Goes on a bit. I won't lose any sleep if its missing from the album.
Also from what I hear quotations of it are sprinkled all throughout the album/movie. So it's really just a concert suite, much like John Williams character theme suites.
Having listened to the 22 minutes I at least partly disagree, there is not more counterpoint here for example, it's still unfolded as layers, not as independent melodic lines, and it's still very simplistic in some parts. And in a John-Adams-way minimialistic and in a JW-idee-fixe-like way repetitive (that obsessive motif for Harrison), I don't see a more developed style than in MG's previous output. Can you give some arguments and examples for your ideas about the 22 minutes?
Anyway, I like the music very much. Looking forward!
Hello Mike, I try to explain better with regard to the maturity of which I speak in Giacchino. I divide Giacchino's career into three parts which do not have the sharp dividing lines, but slow evolutions. The first is essentially the early work in the field of video games that with "Call of Duty" saw the beginning of the second period that has developed strongly with "LOST". The first period saw an explosive Giacchino, already equipped with technical talent and though at the time strongly derivative from the style of other composers. The second period instead sees a Giacchino more devoted to the search for his own voice, still not properly developed and rough. Between these two periods we find some differences and an example of everything can be identified in the action music. To pieces with their own narrative that could comment on individual actions on the screen without losing sight of the musicality of the piece, it has gone to pieces more fragmented, based on accumulation rather than on development. In some parts of "John Carter" (as "Sab Than Pursuit the Princess") this acrobatic ability to follow more actions constructing however a piece that is able to tell over that comment seemed to be returned, even if not in all the score. From what we are given a feeling of "Into Darkness" this intersection between the Giacchino of the first and the second period (which brings us to the third period of the composer's career, that you begin to recognize in some moments of the scores of 2011) seems to have powerfully proposed. In addition, a maturation level of artistic sensibility that led to the composition of a piece like "Ode to Harrison," a composition that Giacchino five years ago would not have been able to provide.
As far as the counterpoint of which I spoke, it was not in reference to a strictly melodic lines, but on a growth of skill in counterpoint melodies, obstinate, and, more generally, the architectural construction of his own music.
Ok, we're not talking about the level of Williams, Goldsmith and other giants, but however see a growth that I hope will continue.
Music works very well in the film (released in Oz this week) lost of nice use of the Enterprising Young Men for the Enterprise crew and the main theme for Kirk and the ship. Looking forward to picking up the CD.
after watching the film and listening to the 22 minutes a few times I have to say that I expected a bit more. Maybe after MG's break and because some posted it is a step-further in MG's compositional style I expected to much. It is great, by no means, but I listened to his Medal of Honor scores, and Star Trek Into Darkness (and actually every of his recent more action oriented scores) is not as inspired, as sophisticated, as well orchestrated and elaborated than those old game scores. Try it: Listen to his Medal of Honor scores. So in my opinion Giacchino is under his capacities, unfortunately, or his taste has changed over the years. Anyway, compare it to Medal of Honor.
Yes, his style has changed a lot since the days of "Medal of Honor", but I find extremely satisfying tracks like "Ship to Ship".
Anyway, I'll have to wait for the release of the album and the film (which will not come out here in Italy before 13 June) to have a more complete view.
Hello Mike, I try to explain better with regard to the maturity of which I speak in Giacchino. I divide Giacchino's career into three parts which do not have the sharp dividing lines, but slow evolutions. The first is essentially the early work in the field of video games that with "Call of Duty" saw the beginning of the second period that has developed strongly with "LOST". The first period saw an explosive Giacchino, already equipped with technical talent and though at the time strongly derivative from the style of other composers. The second period instead sees a Giacchino more devoted to the search for his own voice, still not properly developed and rough. Between these two periods we find some differences and an example of everything can be identified in the action music. To pieces with their own narrative that could comment on individual actions on the screen without losing sight of the musicality of the piece, it has gone to pieces more fragmented, based on accumulation rather than on development. In some parts of "John Carter" (as "Sab Than Pursuit the Princess") this acrobatic ability to follow more actions constructing however a piece that is able to tell over that comment seemed to be returned, even if not in all the score. From what we are given a feeling of "Into Darkness" this intersection between the Giacchino of the first and the second period (which brings us to the third period of the composer's career, that you begin to recognize in some moments of the scores of 2011) seems to have powerfully proposed. In addition, a maturation level of artistic sensibility that led to the composition of a piece like "Ode to Harrison," a composition that Giacchino five years ago would not have been able to provide.
As far as the counterpoint of which I spoke, it was not in reference to a strictly melodic lines, but on a growth of skill in counterpoint melodies, obstinate, and, more generally, the architectural construction of his own music.
Ok, we're not talking about the level of Williams, Goldsmith and other giants, but however see a growth that I hope will continue.
I see, Luke, what you mean and those are very interesting observations. You seem to consider his ability to marry music and picture very much in your distinction. However, I don't really think that there is only improvement to the third part.
I think his working methods have burned out, he does not get fresh results any more using layers of patterns and gets more music with repetitive cells often. And it is getting too simple.
BTW Secret Weapons over Normandy, also a good example, I agree, it is channeling Williams and others a lot, but from a compositional craftsmen standpoint, it is better than Into Darkness imo
Apart from the Main Title and End Title (which are predominently rehashes of the first film) there's very little music you can actually hear. A few flourishes here and there and one key sequence at the start. I certainly didn't hear any of the Klingon material.
I see, Luke, what you mean and those are very interesting observations. You seem to consider his ability to marry music and picture very much in your distinction. However, I don't really think that there is only improvement to the third part.
I think his working methods have burned out, he does not get fresh results any more using layers of patterns and gets more music with repetitive cells often. And it is getting too simple.
BTW Secret Weapons over Normandy, also a good example, I agree, it is channeling Williams and others a lot, but from a compositional craftsmen standpoint, it is better than Into Darkness imo
Hello Mike, I understand what you mean and respect what you say because there is some truth. Musically, a score like "Secret Weapon Over Normandy" is really something complex and wonderful, but you have to take into account the great compositional freedom given by the video games of the time compared to that present in a movie. I think since then the artistic research Giacchino has been most marked on the search for his own voice that was able to represent in music the feelings and emotions of the characters seen on the screen. In every interview Giacchino emphasizes this ongoing research on musical transposition of the feelings of the characters and in many cases seems to have found its solution in an apparent simplicity. Not last "Ode to Harrison": in a recent interview Giacchino said that also in this case the key for the success was the simplicity. I believe that once again "LOST" represented a breakthrough in the career of the composer in this sense, but for some time now it seems to me that Giacchino has found what he was looking for and is being now devoting a more deepening from a point of view purely technical and musical that I hope will lead to a final maturation in the future that can unite technical skill and emotional communication. Of course this way produces results that can like it or not and I understand that.
Personally pieces simple but very emotional as "Love is Stronger Than Death" from the last season of "LOST" manage to touch the strings of my feeling that not all are able to achieve. But this is a totally subjective discourse.
I think I know what you mean and I agree somewhat, though for my taste it os sometimes a bit too simple structurally, like Harrison's theme, you can sense all the layers having been tried out on computers in different settings. He needs to depart from that imo.
And he is already starting to score the same kind of scene with the very same approach, hard to say it without spoilers, but there isa Kirk/Spock scene in the end of Into Darkness he approached with the same simplicity as he did in another franchise in the finale.
Apart from the Main Title and End Title (which are predominently rehashes of the first film) there's very little music you can actually hear. A few flourishes here and there and one key sequence at the start. I certainly didn't hear any of the Klingon material.
* Very vague and minor spoilers ahead *
I saw it yesterday too in a preview screening. I too didn't pick up on too much of the score in part because of the mixing of the sound effects (thanks, Ben Burtt!) but mostly because I was too busy getting very angry about the plot and what with the writers desecrating the plot of an earlier (and far superior) trek movie. As a trek fan that grew up with early TNG and learned to appreciate TOS, I was on the fence about Star Trek 2009, but I've made up my mind now. This iteration of the franchise isn't for me anymore. But then, what else would you expect from the writers whose resumes include Lost, Transformers and Prometheus.
I do like Giacchino and thought his Trek 2009 score was quite good (although not at the same level of many of the earlier films' scores) so will check out his score when it's released later this month. Hope the rest of you find something to like with the film...