. 1 - Guy Gross - La-La Land
The Film Music of Clifton Parker - Clifton Parker - Chandos
The Film Music of Ron Goodwin - Ron Goodwin - Chandos
Filmmusik - Nathan Larson - Commotion
Foxes of Harrow - David Buttolph - Screen Archives
Hitman/Hitman 2 - Jesper Kyd - La-La Land
The Jungle Book - Miklos Rozsa - Film Music Society
Killer Klowns From Outer Space - John Massari - Percepto
Lawman - Jerry Fielding - Intrada Special Collection
Marjorie Morningstar - Max Steiner - Screen Archives
Mercenaries - Michael Giacchino, Chris Tilton - La-La Land
The Reluctant Astronaut - Vic Mizzy - Percepto
Son of Fury - Alfred Newman - Screen Archives
We Are Not Movies? - Mark Mothersbaugh - Commotion
THIS WEEK IN FILM MUSIC HISTORY
December 3 - Elmer Bernstein begins recording his score to McQ
(1973)
December 4 - Alex North born (1910)
December 4 - Richard Robbins born (1940)
December 4 - Benjamin Britten died (1976)
December 4 - Harry Sukman died (1984)
December 5 - Jerry Goldsmith records score for the Room 222
pilot (1968)
December 5 - Masaru Sato died (1999)
December 6 - Mort Glickman born (1898)
December 6 - Lyn Murray born (1909)
December 6 - Piero Piccioni born (1921)
December 6 - Richard Markowitz died (1994)
December 7 - Ernst Toch born (1887)
December 7 - Tom Waits born (1949)
December 7 - John Addison died (1998)
December 8 - Leo Shuken born (1906)
December 8 - John Rubinstein born (1946)
December 8 - Bruce Kimmel born (1947)
December 8 - Miklos Rozsa begins recording score to The World,
the Flesh and the Devil (1958)
December 9 - Von Dexter born (1912)
December 9 - Alessandro Cicognini died (1995)
DID THEY MENTION THE MUSIC?
ALEXANDER - Vangelis
"But despite all of the fringe benefits, 'Alexander' is a patience tester,
clotted with relentless Vangelis hosannas and declamations of glory."
Michael Atkinson, Village Voice
"The more people Alexander kills, the longer and fluffier Farrell's
wigs get. At times, Farrell is so unconvincing as a hero that one wonders
if 'Alexander' is some veiled hatchet job by Stone, who, after all, has
made some notable anti-war movies. But no. Every time Alexander talks about
'freeing the people of the world' -- freeing them from being alive? --
the soundtrack pitches in with inspiring music. 'Alexander' is not a hatchet
job. It just doesn't make its case."
Mick LaSalle, San Francisco Chronicle
"Other trite old-timey signifiers include too much Maybelline eyeliner
(and I'm talking about the guys!), too many subtitles in a font that might
be called Greco-Roman 36-point Bodoni, with V's for U's, and thunderous
bad battle music that seems to have been composed only for trumpet and
trombone."
Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
"At first, Vangelis' score shows a tendency to smother scenes to anti-dramatic
effect, but it gradually builds in character to enhance and ennoble an
enterprise that attempts a great deal and, despite the best intentions,
falls a good deal short."
Todd McCarthy, Variety
CHRISTMAS WITH THE KRANKS - John Debney
"Soundtrack is the typical conflagration of new and revamped holiday
standards tied together by composer John Debney's bouncy, festive score."
Scott Foundas, Variety
A VERY LONG ENGAGEMENT - Angelo Badalamenti
"What earns the description 'old-fashioned' is the movie's comfort with
big, sweeping emotion (supported throughout by that increasing rarity,
a symphonic score, beautifully composed by Angelo Badalamenti), the ease
with which Jeunet takes on the making of a period movie, and the way all
his gimcrackery is put in the service of entertaining his audience."
Charles Taylor, Salon.com
"The title and the personnel may seem to threaten another kandy-kolored
panorama of retro-Parisian romantic whimsy, but the inevitable cinematic
reunion of the director (Jean-Pierre Jeunet) and star (Audrey Tautou) of
the international feel-good frenzy 'Amelie' drains the Crayola hues of
expectation right from the strikingly grim opening-credit sequence. (Foreboding
sans serif typography flickers in the dark as Angelo Badalamenti's score
broods in sympathy with a mildewy wall in pelting rain.)"
Jessica Winter, Village Voice
"Never intrusive or overly emphatic, Angelo Badalamenti's score lets
the action speak for itself."
Lisa Nesselson, Variety
FOREVER YOUNG
FROM: "Richard Chapman"
SUBJECT: The unfortunate lack of Victor Young's scores
on CD--
It was absolutely wonderful for Varese to produce "Three Coins
in the Fountain" on disc. Victor Young's magnificent film scores appear
to have been overlooked especially on CD. The few films he did at fox,
The Star, The Left Hand of God, The Tall Men and the final film China Gate,
completed by his friend Max Steiner. They all had beautiful scores, apart
from his many others. When Sony did Paramount's 90th anniversary, Victor
Young was one of Paramount's composers not represented. He worked on over
100 of their films.
Perhaps we may hear some more of his scores in the future.
A fiftieth anniversary of Around the World in Eighty Days in 2006...here's
hoping.
WHEN TOM MET ANDY
FROM: "Scott Williams"
SUBJECT: Ten
Composers on the Rise
I think you guys have overlooked the music house of tomandandy
Just look at their record:
Mean Creek
Faster
The Rules of Attraction
The Mothman Prophecies
Arlington Road
Home of Phobia
Come on, let's give credit where credit's due.
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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