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This post troubles me on so many levels, indeed it does, yes.
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I actually like this more than Spartacus. Perhaps it's because it was one of the first North scores I heard but I can listen all the way through this score. Spartacus is great but there are some key moments there that I like as opposed to the whole thing. Then again, I'm weird. Cheyenne Autumn is my favourite North score.
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While I think we can all agree that much of North's canon is something of an acquired taste, I personally love both the film and score for Dragonslayer. To me, the music and the dragon are one entity, inseparable from each other. It's not always the most... pleasant... listen, but it is striking and wildly original. The romantic music is gorgeous as well.
It certainly has it's moments. Talk about a score that divides people- I have friends who loathe it. And a few who love it. Ah, well.
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I liked 'Dragonslayer' immediately, but I had a hard time getting into North's other scores. When I heard 'Streetcar Named Desire' everything clicked into place for me regarding North. His scores are challenging (and he upped the ante the longer he wrote), but don't dismiss his entire output based onone score.
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Posted: |
Oct 21, 2010 - 8:34 PM
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By: |
pp312
(Member)
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He may not like it which is perfectly OK, but at the very least a complete listen should be given before making an even preliminary assessment, especially before dedicating a thread to it. Realistically one should give several listens to something that may not grab them right off just to make sure or to give it a second or third chance if it wasn't exactly what they were expecting, esepcially once that expectation is no longer in play after the first listen. After that if it doesn't work for someone at least they gave it a reasonable try.
Granted, North is not for everyone. His music is very complexly crafted and penetratingly intelligent both musically and emotionally at times which often times requires some very dedicated listening and something of a feeling and liking of a more modernistic musical language. Certainly not to everyone's taste, but if you do have a feel for it, his work is breathtaking in every way and unmatched by most.
I think there's something to be said for being patient and acquainting yourself with a score if there's some chance the effort will pay off. But if a score is in an idiom (say, atonal or avant guard) that you dislike and have always disliked and, lifetimes being finite, will almost certainly always dislike, why bother? I have no doubt that I could play Dragonslayer over and over until I knew every note and I would still hate it because it says nothing to me on an emotional level; it's a purely intellectual exercise. This is why I think Spartacus is great, because it gave North a huge palette to work with and enabled him to roam far and wide technically and artistically without being able to stray too far from the tonal and romantic centre of the film. In other words, it gave him room to be great but imposed just enough discipline on his work to keep him in touch with the film's audiences.
Don't get me wrong: Dragonslayer probably works in the film (at least, I wasn't aware of the score when I watched it). But as a separate listen...it's for the North cogniscenti only.
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Posted: |
Oct 21, 2010 - 10:40 PM
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By: |
Mark Ford
(Member)
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I'm a huge Goldsmith fan, and I'd heard Goldsmith was influenced by North, so I've tried several pieces of North's work and just can't get into it. Surprising how, as some have said, his music divides people.
Michael
I think it was more the case that Goldsmith admired and loved Alex North as a composer and as a person, rather than that his own style of composition was influenced by North's. The two are quite distinct and easily identifiable, to my ear.
True in an overall general way, but I hear a whole lot of North's percussive work echoed in Goldsmith's compositions of the late 50s and early to mid 60s as well as some of the clean, cool chamber like string writing. As with nearly all composers, they often times adopt certain aspects of their mentors in the early parts of their careers, it's only natural.
One thing is for sure, both gentlemen had complete command of their musical abilities and understood and wrote music at the highest level often times using a lot of modernistic musical techniques, new to film at the time. This is often reflected in the keenly intellectual quality of their work. There is a lot to admire!
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