I'm reminded of John Corigliano's story of how Ken Russell absolutely hated one of the cues he'd written for Altered States, and wanted it completely re-done from the ground-up. So Corigliano went back to his hotel that night, made some slight alterations to the orchestration but otherwise did nothing to change the cue -- and the next day Russell loved it.
That was a fun read. Not much new to glean from it, but still enjoyable for personal anecdotes of experiences.
"This is sounding way too much like a yellow snowflake. I need it to be more like a blue snowball."
That reminds me of another composer -- I can't recall his name -- whose instructions from the director was "Make it purple". What ever that sounds like!
What kills me is how studios are specifically requesting that the music not be memorable. Sadly, in the era of crossover franchises, it probably makes the "music" more consistent, but far less interesting to listen to. Remember when you'd buy a soundtrack album because the music was so distinctive, you left the theater humming it? Who remembers anything being written today?
When it came time to make Star Trek: The Motion Picture, composer Jerry Goldsmith utilized a metal contraption known as a "blaster beam," which was 18 feet long and reportedly gave some women orgasms.
Not something I ever though I would read. But there it is.
When it came time to make Star Trek: The Motion Picture, composer Jerry Goldsmith utilized a metal contraption known as a "blaster beam," which was 18 feet long and reportedly gave some women orgasms.
Not something I ever though I would read. But there it is.
POST OF THE DAY! That's also why women love riding motorcycles!
What kills me is how studios are specifically requesting that the music not be memorable. Sadly, in the era of crossover franchises, it probably makes the "music" more consistent, but far less interesting to listen to. Remember when you'd buy a soundtrack album because the music was so distinctive, you left the theater humming it? Who remembers anything being written today?
It's infuriating. A waste of talented composers and an artistic dive into mediocrity. Based on your "Now Playing" posts we have very similar taste in music.
It's an interesting and funny article, thanks fpr posting!
But when it asked the question "Do you hear it in your head?" in connection with the Batman/Dark Knight music, stating it's not memorable, I had to answer, "Yes, I hear it very often." It's one of my favourites from Zimmer.
That reminds me of another composer -- I can't recall his name -- whose instructions from the director was "Make it purple". What ever that sounds like!
Wasn't it John Barry who was once instructed to make the film score sound like 'blue'?
Excellent article by the way, and a fun read. Thanks for sharing it.