What's special in soundtracks?...

- Ashmudei said...
- User
- 21 Mar 2008, 20:06
What's special in soundtracks?...

...Let us think. :) What makes soundtracks that interesting for us? What's special about them?...

[quote][b][user]Ashmudei[/user][/b] said: ...Let us think. :) What makes soundtracks that interesting for us? What's special about them?...[/quote]

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- harrisonford said...
- User
- 22 Mar 2008, 10:06
very good question. I think that the most beautiful tunes in the last 100 years were all written to support cinematic experience - though people soon realized, they can be more fun
without the pictures themselves.
Add to it the tremendous versatility one can find in this genre, and you're there.

examples:
1.) Symphonic:

John Williams - Star Wars
Alan Silvestri - Predator

2.) pure electronic
Aki Hata - Light Crusader

3.) industrial electro
Brad Fiedel - Terminator

4.) experimental-electro-dub
The Dust Brothers - Fight Club

5.) experimental-chamber-electro-industial-dub
Clint Mansell - Requiem for a Dream

6.) Tribal dub
Damjan Mravunac - Serious Sam

7.) techno
Michiel van den Bos - Unreal Tournament

8.) minimal-instrumental-toy
Yann Tiersen - Amelie

sheer beauty (for lack of any words to describe it..)
9.) Thomas Newman - American Beauty

and so forth, etc...

24 hours a day is not enough for listening to music

[quote][b][user]harrisonford[/user][/b] said: very good question. I think that the most beautiful tunes in the last 100 years were all written to support cinematic experience - though people soon realized, they can be more fun without the pictures themselves. Add to it the tremendous versatility one can find in this genre, and you're there. examples: 1.) Symphonic: John Williams - Star Wars Alan Silvestri - Predator 2.) pure electronic Aki Hata - Light Crusader 3.) industrial electro Brad Fiedel - Terminator 4.) experimental-electro-dub The Dust Brothers - Fight Club 5.) experimental-chamber-electro-industial-dub Clint Mansell - Requiem for a Dream 6.) Tribal dub Damjan Mravunac - Serious Sam 7.) techno Michiel van den Bos - Unreal Tournament 8.) minimal-instrumental-toy Yann Tiersen - Amelie sheer beauty (for lack of any words to describe it..) 9.) Thomas Newman - American Beauty and so forth, etc... [/quote]

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- Ashmudei said...
- User
- 22 Mar 2008, 13:04
That is correct. Movie music is in most of cases a great 'room' to display abilities of many talented composers. I strongly agree that greatest compositions were written for movies and musicals, as well as computer games.

Perhaps they attract more attention because they are connected with other experiences: some stories, some heroes and events, some visual aestethics. That of course goes for movies at first, but also for computer games (which I used to call 'interactive books' sometimes ;) ).

It would be nice to add that game soundtracks, in my viewpoint, are challenging for the movie ones! They present really diversed and interesting music, and that is the point.

As you may notice, soundtracks involve practically every music genre.

What's special about soundtracks? In my opinion:

1. Diversity and complexity.
2. Epic and elaborated compositions of talented composers.
3. Background and context of music. Either supported by movie/game itself... or even enhanced by ourselves. :)

[quote][b][user]Ashmudei[/user][/b] said: That is correct. Movie music is in most of cases a great 'room' to display abilities of many talented composers. I strongly agree that greatest compositions were written for movies and musicals, as well as computer games. Perhaps they attract more attention because they are connected with other experiences: some stories, some heroes and events, some visual aestethics. That of course goes for movies at first, but also for computer games (which I used to call 'interactive books' sometimes ;) ). It would be nice to add that game soundtracks, in my viewpoint, are challenging for the movie ones! They present really diversed and interesting music, and that is the point. As you may notice, [b]soundtracks involve practically every music genre[/b]. [i]What's special about soundtracks?[/i] In my opinion: 1. [b]Diversity and complexity.[/b] 2. [b]Epic and elaborated compositions of talented composers.[/b] 3. [b]Background and context of music.[/b] Either supported by movie/game itself... or even enhanced by ourselves. :)[/quote]

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- Ashmudei said...
- User
- 22 Mar 2008, 15:05
You made a list of examples of various genres in soundtracks. Therefore, let me add a few more from other styles. :)

10.) other symphonic (it is probably a master-genre among soundtracks, isn't it?)

James Horner - Braveheart
Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings soundtrack
Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia / Kingdom of Heaven
Hans Zimmer - The Lion King / Gladiator / The Last Samurai

11.) symphonic / electronic / other

Don Davis, Juno Reactor, Rob Dougan - The Matrix
Frank Klepacki, David Arkenstone, Jarrid Mendelson - Emperor: Battle for Dune

12.) industrial rock / dark ambient

Marcin 'Cedyn' Czartynski, Adam Skorupa, Mech - Painkiller (videogame)

You will probably be glad to see this cinematic trailer: Painkiller

13.) industrial / electronic / 'rockotronic'

Frank Klepacki - Command & Conquer series (one of most famous game themes ever)

14.) symphonic / ambient / folk / fantasy (I simply had to add this :) )

Jason Hayes, Glenn Stafford, Tracy W. Bush, Derek Duke - Warcraft III / World of Warcraft
Adam Skorupa - The Witcher

15.) oriental / traditional folk

Shigeru Umebayashi - House of Flying Daggers
Tan Dun - Hero

16.) medieval / folk

Robert Euvino - Stronghold / Stronghold: Crusader (famous game soundtrack)

17.) dark ambient

Lustmord - Zoetrope (short subject)

18.) blues / jazz

Terry Scott Taylor - Neverhood (very famous game, with an extraordinary soundtrack)
'star blues' - Cantina Band in Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi ;)

...And that's still not eveything. I warmly invite others to present their opinions and perhaps add more to our list! :-)

[quote][b][user]Ashmudei[/user][/b] said: You made a list of examples of various genres in soundtracks. Therefore, let me add a few more from other styles. :) [b]10.) other symphonic[/b] (it is probably a master-genre among soundtracks, isn't it?) [artist]James Horner[/artist] - Braveheart [artist]Howard Shore[/artist] - The Lord of the Rings soundtrack [artist]Harry Gregson-Williams[/artist] - The Chronicles of Narnia / Kingdom of Heaven [artist]Hans Zimmer[/artist] - The Lion King / Gladiator / The Last Samurai [b]11.) symphonic / electronic / other[/b] [artist]Don Davis[/artist], [artist]Juno Reactor[/artist], [artist]Rob Dougan[/artist] - The Matrix [artist]Frank Klepacki[/artist], [artist]David Arkenstone[/artist], [artist]Jarrid Mendelson[/artist] - Emperor: Battle for Dune [b]12.) industrial rock / dark ambient[/b] [artist]Marcin 'Cedyn' Czartynski[/artist], [artist]Adam Skorupa[/artist], [artist]Mech[/artist] - Painkiller (videogame) You will probably be glad to see this cinematic trailer: [url=http://www.lastfm.pl/music/Mech/+videos/+1-weypUIJHhwM]Painkiller[/url] [b]13.) industrial / electronic / 'rockotronic'[/b] [artist]Frank Klepacki[/artist] - Command & Conquer series (one of most famous game themes ever) [b]14.) symphonic / ambient / folk / fantasy[/b] (I simply had to add this :) ) [artist]Jason Hayes[/artist], [artist]Glenn Stafford[/artist], [artist]Tracy W. Bush[/artist], [artist]Derek Duke[/artist] - Warcraft III / World of Warcraft [artist]Adam Skorupa[/artist] - The Witcher [b]15.) oriental / traditional folk[/b] [artist]Shigeru Umebayashi[/artist] - House of Flying Daggers [artist]Tan Dun[/artist] - Hero [b]16.) medieval / folk[/b] [artist]Robert Euvino[/artist] - Stronghold / Stronghold: Crusader (famous game soundtrack) [b]17.) dark ambient[/b] [artist]Lustmord[/artist] - Zoetrope (short subject) [b]18.) blues / jazz[/b] [artist]Terry Scott Taylor[/artist] - Neverhood (very famous game, with an extraordinary soundtrack) [i]'star blues'[/i] - Cantina Band in Star Wars Episode VI - Return of the Jedi ;) ...And that's still not eveything. I warmly invite others to present their opinions and perhaps add more to our list! :-)[/quote]
Edited by Ashmudei on 28 Feb 2010, 16:31

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- Perecca said...
- User
- 21 May 2008, 23:00
Except its diversity, its beauty lies also in the fact that the scores mostly evolved from Romantic music and Neoromanticism. Rich and powerful symphonic sound, way of composing, building of the score and usage of leitmotifs - they are done in the best tradition of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak and other composers from Romantic Era.

I'll quote Wikipedia on this:

Another area where the Romantic style has survived, and even flourished, is in film scoring. Many of the early émigres escaping from Nazi Germany were Jewish composers who had studied, or even studied under, Gustav Mahler's disciples in Vienna. Max Steiner's lush score for Gone with the Wind provides an example of the use of Wagnerian leitmotifs and Mahlerian orchestration. The "Golden Age of Hollywood" film music rested heavily on the work of composers such as Korngold and Steiner as well as Franz Waxman and Alfred Newman. The next generation of film composers, such as Alex North, John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone and John Williams drew on this tradition to write some of the most familiar orchestral music of the late 20th century.

[quote][b][user]Perecca[/user][/b] said: Except its diversity, its beauty lies also in the fact that the scores mostly evolved from Romantic music and Neoromanticism. Rich and powerful symphonic sound, way of composing, building of the score and usage of leitmotifs - they are done in the best tradition of Tchaikovsky, Brahms, Dvorak and other composers from Romantic Era. I'll quote [url=http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Romantic_music#Romanticism_in_the_20th_century]Wikipedia[/url] on this: [quote]Another area where the Romantic style has survived, and even flourished, is in film scoring. Many of the early émigres escaping from Nazi Germany were Jewish composers who had studied, or even studied under, Gustav Mahler's disciples in Vienna. Max Steiner's lush score for Gone with the Wind provides an example of the use of Wagnerian leitmotifs and Mahlerian orchestration. The "Golden Age of Hollywood" film music rested heavily on the work of composers such as Korngold and Steiner as well as Franz Waxman and Alfred Newman. The next generation of film composers, such as Alex North, John Barry, Elmer Bernstein, Jerry Goldsmith, Ennio Morricone and John Williams drew on this tradition to write some of the most familiar orchestral music of the late 20th century.[/quote][/quote]

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- Ashmudei said...
- User
- 1 Jun 2008, 23:17
Notice that soundtracks does not necessarily have romantic roots, as it does not have to be symphonic music at all; actually, most of examples we've mentioned above are not symphonic, nor connected with romanticism. Soundtracks in general are not only the inheritance of classical or romantic music... That's why I like them so much.

To sum, the beauty of soundtracks lies within their diversity, not one particular type. You saw only small part of wide range of soundtracks... No doubt it is a beautiful part, but how about checking out some items in our lists?...

[quote][b][user]Ashmudei[/user][/b] said: Notice that soundtracks does not necessarily have romantic roots, as it does not have to be symphonic music at all; actually, most of examples we've mentioned above are not symphonic, nor connected with romanticism. Soundtracks in general are not only the inheritance of classical or romantic music... That's why I like them so much. To sum, the beauty of soundtracks lies within their diversity, not one particular type. You saw only small part of wide range of soundtracks... No doubt it is a beautiful part, but how about checking out some items in our lists?...[/quote]

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- Dunos said...
- User
- 28 Jun 2008, 20:58
I think that soundtracks have that... "special touch" of the cinema. They are made for a specific movie, created to "translate" the feelings of the script directly to us, making the experience much realistic (am I talking like a Movie Theater vendor?¿ :O)...

So that's my point, and why I love the sountracks :)

- Everyone has a specific mission in the life -

[quote][b][user]Dunos[/user][/b] said: I think that soundtracks have that... "special touch" of the cinema. They are made for a specific movie, created to "translate" the feelings of the script directly to us, making the experience much realistic (am I talking like a Movie Theater vendor?¿ :O)... So that's my point, and why I love the sountracks :)[/quote]

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- [Deleted user] said...
- User
- 27 Jul 2008, 12:57
I think it's all about the atmosphere. in movies you can touch it better with music

[quote][b][user][/user][/b] said: I think it's all about the atmosphere. in movies you can touch it better with music[/quote]

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- J0N said...
- User
- 12 Aug 2008, 12:17
film music is even stronger, its not ment to support a certain atmoshpere or mood, its ment to SET the mood in a movie, especially in the beginning of the movie. that's what i like, the introduction music that sets the mood before we begin the story. it's very important.

for example:
James Horner: A Kaleidoscope Of Mathematics (a beautiful mind)
Klaus Badelt: Professor Alexander Hartdegen (the time machine)
Patrick Doyle: The Story Continues (harry potter 4)
Don Davis: Maintitle (matrix)
Danny Elfman: Spider-Man main title
Danny Elfman: Main Titles (charly and the chocolate factory)

and so on.

without music it will be extremely boring.

[quote][b][user]J0N[/user][/b] said: film music is even stronger, its not ment to support a certain atmoshpere or mood, its ment to SET the mood in a movie, especially in the beginning of the movie. that's what i like, the introduction music that sets the mood before we begin the story. it's very important. for example: James Horner: A Kaleidoscope Of Mathematics (a beautiful mind) Klaus Badelt: Professor Alexander Hartdegen (the time machine) Patrick Doyle: The Story Continues (harry potter 4) Don Davis: Maintitle (matrix) Danny Elfman: Spider-Man main title Danny Elfman: Main Titles (charly and the chocolate factory) and so on. without music it will be extremely boring. [/quote]

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- harrisonford said...
- User
- 10 Sep 2008, 10:12
Absolutely. But most people don't realise it.

On the other hand, the movie acts like some sort of catalyser - the soundtrack would perhaps never been written hadn't it been for the pictures.
Look at the Star Wars score for one thing: without the movie, people wouldn't enjoy the score, because it hadn't been born and I wouldn't know what I miss from this world. And it works both ways - without the score, the movie would be nothing but a dry spectacle. Of course, I'm a huge fan, but still, I'm being realistic.

24 hours a day is not enough for listening to music

[quote][b][user]harrisonford[/user][/b] said: Absolutely. But most people don't realise it. On the other hand, the movie acts like some sort of catalyser - the soundtrack would perhaps never been written hadn't it been for the pictures. Look at the Star Wars score for one thing: without the movie, people wouldn't enjoy the score, because it hadn't been born and I wouldn't know what I miss from this world. And it works both ways - without the score, the movie would be nothing but a dry spectacle. Of course, I'm a huge fan, but still, I'm being realistic.[/quote]
Edited by harrisonford on 14 Feb 2009, 09:59

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- Ashmudei said...
- User
- 11 Sep 2008, 18:34
Yes, I agree too, it works both ways, as you may see, I wrote about that in one of first posts in this thread:

3. Background and context of music. Either supported by movie/game itself... or even enhanced by ourselves. :)
Maybe it sounded a little bit weird, but now I can throw some light on it:
- Background of the movie is music - until today scientist don't really know how the music can evoke such strong emotions, yet, if you hear the music while epic battle is being fought, what music would it be? Relevant: epic, bombastic music.
- Context of music is the movie - if you like the movie, you can recall it listening to soundtrack (example: Pirates of the Caribbean).

And I agree with Attila, Star Wars is best example, and 24 hours a day is definitely too little for listening to music. Even soundtracks only.

[quote][b][user]Ashmudei[/user][/b] said: Yes, I agree too, it works both ways, as you may see, I wrote about that in one of first posts in this thread: [quote]3. [b]Background and context of music.[/b] Either supported by movie/game itself... or even enhanced by ourselves. :) [/quote] Maybe it sounded a little bit weird, but now I can throw some light on it: - [b]Background[/b] of the movie is music - until today scientist don't really know how the music can evoke such strong emotions, yet, if you hear the music while epic battle is being fought, what music would it be? Relevant: epic, bombastic music. - [b]Context[/b] of music is the movie - if you like the movie, you can recall it listening to soundtrack (example: Pirates of the Caribbean). And I agree with Attila, Star Wars is best example, and 24 hours a day is definitely too little for listening to music. Even soundtracks only.[/quote]

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