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One thing I love about certain action scores IS repetition--working the same motif and building it up orchestrally over time. That's something I really miss in current action writing, which just seems to be a hundred drums going nonstop through every cue. I do find the building, repeated material in "Vacation's Over" and (to cite a better and more popular example) something like the truck chase from Raiders of the Lost Ark to be very exciting albeit quite simple. I also love the more scrambling and complex approach to something like "Bloody Floor"--but that really comes down to the difference between pure action scores and horror/action or science fiction action where there is more being addressed by the music than just action and excitement. So I don't think it's really fair to compare something like "Vacation's Over" to "Bloody Floor." It's like comparing Rambo to Alien.
I would not put The River Wild at the pinnacle of Goldsmith's writing in his CAREER, but I would place it very high in Goldsmith's writing (and of scoring in general) of that period as far as my taste goes. I find Goldsmith's late-career action material still quite exciting, and to see him do these very long action cues here and in Timeline near the end of his career I think is gratifying. But to each his own--I can't make anyone like what they're not gonna like.
Really enjoyed your notes, and yet again you made me think of a score from a fresh perspective that in some ways hadn't occurred to me before. Always loved this score, but even moreso now. Thanks for your contribution to the project!
DSS
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Posted: |
Feb 1, 2015 - 12:30 PM
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By: |
DeputyRiley
(Member)
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I am truly loving the Goldsmith version of this score in all its complete goodness. If there were one cue that was left off the original album that should've been included, I'd have to go with "Get the Drinks" (runner-up "Now What/Ballast").
I have to say, though, I do not like Maurice Jarre's version of the score. I had to ask myself if I was being objective because I'm such a longtime Goldsmith fan, but I was in fact able to attempt appreciating each score on its respective merits and having hardly ever heard anything Jarre's done, able to listen to each version with an open mind.
It basically comes down to personal taste, but Jarre's score lacks the thunderous and grand aspects of Goldsmith's score to my ears, as well as an indefinable (again opinion here) contemporary element that I think the film needed. Speaking only on The River Wild, I don't really care for Jarre's writing, his compositional choices, his orchestrations. A lot of his score sounds like it belongs in a medieval King Arthur film, and I didn't think worked for this film's tone and setting. I personally don't care for his synth work. Having said that, he does pull off some nice action choices in "The Gauntlet".
In comparing the two composers' versions it's easy for me to delineate why I prefer Goldsmith's score over Jarre's, but even moreso my personal tastes just don't coincide with Jarre's writing and artistic choices on this assignment. I do think it's cool though that Intrada presented both versions of the score (at a reasonable price) for interest and posterity and I'm happy for those that have wanted Jarre's rejected score.
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Posted: |
Feb 1, 2015 - 1:31 PM
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By: |
adilson
(Member)
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I still not heard the two complete scores, but one thing that I don't understand is the opinions where the guy already start saying "I DO NOT LIKE OF MAURICE JARRE", "I HATE THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE", or yet "I CAN NOT STAND THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE" so there's no reason to do this comparison since if you don't like of the composer, because "THE RIVER WILD" still is Maurice Jarre's work, and for only this reason these opinions not seem make much sense to me. I consider to read opinions of people that loved Jerry Goldsmith's music, OK!, I love too! But that at least respect the work of the famous and talented french composer, that had only 50 years of career, who won several awards including Oscars and others awards and have worked with the most important directors of cinema, or just the people of this forum know about everything?
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Posted: |
Feb 1, 2015 - 2:27 PM
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By: |
Solium
(Member)
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I still not heard the two complete scores, but one thing that I don't understand is the opinions where the guy already start saying "I DO NOT LIKE OF MAURICE JARRE", "I HATE THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE", or yet "I CAN NOT STAND THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE" so there's no reason to do this comparison since if you don't like of the composer, because "THE RIVER WILD" still is Maurice Jarre's work, and for only this reason these opinions not seem make much sense to me. I consider to read opinions of people that loved Jerry Goldsmith's music, OK!, I love too! But that at least respect the work of the famous and talented french composer, that had only 50 years of career, who won several awards including Oscars and others awards and have worked with the most important directors of cinema, or just the people of this forum know about everything?
I wouldn't complain about a guy with a hockey mask and an axe!
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I still not heard the two complete scores, but one thing that I don't understand is the opinions where the guy already start saying "I DO NOT LIKE OF MAURICE JARRE", "I HATE THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE", or yet "I CAN NOT STAND THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE"
I wouldn't complain about a guy with a hockey mask and an axe!
LOL!
---
Incidentally, he definitely wasn't complaining about me, because I didn't say any of those things he wrote above in all caps.
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Posted: |
Feb 1, 2015 - 2:38 PM
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By: |
adilson
(Member)
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I still not heard the two complete scores, but one thing that I don't understand is the opinions where the guy already start saying "I DO NOT LIKE OF MAURICE JARRE", "I HATE THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE", or yet "I CAN NOT STAND THE MUSIC OF MAURICE JARRE" so there's no reason to do this comparison since if you don't like of the composer, because "THE RIVER WILD" still is Maurice Jarre's work, and for only this reason these opinions not seem make much sense to me. I consider to read opinions of people that loved Jerry Goldsmith's music, OK!, I love too! But that at least respect the work of the famous and talented french composer, that had only 50 years of career, who won several awards including Oscars and others awards and have worked with the most important directors of cinema, or just the people of this forum know about everything?
I wouldn't complain about a guy with a hockey mask and an axe!
lol. for my luck I'm so far... I don't was talking exactly about Mr.Jason, I'm talking about several others opinions that I read here and on Intrada forum
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I wouldn't complain about a guy with a hockey mask and an axe!
lol. for my luck I'm so far... I don't was talking exactly about Mr.Jason, I'm talking about several others opinions that I read here and on Intrada forum
That's Mr. Deputy Jason Riley to you, mister! 
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Got my copy today - and it really was well worth the purchase.
I started with the Jarre score, appreciating what he did and achieved (I enjoy this take on the material as much as his abandoned work on "Jennifer 8" because it is different and at times unconventional) - but right from the start of Goldsmith´s version I was hooked, loving it instantly.
Yes, there are lots of familiar elements - but they are all chosen and put together so well, it makes me believe Jerry really loved this... even if I understand that the pressure from the studio could have sucked the fun out of everything.
So, yes - I highly recommend this score and the fantastic presentation done by Intrada. An early highlight of the 2015 specialty label output.
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For this world premiere presentation of the Maurice Jarre score we were given access to all of scoring session masters, all preserved in pristine condition in the Universal vaults.
Does it mean Mr. Jarre didn't own his rejected music? And if he didn't, why in some cases a composer owns his rejected scores -- like Elmer Bernstein with NATTY GANN, SCARLET LETTER & GANGS OF NEW YORk -- and in some cases he doesn't? Is it contractual stuff?
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For this world premiere presentation of the Maurice Jarre score we were given access to all of scoring session masters, all preserved in pristine condition in the Universal vaults.
Does it mean Mr. Jarre didn't own his rejected music? And if he didn't, why in some cases a composer owns his rejected scores -- like Elmer Bernstein with NATTY GANN, SCARLET LETTER & GANGS OF NEW YORk -- and in some cases he doesn't? Is it contractual stuff?
Sadly, the question of ownership has two issues: The ownership of Jarre and Goldsmith's recordings whether used or rejected still rests with Universal...since they paid for it, it's their property. Second, ownership of the physical music depends on whether or not the composer was employed on "Work for Hire" (which Goldsmith always did) or if the composer negotiated retention of music rights (as Elmer Bernstein and Alex North often did).
A good example is the Varese recording of Alex North's 2001 score. When Kubrick rejected the score, ownership of the music (not the recording) returned to Alex North.
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