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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2004 - 7:16 PM
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By: |
Ray Faiola
(Member)
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For those of you who may have read the review of the BYU / Screen Archives CD of A SUMMER PLACE in the latest issue of Film Score Monthly, I wish to make a clarification. The original soundtrack, and all the music on the score CD, was conducted by the composer himself, Max Steiner. In my notes I failed to make this singular point. I suppose it comes from being so used to Steiner conducting nearly everything he wrote. In any case, the reviewer understood the conductor to be Percy Faith, who of course merely conducted a pop recording of the "Molly and Johnny" theme, commercially titled "Theme From a Summer Place." We shall be sure to avoid this type of confusion with future releases.
As to the reviewer's opinion of Maestro Steiner's score, I trust it will be accepted as just that - an opinion - and one for which I assure you there are many who feel quite differently. I think as we move farther and farther down the road of years, the ears of appreciation for romantic (yes, even schmaltzy) leimotif scoring are dwindling. Jim D'Arc, Craig Spaulding and I are trying to rekindle some of that appreciation and we trust that those who are more responsive to Mr. Steiner's scoring on the whole will find in A SUMMER PLACE a quintessential example of Max's wonderful musical talent and intuition.
Jim, Craig and I hope that, if you have not yet purchased A SUMMER PLACE that you will keep it in consideration and not let a single voice deter you from a truly wonderul musical experience. And, of course, the proceeds from all BYU releases go directly into furthering the preservation and continued release of music of the screen.
Our sincerest thanks to all of you for your continued support of our efforts.
Ray Faiola
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2004 - 9:48 PM
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By: |
Howard L
(Member)
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This is the review. The CD was given 2.5 stars, the same rating given to Battlestar Galactica:
"Delmer Daves may be one of the least remembered directors from the era of the Hollywood studio system, but two of his pictures still enjoy popularity: the film noir Dark Passage and A Summer Place, a romantic melodrama. Featuring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue, this sudsy story of teen lovers sold a lot of tickets on its release in 1959, thanks in part to its quasi-erotic content.
It didn't hurt, either, that the film's score yielded a single, "Theme From A Summer Place," that rose to number one on the pop charts. Arranged by Percy Faith and performed by his orchestra, this lushest of numbers is a standard on oldies and easy listening stations, and its melody, a percussive line of notes played by violins and piano shows up regularly in television and radio commercials even today. Faith didn't compose this famous song, however. The immortal Max Steiner did.
Unfortunately the hack conductor's breezy treatment of the master composer's theme surfaces regularly throughout this score, poisoning it like a Chernobyl wind. And though fans of the track should enjoy this newly remastered material, those who loathe it, no matter how much they enjoy Steiner, will want to leave this disc alone. Still, there are some nice moments here. "A Filthy Word," for instance, combines a brooding strings figure with a jewelry box melody to produce a sound that's simultaneously quaint and tense; and the cue entitled "Harlot of a Mother" manages to construct a memorably creepy mood with an erratic montage of brass notes. Steiner's arrangement of "Liebestraum" for the organ is also deliciously sad. Yet the "pop" theme always seems to materialize just as the score's more compelling passages start to develop emotional depth.
Brigham Young University, the official home of Max Steiner's papers, produced this CD, dressing it up with a clean sound, detailed liner notes and pretty promotional photos. Their efforts and achievements, in this respect, are admirable. Let's hope, though, that their next release will give us something a little bit easier to like."
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2004 - 10:16 PM
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By: |
Howard L
(Member)
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Damn right, Dana.
Featuring Sandra Dee and Troy Donahue, this sudsy story of teen lovers sold a lot of tickets on its release in 1959, thanks in part to its quasi-erotic content.
The frank dialogue concerning sex, adultery and premarital sex certainly must have been daring for its day. Nevertheless, I think the term "quasi-erotic" is a wee bit hyperbolic. The film's a potboiler but come on. And the reviewer also ignores the major storyline re the parental mistakes and resultant affair.
Unfortunately the hack conductor's breezy treatment of the master composer's theme surfaces regularly throughout this score, poisoning it like a Chernobyl wind.
Ray, you are being way too diplomatic. The assumption that Percy Faith arranged and conducted either that theme alone or the film's entire score is simply way beyond leftfield. The Faith arrangement, in either case, never appears and you make it very clear that the closest instance appears in the cue entitled "Reunion On The Beach."
And though fans of the track should enjoy this newly remastered material, those who loathe it, no matter how much they enjoy Steiner, will want to leave this disc alone.
huh?
LOL
...and its melody, a percussive line of notes played by violins and piano...
Uh, I'm not a music major or anything but I think I know the difference between melody and counterpoint. He's discussing the counterpoint. Or were the piano triplets in the sex/sax of the "Ashamed" theme the melody, too?
Yet the "pop" theme always seems to materialize just as the score's more compelling passages start to develop emotional depth.
Bruddah.
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Posted: |
Jul 24, 2004 - 10:31 PM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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Brigham Young University, the official home of Max Steiner's papers, produced this CD, dressing it up with a clean sound, detailed liner notes and pretty promotional photos. Their efforts and achievements, in this respect, are admirable. Let's hope, though, that their next release will give us something a little bit easier to like.
Let's hope the next time FSM publishes a review of an important film music release, it will be written by someone who knows what he's talking about.
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Posted: |
Jul 25, 2004 - 1:58 PM
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By: |
Dana Wilcox
(Member)
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It has been obvious for years that some FSM reviewers comment on film music discs without having seen the movie in question -- i.e., without ever having experienced the music in context. To my mind, that's a completely unacceptable norm, especially when you consider how many informed people are lurking "out there" on this board and elsewhere.
I agree -- it is not possible to comment knowledgeably about a film score entirely apart from the film itself (and especially when the reviewer has not even seen the film in question!). While it is possible to "love" or "hate" a film score, as music, apart from the film, writing about that is not a review. Opinions are like...well, you've heard the phrase. (Everybody has one.) We can all decide these things for ourselves subjectively. We expect a more thoughtful and analytical (and less subjective) take on film scores in their proper context from a magazine such as Film Score Monthly, which presents itself as the reference point for all things filmmusical. Not only from the perspective of the application of the music in the film discussed, but grounded in an understanding of the history of films and film scores, the classics, the elements and devices, changes and trends in the use of music in film, etc. This reviewer not only demonstrates a lack of knowledge of the film, A SUMMER PLACE, but a detectable underlying distaste for (and ignorance of) films and scores from the so-called Golden Age.
Fire the bum! Put a hold on his check! 
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Posted: |
Jul 25, 2004 - 2:59 PM
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By: |
John Morgan
(Member)
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A SUMMER PLACE is a film Steiner enjoyed and relished doing. He reinvented himself with this score and despite family tragedies and ill health, was able to write some fine music in his twilight years.
In hindsight, the phenomenal success of this secondary theme, which garnered all that play time with Percy Faith’s recording, made it so familiar that it probably distracts from film today because it is so known. A somewhat similar thing happened to Bernard Herrmann’s Murder music from PSYCHO. Whenever that is played in concert, it often elicits tittering and chuckles from an audience. It has become cliché.
Actually Steiner created much filmic musical devices and mannerisms that subsequently became clichés because of overuse by others. He was a true original and created more techniques in the relationship of film drama and music than any composer in history. Every score shows Steiner’s absolute joy in creating music....no matter the subject.
The BYU releases of the full score is wonderful. Not only to hear this marvelous music away from the film and sound effects, but to savor a 71 year old composer understanding and communicating with youth so well. Not only do we get the music so well presented, but a beautiful booklet and incisive and learned liner notes to boot. (Sorry I used that B word!)
Yes, I too felt the FSM review uninformed. It was unfortunate that that issue also ran an article on Waxman’s BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN that was equally wrong-headed, in my opinion. Ironically, and before this thread was started, I have been talking to one of the FSM people about who would be a good person to do a sort of monthly column on Golden Age scores. Many right here on this board would be qualified, but I understand finding the time to do this would be difficult.
It is a shame so little is written on the Golden Age of film music. We actually get more pertinent information through the liner notes than any other form in today’s world. These releases are important and I believe, will become more important in year’s to come. At least I hope so.
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Living at a distance from the USA, I haven't received the latest issue of FSM yet with what seems to be a misguided view of the score of A SUMMER PLACE.
I saw the film when it was first released and it was crap, despite most of the cast and the technical work. The Max Steiner score contributed more to the film than it deserved.
I'm not an overly huge fan of Steiner - for every good score there was at least one that was overblown - but the one he wrote for A SUMMER PLACE definitely falls into the category of a great score. As much as I loathed the film, I was quick to buy the BYU recording and my memories of the music weren't proven to be wrong. It is more, as the excellent booklet notes state, than the Percy Faith pop hit.
A superb score and one worth having.
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