Sounds of Cinema Sunday

[kernelbogey]

Really?

I just heard some of Hans Zimmer's music for Dune 2 on Breakfast. It was, in that context, pleasant enough, anodyne and unobtrusive. I don't doubt it adds to the film.

But I continue to contend, as I have on the Forum in past years, that most of film music is relevant only to its filmic context - and is uninteresting on its own.

Yet we now have a whole day devoted to it.

[french frank]

But I continue to contend, as I have on the Forum in past years, that most of film music is relevant only to its filmic context - and is uninteresting on its own.

I'm not a film buff, but I thought that was the whole point of composing for a film, though I must admit I haven't a clue what goes through a film composer's head. That said, it no longer seems to matter what music R3 broadcsts as long as there's a hefty audience 'out there' who may tune in to listen.

I've never held (and still don't) that R3 should select the 'very best' (definitely tbd) of classical music: it should present the wide spread of best, lesser and occasionally even downright not very good to give the entire spread of the genre and illustrate its evolution. This represents a huge volume of music which could easily fill the R3 airwaves 24/7. This is why it's so disappointing to see successive controllers cutting the broadcast hours more and more in order to play contemporary musics of various kinds and (arguably) variable quality. Just as long as there's an audience ...

A blockbuster event like this is mainly to promote the station as a 'destination' for new listeners who, not surprisingly, don't have a lot of interest in classical music.

[Ein Heldenleben]

Couldn’t agree more KB. This film day has already been raised on the R3 schedule changes thread. So with apologies I’ll repost my thoughts ..

“The idea of devoting an entire day to film music is a prime example of what’s wrong with the channel. Ok there’s Prokofiev, Shostakovich, Britten , RVW - fine . And lesser talents like Korngold who wasted it on film when his classical work is so much more interesting . But Most film music is second rate - cliche strewn , always going for the cheap Emotional effect . It’s like a Russell group university doing a course on the verse in Hallmark greetings cards. Mind you I suspect that’s happening as well. But they’ll be doing it in a post modernist ironic way. Radio 3 really mean it .
So we are being told the music of John Williams , Debbie Wiseman , Morricone, Rota et Al is of great cultural significance. It isn’t really… It’s pretty good music but so was that of the now unjustly neglected seventies pop rock band Pilot with catchy classics like January and It’s Magic.
Why not a whole day on Renaissance Polyphony, the Second Viennese school ? Or Boulez ? Or British female composers like Lutyens and Maconchy?“

[french frank]

As a PS BBC TV did a Sound of Cinema poll - this was also a way of publicising R3's Sound of Cinema programme (and hopefully other programmes). We did a rival poll, launched by Suffolkcoastal: Morricone, with three separate films, won the Most Prolific Composer but our three top choices for a single score were:

Scott of the Antarctic: Vaughan Williams
Henry V: Walton
Alexander Nevsky: Prokofiev

Can't remember what the television viewers chose.

[Russ]

Soundtrack suite for RAN, by Toru Takemitsu. Please don't say this isn't a great piece of music.

[LMcD]

Soundtrack suite for RAN, by Toru Takemitsu. Please don't say this isn't a great piece of music.

Cinema Paradiso - Ennio Morricone

[Ein Heldenleben]

As a PS BBC TV did a Sound of Cinema poll - this was also a way of publicising R3's Sound of Cinema programme (and hopefully other programmes). We did a rival poll, launched by Suffolkcoastal: Morricone, with three separate films, won the Most Prolific Composer but our three top choices for a single score were:

Scott of the Antarctic: Vaughan Williams
Henry V: Walton
Alexander Nevsky: Prokofiev

Can't remember what the television viewers chose.

First and second masterpieces , middle one not so sure.

[LMcD]

First and second masterpieces , middle one not so sure.

Isn't the second the middle one?

[Ein Heldenleben]

Isn't the second the middle one?

indeed meant first and third . Isn’t that a rowing club ?

[vinteuil]

indeed meant first and third . Isn’t that a rowing club ?

... Trinity College, at that Fenland Polytechnic, I think

.

[french frank]

... Trinity College, at that Fenland Polytechnic, I think

.

Which one?

[french frank]

It seems the Nation's Choice was the music from John Williams's Star Wars, followed by Morricone's The Good, The Bad and the Ugly and Bernstein's West Side Story as third:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-24272523

No information as to where RVW, Walton and Prokofiev came.

[vinteuil]

Which one?

... o, that new one. You know, founded 1209 or thereabouts. Renegade escapees from that 'light industrial town in the South Midlands'...

.

[french frank]

... o, that new one. You know, founded 1209 or thereabouts. Renegade escapees from that 'light industrial town in the South Midlands'...

.

o, there's a much newer one than that. And the fenland such an interesting area.

ff (BA Bristol)

[Ein Heldenleben]

... Trinity College, at that Fenland Polytechnic, I think

.

Thanks. First and Third are also according to Cousin Jasper in Brideshead the only degree classes worth aiming for - a second is a waste of time.