I'd love to hear new recordings of all of the Goldsmith Omen Scores with all Vocals taken out and replaced by full orchestrations of those parts. I think it would sound amazing.
Who's with me? I mean, we'd always have the originals, but I think the sound of these scores fully orchestrated would be superb and quite powerful. In my opinion I think Goldsmith wrote three brilliant scores for those films.
I don't know. If I wanted a new version of any OMEN music, maybe delete that silly-sounding electronic effect from FINAL CONFLICT ("A T.V. First", "The Final Conflict") - the one flaw in that masterwork, IMHO.
But THE OMEN scores without choir? That'd be like...THE BLACK CAULDRON without the Ondes martenot or THE SUGARLAND EXPRESS without harmonica. Unthinkable.
Just for the alternative sound, like what Goldsmith did with his own music from HOOSIERS removing the synths and orchestrating them. I think he performed it that way at Carnegie Hall, if I'm not mistaken.
I definitely love his original scores with choir.
Just don't take the "Duck Quack" out of his MAGIC Score. Well they actually did tone that way down in one version. But that's a whole other story.
I've thought of this many times. Of course the choir is what makes it the Omen. But there is some absolutely incredible orchestration beneath that would be revelatory if it could be isolated on its own.
I'd love to hear some of those sharp staccato rhythms on their own. I think it would give the impression of more of an action piece rather than horror.
As you said, we will always have the original, but I think it would be a terrific experiment.
But then, once you open that Pandora's box, you'll get people asking for Supergirl without Synth, and an all orchestral Hoosiers.
I've thought of this many times. Of course the choir is what makes it the Omen. But there is some absolutely incredible orchestration beneath that would be revelatory if it could be isolated on its own.
Or it could be re-orchestrated so the choir is put, say, in the brass and/or woodwind ensemble...that actually opens up some interesting possibilities imo.
If you take the brass out of the "Star Wars" main title, it would reveal the timpani work, but would it still be "Star Wars"?
No, it wouldn't. But it would be an exciting angle to listen from.
I sort of liken this idea to an isolated score on a blu-ray. It's not the complete work or art, nor is it intending to masquerade as such. But it's a focus on one particular layer of the whole.
I think the Omen choir is so dominant, and so central to the listening experience, that it's easy to dismiss the brilliant orchestral work beneath it.
It's just as desirable to me as getting "Can You Read My Mind" without the Kidder vocals, or the instrumental version of "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas". There's a whole new appreciation when you strip away the vocals.
Most of the other synth lines in Legend double the orchestral parts and could be dispensed with. Those which don't could easily be re-assigned to other instruments (as was done with Twilight Zone: The Movie's end title for concert performance).
While we're at it, I'd assign Princess Lily's songs to a flute or oboe as well!
I've always imagined what would UNDER FIRE sound like with all the Yamaha electronic synthesizer instruments played by the orchestra. I think there was an all Orchestral arrangement of a suite in some concert that Goldsmith conducted?Right?
I think the Omen choir is so dominant, and so central to the listening experience, that it's easy to dismiss the brilliant orchestral work beneath it.
It's just as desirable to me as getting "Can You Read My Mind" without the Kidder vocals, or the instrumental version of "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas".
I get it as an intellectual exercise, but nobody ever seems to want any changes to the original scoring around here except to remove voices and synths. That confuses me. I have never once heard somebody say they'd like the oboes removed.
It's like that FSM "Poltergeist" release (otherwise brilliant) that has the lullaby without the vocal. But the piece makes no sense that way. The melodic line is absent. It's like admiring the understructure of the Statue of Liberty without the outer skin – I get why you might be curious about it, but it's not the thing you admire.
"Can You Read My Mind" was talked in the film, and the music reflected that, so removing the vocal made sense to me. As for "Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas," I believe that all of the vocal lines are doubled instrumentally in that one, so even though there are no vocals, none of the melody is missing.
I have never once heard somebody say they'd like the oboes removed.
I recall hearing plenty of alternates on CDs where one version features, say, a wind instrument and the other uses strings. The latest example is the new Kamen Robin Hood release, providing alternates with and without specific instruments (like "Village Destructo", with and without brass).
Apart from that, there have been any number of times I've wished an instrument could have been replaced... like accordion and church organ. And though I happen to (usually) like harmonica in westerns, I know several people who can't stand that sound ever, and wish the scores had been recorded without them.
I'd love to hear new recordings of all of the Goldsmith Omen Scores with all Vocals taken out and replaced by full orchestrations of those parts. I think it would sound amazing.
Who's with me? I mean, we'd always have the originals, but I think the sound of these scores fully orchestrated would be superb and quite powerful. In my opinion I think Goldsmith wrote three brilliant scores for those films.
Not me. :-) I don't see the point of recording choral music without the chorus. That's like recording Somewhere In Time without the strings.
I'm with those who don't see the point of this, and my argument would be that the voices are integral to the score, blah blah blah...but then I'm a total hypocrite, because I would LOVE new orchestral-only recordings of Hoosiers, Legend, and especially Under Fire. (And those latter two are lost in complete form to boot, so even more reason for a new complete recording.) I like the suggestion of the medieval instrument subbing for the Legend synths.
So basically I guess it just comes down to the fact that I love the voices in The Omen (and its sequels) and wouldn't want to part with them in favor of the melodic lines being taken up by other instruments. On the other hand, Jerry's synths I love at times and hate at others...Legend and Under Fire in particular are mostly the latter.
Now what I *would* listen to as a curiosity is an orchestra-only track if it was included as a bonus track on a release of the original recording (guessing the opportunity for that on The Omen is past since the 40th Anniversary Edition already came out). It would be neat to hear the orchestrations underneath the voices more, I get that -- felt similarly about Damnation Alley, being interested in the Fox orchestral tracks sans synths (even though I love the synths in that score). But funding a brand new recording just to replace the voices with other instruments? Nah.
