 |
|
| View Mode |
| Regular | Headlines |
|
| All times are
PT (Pacific Time), U.S.A.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Tempo, Tempo, Tempo... |
| Posted By: Mark Ford on August 7, 2009 - 9:00 PM |
Volume 1, Number 30
Over the course of reading the FSM boards, I’ve often noticed that tempo in re-recordings seems to be quite a sticking point for some. Sometimes I think people just get used to the tempi from the original recording or the film itself and become so accustomed to it being that way, that when they hear a different tempo, it seems too fast or too slow to them.
If it is an interpretive re-recording (more of a concertized presentation) then tempo is at the discretion of the conductor and is a manifestation of his/her interpretation. They should not be expected to adhere to the original recording’s tempi as such unless that is part of their stated approach. Regardless, if the conductor's interpretation doesn't work for someone then it just plain doesn't work for them whatever the reason and that may extend beyond just changes in tempo. I've found that to be the case at times where the harmonic rhythm of a piece seems to dictate a faster or slower tempo that feels more natural for the chordal progressions.
On the other hand, recordings/reconstructions such as those by Monstrous Movie Music, strive to reproduce the sound of the actual soundtrack as recorded for the film and stick as close as possible to the original tempi. In that case it is pretty essential to adhere to strict tempi otherwise their attempt in recreating the original score wouldn’t hold up.
 As an example of changing tempi from original recording to re-recording, I cite Bernard Herrmann. He slowed down his tempi quite a bit in some pieces on his suite recordings. Since the more concert style recording setting wasn't restricted by film timing issues it gave him the opportunity to expand some of the pieces temporally allowing them to breathe a bit. In many cases it allowed more of the majesty of the pieces to come through and feel less rushed. In any event, it was his interpretation of the music at the time under a different set of recording circumstances that produced the results on those re-recordings and I know he has been taken to task by some over it. I actually prefer some of his re-recording tempi for listening purposes outside of the films so I’m not personally criticizing him here at all.
And lest someone brings up the notion that a composer is always the best interpreter of his works, I offer up Richard Strauss as an example of that not always being the case. Strauss was a world class conductor, but when it came to recordings, even of his own works, two things conspired to mar some of his interpretations: 1) In his early recordings, the state of the recording technology of the day required him to speed up his conducting at times in longer works to accommodate time limitations. That would not be an issue in later day recording technology. 2) As he got older, he was somewhat notorious at times for wanting to get in and out of the recording studio as quickly as possible so he tended to speed up the tempi so he could be on his merry way. This was in contrast to his usual strict adherence to tempo and dynamics markings in scores. So he left behind some hurried and not so definitive interpretations of his own works in his later years.
I’m sure that there will always be issues with tempo as long as music is written, recorded, re-recorded and performed live, and there are many interpretations of what is "right" in regards to the matter. Film scores have other considerations as well. Each of us has our own philosophies of how and why we listen to film music and that may play into the debate of tempo specifically and other performance factors in general as well. As always these things make for lively debate and generate some interesting “discussions” on the boards!
Epilogue
The place for quotes, trivia, links, etc.
Quote of the week: " " -- Harpo Marx
Video of the Week: Bernard Herrmann, Fahrenheit 451 Montage
Be seeing you...
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Today in Film Score History:
March 19 |
|
| Dimitri Tiomkin wins Oscars for High Noon score and song (1953) |
|
| George Garvarentz died (1993) |
|
| Jean Weiner born (1896) |
|
| Jeff Alexander begins recording his score to Escape from Fort Bravo (1953) |
|
|
|
|
|
|
