Sound of Cinema: The Music that Made the Movies

[johncorrigan]

Yes , it was quite good
Though he made the mistake IMV of claiming that somehow Vangelis was a great innovator in electronics ?.Vangelis did make some great scores BUT compared to the Barons (Forbidden Planet etc) or some of the Radiophonic workshop output it's all a bit "note based". Synthesising a string ensemble is a good financial move but not really a great advance in the use of electronics in film music all a bit 'piadonistic' imv
having had the gripe there were some good things and it was worth watching.

The Hitchcock stuff was great ......

I have really enjoyed this series coming to it from a position of quite some ignorance. Last night was no exception though I do tend to agree about the Vangelis. Mind you, I watched Blade Runner after it (I can never resist it) and heard the soundtrack from a different perspective and ended giving it a bit more credit than previously. I was pleased to see input on one of my other favourite all-time films, The Conversation - following that slot I did think it was time to watch that gem again, this time from the perspective of the soundtrack. Neil Brand has been excellent - as I said before I had never encountered him before and hope we'll see him again - it seemed to me that he had mostly made excellent choices in the subjects. I was thinking he could do a good take on films in a more global sense...or cartoons, perhaps! Bet Neil could give us a fine show on the soundtracks of 'Tom and Jerry' and 'Looney Toons' etc.

[NHTL]

Am I alone in looking forward to the end of the Sound of Cinema season on Radio 3?

[Nick Armstrong]

Am I alone in looking forward to the end of the Sound of Cinema season on Radio 3?

No:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?9376-Film-music&p=338044#post338044

and

https://www.facebook.com/bbcradio3?hc_location=stream - click on "Recent Posts by Others on BBC Radio 3: See All" to the right of the page

[Bryn]

No:

http://www.for3.org/forums/showthread.php?9376-Film-music&p=338044#post338044

and

https://www.facebook.com/bbcradio3?hc_location=stream - click on "Recent Posts by Others on BBC Radio 3: See All" to the right of the page

I'll take the hint re. "See All" since in order to activate it I would have to sign up to FB.

[french frank]

I'll take the hint re. "See All" since in order to activate it I would have to sign up to FB.

I don't think you have to sign up: just under the banner there's what looks like a greyed out drop down menu saying 'Highlghts'. If you click on that you can select 'Others' and see what the world has been saying.

[johncorrigan]

I don't think you have to sign up: just under the banner there's what looks like a greyed out drop down menu saying 'Highlghts'. If you click on that you can select 'Others' and see what the world has been saying.

I think what has distinguished Brand's series from most of the 'Sound of the cinema' material across the BBC has been that he is not just enthusiastic but he also appeared to me to have a high level of expertise, which he managed to transmit to me and a few folk I know. Otherwise I will not be sad to see the season go. People playing their favourite film music is fine for a few days but has long past its novelty value - or get some actor in to play whatever he wants - the Terrence Stamp programme on Saturday afternoon R3 was pretty dire, I thought, for as long as I managed to stick around (not a lot of competition on a Saturday afternoon in the car).
Mind you, I'll probably have a listen in to Jarvis exploring sound effects in the cinema next Sunday afternoon on 6 - could be worth it.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b03c8sch

[aeolium]

I agree, jc - I thought Brand's series was the best thing (perhaps the only good thing) about the film season. It would have been OK if it had just been a couple of concerts, perhaps a radio feature plus Brand's series but as usual the BBC/R3 went over the top and ruined it. It's a pity as I think there is real skill, invention and imagination behind the best film scores and this is brought out when someone knowledgeable about the subject is given the opportunity to explore it.

What for the next blockbuster season - how about three weeks of "Spirit of the dance" where all kinds of forgotten and mediocre ballet scores are brought out of the woodwork? Aargh!

[Nick Armstrong]

I agree, jc - I thought Brand's series was the best thing (perhaps the only good thing) about the film season. It would have been OK if it had just been a couple of concerts, perhaps a radio feature plus Brand's series but as usual the BBC/R3 went over the top and ruined it.

I'd agree with that too... No surprise about Brand's TV series being the best thing - it had images!!! *DOH* BBC - film music.... images with the music are quite important!

But yes, some of the by-ways explored in the "British music" and "Golden age" COTW series were interesting, and (shh.... utter it not in Gath!) I did enjoy Matthew Sweet's foray into 'pastoral unease' (Wicker Man etc) in the new Saturday programme - doversoul will have my guts for garters - but... no no no not the saturation coverage. One weekend of it might have been ok. Perhaps.

What for the next blockbuster season - how about three weeks of "Spirit of the dance" where all kinds of forgotten and mediocre ballet scores are brought out of the woodwork? Aargh!

... signature piece, to be played at least twice a day and in all the trailers: Invitation to the Dance..... ARGH ARGH ARGH!!