COTW - Film muzac

[ahinton]

I wouldn't sit and listen to this CotW as if to a series of Roussel symphonies..

If Roussel had been able to benefit from your loyal and fervent PR, he' would surely by now have been more famous than Boulez and Dutilleux put together (now there's an improbable thought!)...

[Mr Pee]

my response to the film (sorry!) of tastelessly glutinous sentimentality that forms all over it that i cannot watch it.

[ahinton]

OK - perhaps at a push (and a pretty hard one at that) I might prefer to watch it again to watching steamed Pee...

[Herrmannesque]

I'm not sure. Boulez describes Tchaikovsky as being like sweets, and he doesn't mean it as a compliment, refusing to conduct anything by him...

If Boulez wishes to remain in his (largely state-funded) ivory tower then let him. I hope he never does conduct Tchaikovsky given his dull and unimaginative Mahler.

[Nick Armstrong]

If Boulez wishes to remain in his (largely state-funded) ivory tower then let him. I hope he never does conduct Tchaikovsky given his dull and unimaginative Mahler.

Love your cat-throwing action, Herrmann!

[Herrmannesque]

I'm late to this thread so several people have made many of my points for me. It's sad to see the closed shop mentality of some on these boards. "We can't admit film music into the holy shrine."

The most common misconception is that the music is mere background atmospherics. Herrmann's music in Psycho has already been mentioned and is a good example of how music can add an extra dimension to the film. A bit of history: Hitchcock originally felt the film should be cut and presented as part of his long-running show on TV. Seeing the film with Herrmann's music caused him to change his mind. For instance, Hitchcock originally wanted the shower scene with no music. Herrmann had the scene played for Hitchcock both with his music and without. Hitch said, "Of course we must use it!" "But, Hitch you said there should be no music.... " Herrmann interjected, to which Hitch replied, "Improper suggestion, dear boy, improper suggestion!"

On a personal note, John Williams's music for "Star Wars" (Now I am revealing my age!) was my introduction to the symphony orchestra and therefore a gateway for me to "Classical" music for which I am eternally grateful.

[doversoul1]

Herrmannesque

It's sad to see the closed shop mentality of some on these boards. "We can't admit film music into the holy shrine."

It’s sad to see that some people seem to be incapable of seeing this Forum with this same old preconception. If you read the thread carefully, most of us who have posted here love film music and understand perfectly what it does. The question we are asking is ‘is Composer of the Week’ the right place for it?’, especially in the current state of R3 where more spacialised interest that cannot be accommodated by any other BBC radio stations is blatantly neglected.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

And an alternative question that some others of us were asking is "Why, of all the Music that has been written for Film (such as that written by Korngold, Rozsa, Herrman, Tiomkin, Barry, Morricone - to say nothing of Walton, RVW, Copland, Britten, Alwyn, Bax, Feldman, Birtwistle etc etc) did they have to choose John Williams?!"

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I'm one of those people who finds it difficult to filter out unwanted sould. In a crowded room I cannot hold a conversation easily because I cannot hear what is being said to be because of all other sounds and conversations. This is one of the reasons why I relish the opportunity to hear film music in isolation, without the distraction of the (more important) action and talking sounds.

[aeolium]

And an alternative question that some others of us were asking is "Why, of all the Music that has been written for Film (such as that written by Korngold, Rozsa, Herrman, Tiomkin, Barry, Morricone - to say nothing of Walton, RVW, Copland, Britten, Alwyn, Bax, Feldman, Birtwistle etc etc) did they have to choose John Williams?!"

[french frank]

And an alternative question that some others of us were asking is "Why, of all the Music that has been written for Film (such as that written by Korngold, Rozsa, Herrman, Tiomkin, Barry, Morricone - to say nothing of Walton, RVW, Copland, Britten, Alwyn, Bax, Feldman, Birtwistle etc etc) did they have to choose John Williams?!"

Presumably to attract the attention of the 'new listeners'. I mean, who's ever heard of those other guys?

[Mr Pee]

And an alternative question that some others of us were asking is "Why, of all the Music that has been written for Film (such as that written by Korngold, Rozsa, Herrman, Tiomkin, Barry, Morricone - to say nothing of Walton, RVW, Copland, Britten, Alwyn, Bax, Feldman, Birtwistle etc etc) did they have to choose John Williams?!"

Well for one because he is probably our most active living film composer, who has written fine music for some of the most popular films of the last few decades. As for your list, the latter composers, from Walton onwards, are pretty regularly played on Radio3, and the first part, John Barry etc., I would think that a week devoted to any of those composers would meet with the same reaction on these boards as John Williams has.

Rather than ask "why did they have to choose John Williams?", you might as well ask, "Why not?"

[Flosshilde]

On 'Start the Week' this morning Howard Goodall seemed to be equating classical music with music played by big orchestras - saying that people going to the cinema & experiencing the soundtrack were experiencing classical music.

[ferneyhoughgeliebte]

Rather than ask "why did they have to choose John Williams?", you might as well ask, "Why not?"

Good point; in which case I might as well answer "Because he isn't nearly as good as the others". We won't agree on this, MrPee, but I don't agree that JW has "written fine Music", nor do I think that there would be quite as much opposition to any of "Korngold, Herrmann, Tiompkin, Barry, Morricone" as there has been to Williams. They're just much better composers.

[Mr Pee]

Good point; in which case I might as well answer "Because he isn't nearly as good as the others". We won't agree on this, MrPee, but I don't agree that JW has "written fine Music", nor do I think that there would be quite as much opposition to any of "Korngold, Herrmann, Tiompkin, Barry, Morricone" as there has been to Williams. They're just much better composers.

Well that is a matter of opinion. I think that JW's music is as good as any of the composers you mention above. The style may be different, but he has written some of the most memorable themes of the last/present century, and perfectly suited to the films they were written for.