I think Alexander Courage did this, but not certain.
According to the CD, the arranged is Randol Alan Bass.
Thanks for confirming the arranger. It’s interesting because this sounded different from the version I recall the Pops playing (don’t remember the big fanfares at the beginning). So it’s possible Courage, or another arranger engaged by the BPO at the time (1981), made an alternative one. It was a lot of years ago and memory tends to play tricks.
Yeah, i'm not a fan of that one. Just not my taste. Not a fan of the singing and the instrumental pieces can't compare to his best work.
I do love Vangelis, but he has done his share of albums that I don't care for too.
Same here. I've never been a big fan of the Papas collabs or stuff like MYTHODEA; there's something about that squaldering Bianca Castafiore-like singing that just turns me off somehow. Even turns up in JUNO TO JUPITER, which is a thorn in an otherwise great album. Then I'd rather take the Jon & Vangelis stuff, or - in terms of female vocals - the gorgeous, lowkey vocalizations of Stina Nordenstam in "Ask the Mountains" from VOICES; one of my favourite Vangelis compositions from one of my favourite Vangelis albums.
Yeah, i'm not a fan of that one. Just not my taste. Not a fan of the singing and the instrumental pieces can't compare to his best work.
I do love Vangelis, but he has done his share of albums that I don't care for too.
Same here. I've never been a big fan of the Papas collabs or stuff like MYTHODEA; there's something about that squaldering Bianca Castafiore-like singing that just turns me off somehow. Even turns up in JUNO TO JUPITER, which is a thorn in an otherwise great album. Then I'd rather take the Jon & Vangelis stuff, or - in terms of female vocals - the gorgeous, lowkey vocalizations of Stina Nordenstam in "Ask the Mountains" from VOICES; one of my favourite Vangelis compositions from one of my favourite Vangelis albums.
Thor, I'm also a big fan of the minimalist song Ask the mountains and of VOICES in general. Regarding his use of soprano voices, I understand what you mean with the funny Castafiore comparison. One track I like though is the one featured in the album EL GRECO. I don't remember right now if it was Montserrat Caballé singing it but I find this composition very moving.
Interesting: “A lot of people concentrate maybe on the Blade Runner score, which is incredible,” Lopatin said. “But his studio records—when he set up Nemo in London, and really, really found his own voice—those are the most interesting today, for me. I think they could teach us the most about where modern score can go, not necessarily his score work itself.”
Yeah, i'm not a fan of that one. Just not my taste. Not a fan of the singing and the instrumental pieces can't compare to his best work.
I do love Vangelis, but he has done his share of albums that I don't care for too.
Same here. I've never been a big fan of the Papas collabs or stuff like MYTHODEA; there's something about that squaldering Bianca Castafiore-like singing that just turns me off somehow. Even turns up in JUNO TO JUPITER, which is a thorn in an otherwise great album. Then I'd rather take the Jon & Vangelis stuff, or - in terms of female vocals - the gorgeous, lowkey vocalizations of Stina Nordenstam in "Ask the Mountains" from VOICES; one of my favourite Vangelis compositions from one of my favourite Vangelis albums.
Thor, I'm also a big fan of the minimalist song Ask the mountains and of VOICES in general. Regarding his use of soprano voices, I understand what you mean with the funny Castafiore comparison. One track I like though is the one featured in the album EL GRECO. I don't remember right now if it was Montserrat Caballé singing it but I find this composition very moving.
I recently listened to a few Vangelis albums I had not yet listened to (on Qobuz), and very much enjoyed "Odes", which features mostly interpretations of Greek folk songs, but also finally sampled a Jon & Vangelis album, which didn't do much for me at all. I can easily take stuff like abstract stuff like Beauborg or the theatrical Mythodea (old time favorites of mine), but I never paid much attention to the Jon & Vangelis phase.
I'm curious: does anyone here happen to know if Vangelis ever mentioned what his favorite film score(s) were and/or his favorite film composer? I only recall him saying something when Ennio Morricone passed away, so I would guess that Morricone is perhaps his favorite film composer.
Compared to the amount of best-of compilations, there really is a lack of substantial box sets out there. There's only that Delectus release, which is crazy money.
Yeah, i'm not a fan of that one. Just not my taste. Not a fan of the singing and the instrumental pieces can't compare to his best work.
I do love Vangelis, but he has done his share of albums that I don't care for too.
Same here. I've never been a big fan of the Papas collabs or stuff like MYTHODEA; there's something about that squaldering Bianca Castafiore-like singing that just turns me off somehow. Even turns up in JUNO TO JUPITER, which is a thorn in an otherwise great album. Then I'd rather take the Jon & Vangelis stuff, or - in terms of female vocals - the gorgeous, lowkey vocalizations of Stina Nordenstam in "Ask the Mountains" from VOICES; one of my favourite Vangelis compositions from one of my favourite Vangelis albums.
Thor, I'm also a big fan of the minimalist song Ask the mountains and of VOICES in general. Regarding his use of soprano voices, I understand what you mean with the funny Castafiore comparison. One track I like though is the one featured in the album EL GRECO. I don't remember right now if it was Montserrat Caballé singing it but I find this composition very moving.
It is Caballe singing that piece. Lovely stuff. I've listened to that album fairly regularly since release, it's my favourite "later" album by him. Perhaps a bit more "classical" sounding in approach than most of the rest, but it's a fantastic listen and an impressive work.
So many of my personal heroes died in the past years, to all of them I almost built a kind of "personal" relationship over the years never meeting them in life.
Raised with Golden Age Classics, Bernard Herrmann, later John Barry, Jerry Goldsmith and especially John Williams, electronic film music was something entirely new for me. The first time I saw BLADE RUNNER (one of my all time favorites, a masterpiece!) my focus was on the story. I was so overwhelmed that - in those days we couldn't afford to buy a video tape - I wanted to literally soak up the atmosphere again and again and so I came to buy the score.
Besides Herrmanns PSYCHO, Williams THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK and Goldsmiths THE WIND AND THE LION the score to BLADE RUNNER was one of the most deepest emotional impacts I ever had listening to film music. What an experience! Such great music!
I darkened my room, no distraction at all, put in the CD (number one from the Special Edition) closed my eyes and was in Vangelis world inspired by Ridley Scott. Goose bumps. The LOVE THEME for example had this quality only John Williams owns as one of the few composers: it has transcendental character (that's why I love TESB so much). The melody, the melancholy Vangelis refers to through his music is a milestone.
Unbelievable what Vangelis composed: BLUSH RESPONSE, TALES OF THE FUTURE, take any one you want.
For me Vangelis' score to BLADE RUNNER is one of the best scores ever written in the history of cinema, from a gifted, talented man, who gave us some much joy.
I've heard things you people wouldn't believe ... .
So sad.
Especially no one so far and wide that could evolve his ideas with that talent and quality.
Interestingly, Vangelis preferred The Bounty over this score, and I agree:
"It occurs very rarely that a composer thinks of his most successful work as his best. I am no exception to that rule. I think of my soundtrack for ... Mutiny on the Bounty as endlessly more interesting than Chariots of Fire." — Vangelis
Interestingly, Vangelis preferred The Bounty over this score, and I agree:
"It occurs very rarely that a composer thinks of his most successful work as his best. I am no exception to that rule. I think of my soundtrack for ... Mutiny on the Bounty as endlessly more interesting than Chariots of Fire." — Vangelis
The Bounty certainly called for a more proactive and "foreground" score, and it contains some of his best music. It's a pity it never got released (I suspect Vangelis did have an album planned, but it got derailed due to another studio / record company tug-of-war -- ala Blade Runner).
Interestingly, Vangelis preferred The Bounty over this score, and I agree:
"It occurs very rarely that a composer thinks of his most successful work as his best. I am no exception to that rule. I think of my soundtrack for ... Mutiny on the Bounty as endlessly more interesting than Chariots of Fire." — Vangelis
It's an interesting comment and probably is true for just about all composers.
But just as interesting would be the reason for it. Do they all prefer lesser known works on a purely musical level? Or do they see these works like neglected children and try to compensate?
I only know two of his scores. No prizes for guessing which. I consider them both absolute classics. I've no idea why I've never bothered investigating anything else given ive never heard anything but 10 outta 10 work from him. I need to rectify that soon.
But just as interesting would be the reason for it. Do they all prefer lesser known works on a purely musical level? Or do they see these works like neglected children and try to compensate?
I would guess he found The Bounty more interesting because it required more music, and offered a wider range of sequences and emotions to play off of -- exotic settings and the seductiveness of Tahiti, a storm sequence, a relationship that goes from one of loyal friendship to bitter enmity, etc.
I've no idea why I've never bothered investigating anything else given ive never heard anything but 10 outta 10 work from him. I need to rectify that soon.
For someone often pigeon-holed as a "New Age" musician, Vangelis is very eclectic. Some of his work is very pop-rock oriented (Albedo 0.39), some very classical (Mythodea), some inaccessibly abstract (Invisible Connections). Mask has some gorgeous choral passages, but it also very minimalist in places. Direct features a lot of different styles within a single album.
Ridley's getting his dates mixed again. The film is set in 2019, not 2017. Previously, in DVD supplemental material, he called 1492, his own film, 1482, and 1941, the Spielberg film, 1942.
