 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Jan 5, 2012 - 5:20 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
moviescore
(Member)
|
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MOVIESCORE MEDIA TO RELEASE MICHAEL KAMEN’S FINAL OPUS
Swedish label to share revenues from ’Back to Gaya’ with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
(January 5, 2012- Göteborg, Sweden) – Dedicated to the memory of one of the most gifted and popular film composers, Michael Kamen, the original orchestral score from the German fantasy animation Back to Gaya will be released on CD and online by Swedish soundtrack label MovieScore Media on January 24, 2012. In honour of the late maestro, MovieScore Media will share a portion of revenues generated by the album with Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, which was founded by Michael Kamen in 1996 as his commitment to the future of music education.
The completion of the score for Back to Gaya was an extraordinary achievement by Michael Kamen’s team of producers, orchestrators and additional composers. Tragically and suddenly, in the midst of composing the music for the film, Michael Kamen passed away. Committed to fulfil the vision of Kamen, complementing the music he had written specifically for Back to Gaya with a selection of his unused compositions from previous film projects, a team headed by Kamens long-time associates Steve McLaughlin (producer/recording engineer) and Christopher Brooks (producer/music editor) finalized the score to fit the film perfectly.
”Although Michael had been suffering from MS for a few years before he passed away, his death came as a terrible shock and surprise,” McLaughlin said. ”He had only completed a few sketches of the Gaya score, and we hadn’t had a chance to talk about how he thought it would be produced. I had an idea of how we might finish it. Over the years I worked with Michael, I remembered many sketches that Michael thought had value, but that we’d never used, or given any prominence to, in a film. I thought we might find more music for Back to Gaya in that archive.”
Elaborate research and skilful additional composition, arranging and orchestration by team members such as Ilan Eshkeri (now a prominent film composer in his own right with films such as Young Victoria, Stardust and Coriolanus to his credit) and Robert Elhai (Kamen’s lead orchestrator for many years) resulted in a soundtrack that is pure Michael Kamen, according to the album producer, Mikael Carlsson. ”Although Michael wasn’t there to actually tailor the music to the picture, you can hear his voice in every single bar, every nuance, every phrase of the score. It is very melodic, highly emotional, elegantly orchestrated with extremely clear voice leading, sometimes intensely energetic but also often restrained and refined.”
The recording of the Back to Gaya became a very emotional and memorable experience for everyone involved. Performed by Michael Kamen’s favourite orchestra, the London Metropolitan Orchestra, the crisp recording brings forward Michael Kamen’s orchestral voice at its absolute best. ”All the principals of all the great London orchestras had come to play, and had brought their best instruments. The musicians loved Michael, and they’d come to pay their respects,” said Steve McLaughlin.
Featuring over one hour of music, the Back to Gaya album is the 11th entry in MovieScore Media’s ’Discovery Collection’ (previous titles includes Patrick Doyle’s Man to Man, Basil Poledouris’ The Legend of Butch and Sundance and Dario Marianelli’s I Capture the Castle). ”We are, of course, very proud to be able to bring this exquisit score to the attention and enjoyment of a world-wide audience. Michael Kamen’s music reached the heart of thousands of people and his music was very popular among soundtrack aficionados. Back to Gaya is a beautiful addition to any soundtrack collection and a wonderful tribute to one of the finest film composers ever,” said Mikael Carlsson, who has edited and produced the album and spent four years working on acquiring the rights to release it.
Honouring Michael Kamen’s initiative to support music education in American schools, a portion of the Back to Gaya revenues will go directly to the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. ”Just as MovieScore Media has produced this beautiful completion to Michael Kamen's musical vision through Back to Gaya, the team at The Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation works tirelessly to extend his legacy through putting instruments into the hands of kids across the country. By giving children access to music education, they will grow in many ways, which Michael knew better than anyone. We are honored to benefit from the sale of this beautiful score - it will help to drive the mission which Michael Kamen so wisely and so passionately established,” said Felice Mancini, executive director of The Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
Michael Kamen composed the music for over 60 feature films. Among his best known scores are the first three Die Hard films, Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Brazil, X-Men, The Iron Giant, the four Lethal Weapon movies, Open Range, 101 Dalmatians, Mr. Holland’s Opus, What Dreams May Come, Last Action Hero and Hudson Hawk. He was nominated for two Oscars in the ’Best Song’ category, for ’Everything I Do I Do It For You” (Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves) and ”Have You Ever Really Loved a Woman” (Don Juan DeMarco, both co-written by Bryan Adams and Robert John Lange. Outside the world of film, Michael Kamen was a versatile arranger and conductor who started out as the co-founder and leader of the New York Rock Ensemble and subsequently worked with such pop artists as Kate Bush, Pink Floyd, Metallica, Queen, Eric Clapton and David Sanborn. Classically trained at Juilliard School in New York, Kamen’s extensive knowledge of the classical repertoire was often reflected in his film scores.
Back to Gaya is an animated fantasy adventure where creatures known as the Snurks face imminent danger as someone has stolen the Dalamite, a magic stone without which Gaya is doomed. Two Snurks, Boo and Zino, embark on an exciting and dangerous journey to recover the stone. Produced and directed by Holger Tappe and Lenard Fritz Krawinkel, Back to Gaya was released by Warner Bros in Germany in 2004. The international version, entitled Boo, Zino and the Snurks, featured the voice talents of Patrick Stewart and Emily Watson. The film was dedicated to Michael Kamen.
MovieScore Media will release Back to Gaya (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) on CD and digitally online on January 24, 2012. The first CD edition is limited to 1000 copies.
MovieScore Media (http://www.moviescoremedia.com) has been nominated for the International Film Music Critics Association ’Soundtrack Label of the Year’ award five yearsin a row and has released original music from over 150 films on CD and digitally online. It is distributed in the UK by RSK Entertainment and in the USA by Screen Archives Entertainment. Recently, the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences nominated composer Ryan Shore’s album The Shrine, released by MovieScore Media’s sub-label Screamworks Records and produced by MovieScore Media’s Mikael Carlsson), for a Grammy in the ’Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media’ category.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'll wait for samples but it is Kamen...Good job MSM, just listening to Doyle's gorgeous score for 'Man to Man'.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
OH MY GOD! Thank you so much for this Mikael! A fantastic surprise, I never thought this would get a release...
Perhaps this (and La-La's recent DIE HARD) will be the spark that fuels an explosion of Kamen releases from the speciality labels, so his musical legacy can be fully preserved, explored and appreciated!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Listening to these samples actually gave me goosebumps. I miss this guy...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Wonderful! Thank you!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It sounds incredible. Ordered!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
