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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2015 - 1:49 PM
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By: |
CR1949
(Member)
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I really don't know what musical world Mr McCrum is living in. Does he really think that Malcolm Arnold could have survived for 20 years writing film scores and somehow "fooling" directors and producers by writing the same tune and cunningly disguising it so that nobody would notice that he was really writing the same tune every time. What utter nonsense! It's as daft as the idea that Arnold only won an Oscar for Kwai because of the popularity of "Colonel Bogey". Who wrote the Kwai overture, Shear's escape, Sunset, Trek to the Bridge? Just someone called Malcolm Arnold who rightly won the Oscar for Best Score. For once Hollywood got it right. As for the rest of his film work, where is this famous "adventure" theme we hear so much about? Can we find it in The Sound Barrier, Hobson's Choice, The Deep Blue Sea, The Key, Whistle Down the Wind, The Angry Silence, The Inspector, The Chalk Garden, Tunes of Glory, None Hours to Rama? As for The Heroes of Telemark, I find only an original, exciting, inspiring score that first drew me towards the work of one of Britain's greatest 20th century composers. A score that truly deserves the Tadlow/Prometheus treatment. A final piece of advice for Mr McCrum, go back to the film itself, watch the DVD in a darkened room and make sure both ears are working properly and I'm sure you'll enjoy the visual splendour of the film and its truly marvellous score.
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2015 - 3:19 PM
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By: |
Ray Worley
(Member)
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I really don't know what musical world Mr McCrum is living in. Does he really think that Malcolm Arnold could have survived for 20 years writing film scores and somehow "fooling" directors and producers by writing the same tune and cunningly disguising it so that nobody would notice that he was really writing the same tune every time. What utter nonsense! It's as daft as the idea that Arnold only won an Oscar for Kwai because of the popularity of "Colonel Bogey". Who wrote the Kwai overture, Shear's escape, Sunset, Trek to the Bridge? Just someone called Malcolm Arnold who rightly won the Oscar for Best Score. For once Hollywood got it right. As for the rest of his film work, where is this famous "adventure" theme we hear so much about? Can we find it in The Sound Barrier, Hobson's Choice, The Deep Blue Sea, The Key, Whistle Down the Wind, The Angry Silence, The Inspector, The Chalk Garden, Tunes of Glory, None Hours to Rama? As for The Heroes of Telemark, I find only an original, exciting, inspiring score that first drew me towards the work of one of Britain's greatest 20th century composers. A score that truly deserves the Tadlow/Prometheus treatment. A final piece of advice for Mr McCrum, go back to the film itself, watch the DVD in a darkened room and make sure both ears are working properly and I'm sure you'll enjoy the visual splendour of the film and its truly marvellous score.
I have to agree that saying Malcolm Arnold just wrote the same theme over and over with slight modifications is simply not true. There is no doubt that Mr. Arnold had a VERY distinctive style and without careful listening this may sound repetitive. Malcolm Arnold is one of those composers who can be identified in just a couple of bars without fail, like Maurice Jarre, who also gets a lot of complaints about "everything sounds the same".
I have just about everything by Malcolm Arnold that is commercially available on recorded medium, including most of his his symphonic works, and I can find no true repetition. There are a lot of stylistic motives and flourishes that he uses frequently, like his famous echo-like repeats of a (usually trumpet or other brass) phrase, but that is just his "sound". If ever in doubt of how distinctive he can be, just listen to "Battle in the Air" from BATTLE OF BRITAIN, which is credited to Sir William Walton but was conducted by Mr. Arnold. I suspect he may have orchestrated and perhaps even did a little "co-composing" because it sounds a whole lot more like Arnold than Walton.
Anyway, I have the LP, which I have burned to CD, of HEROES OF TELEMARK and play it fairly often. A remastered CD release would be most welcome. I would love to see it paired with LISA (aka The Inspector), which has never been released and has a lovely main theme. A true CD release of THE KEY would be welcome too (if there was one I missed it).
Hmmm... I think I'll go get some of my Arnold CDs off the shelf and give them a spin right now.
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Posted: |
Jan 19, 2015 - 4:23 PM
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By: |
Jim Doherty
(Member)
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I recently picked up a new 180-gram vinyl reissue of this LP on the Centipede Films label. Although it sounds just a little bit cleaner (vinyl-wise) than the crappy Mainstream pressing, it still has that same re-channeled sound. Although the packing is nice and includes an insert with notes about the score, plus a poster of the LP cover, I have a feeling that Centipede Films is not a legit label. It's very hard hard to find out anything about them online. Also, there is no contact info (address, email address, website) anywhere on the LP cover.
That LP was first discussed in this thread:
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=87892&forumID=1&archive=0
Thanks Bob. I missed that original thread. Seeing that original price of $32.99, I am especially happy I found my copy, sealed, at Half Price Books for a mere $9.99.
By the way, does anyone out there have a mono copy of the Mainstream LP. I would like to know if it sounds any better than the poor-sounding "stereo-ish" LP.
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I really don't know what musical world Mr McCrum is living in. Does he really think that Malcolm Arnold could have survived for 20 years writing film scores and somehow "fooling" directors and producers by writing the same tune and cunningly disguising it so that nobody would notice that he was really writing the same tune every time. What utter nonsense! It's as daft as the idea that Arnold only won an Oscar for Kwai because of the popularity of "Colonel Bogey". Who wrote the Kwai overture, Shear's escape, Sunset, Trek to the Bridge? Just someone called Malcolm Arnold who rightly won the Oscar for Best Score. For once Hollywood got it right. As for the rest of his film work, where is this famous "adventure" theme we hear so much about? Can we find it in The Sound Barrier, Hobson's Choice, The Deep Blue Sea, The Key, Whistle Down the Wind, The Angry Silence, The Inspector, The Chalk Garden, Tunes of Glory, None Hours to Rama? As for The Heroes of Telemark, I find only an original, exciting, inspiring score that first drew me towards the work of one of Britain's greatest 20th century composers. A score that truly deserves the Tadlow/Prometheus treatment. A final piece of advice for Mr McCrum, go back to the film itself, watch the DVD in a darkened room and make sure both ears are working properly and I'm sure you'll enjoy the visual splendour of the film and its truly marvellous score.
Say what you like fellas: the thing is in front of your face, for all to see. When he was faced with a subject he identified with, he gave it more. But often, when the subject was 'adventure', I'm sorry, he re-used a template, because that never particularly moved him. The scores like 'Sound Barrier' and 'Hobson's Choice' were unique, and often it was the British made films that he excelled at. For Hollywood he was easier.
No-one said it was used in EVERY film, just those he regarded as adventure-ish. Also, spot how he used ascending runs of string flurries and glisses and quick descending brass slides with mute fanfares for chase or action sequences. Every time. 'St. Trinian's is a variation on 'Lili Marlene'.
None of this detracts from his skill or talent, or suggests the scores aren't worthwhile, but if you haven't heard this before, then what world are YOU living on? His concert works speak for themselves and his best mood in film scores is elegaic/bittersweet. They're all very good scores, but he recycled a lot. You speak as though you don't know the adventure theme, but I know you do.
After all, his repeat cliches for chases is still preferable to the lazy ostinato that gets trotted out nowadays for such things, and there are other composers today, who repeat themselves far more than he. Please remember the chameleon art of these guys. 'Shear's Escape' is actually all related to the kernel of the main theme, even if cleverly transformed, for example.
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