Film Music

pedal

A long sustained pitch, generally in the lower register

Postmodernism

A movement in the arts that can be see nas a reaction against the modernistic values held during much of the twentieth century. It rejects the idea that all arts have to be original, incorporates elements of the popular art and musical worlds, and encourages a playful mixture of styles from various regions and eras.

minimalism

A musical movement that achieved prominence in the 1970s, in which short melodic, harmonic, or rhythmic ideas are repeated with little variation. The style can be heard in such diverse films as Halloween (1978), Kundun (1997), and Inception (2010).

Chaconne

A type of ballet dance in which the music suggests a specific ethnic origin.

Moulin Rouge!

Comes 74 years after first film musical The Jazz Singer. Postmodernism: a movement in the arts rejecting pure originality in favor of freely mixing artistic qualities from diverse time periods. Plot- blend of opera plots, visual effects, singing and dancing, Many borrowed popular songs: Madonna, Kiss, Dolly Parton, etc. Craig Armstrong- composer/arranger.

Interstellar

Epic science fiction film. Score by Hans Zimmer- Oscar nomination. Minimalist score: Space travel and time. Repetition, Long sustained chords, Electronics and organ, Recurring musical ideas, Clock- creates tension, Organ- intense and isolated sounds. Post-Romantic style used sparingly! Heightens drama.

Avatar

Expanding Minimalism: Traits of minimalism- repetition, rhythmic energy, avoids tuneful melodies. Prevalent in action films. Overcome Titanic as all-time box-office winner. Technical achievements- stunning visual effects. Score by James Horner. Minimalism: Lacks tuneful melodies, colorful orchestration. Two themes: Avatar/Love, Children's Song. Other traits: Shakuhachi- Japanese wooden flute, Ornamented vocal melodies, choral chanting, plenty of drumming (Action scenes)

Jurassic Park

Fantasy film. Lost appeal by mid 1980s. Eventually return in 1990s and 2000s- BIG! Star Wars prequels, Harry Potter series, and Lord of the Rings trilogy. Action and disaster. Extensive symphonic scores. Wall-to-wall music. Special-effect action sequences. Parallels to King Kong: Exotic island, visions of dinosaurs, gate separating beasts from humans, unrelenting action once it starts. John Williams composer. Parallels Steiner's score for King Kong. Loud! Brass and percussion. Harsh accents and dissonances. Minimal use of music in opening. Two primary themes: Trumpet theme, and Brontosaurus.

Forrest Gump

Flashbacks and popular music: Set the time periods, mini history of rock. Popular music- montages. Film score by Alan Silvestri. Orchestral scoring for quieter, more joyful moments.

Beauty and the Beast

Nominated for 6 Oscars. Menken won 2 Oscars Best Score and Best Song "Beauty and the Beast". Elaborate song and dance sequences. Leitmotifs. Underscoring for mood. Humor, action, and romance. Colorful yet delicate orchestration. Extended songs establish some characters. Leitmotifs: Enchanted spell, prince, the Rose/Love, Belle (a, b, and c).

Blockbuster

Originally a World War II military word for a bomb that could destroy an entire city block, the term was adapted by Hollywood for movies that were enormously successful. Avatar is a recent example.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows

Score by Hans Zimmer. Oscar nomination. Action scenes: Minimalist scoring and rock pulse. Contrasting colors and styles. Both films use the same opening theme on piano: Banjo and Spaghetti western? Unifying elements: 1. Sherlock Holmes theme. 2. Violin music from Sherlock and in score. 3. Music of Gypsies- dance music, cimbalom- instrument connected to Gypsy culture.

The Fellowship of the Ring

Score by Howard Shore. Gregorian chant: Middle Ages religious music. Chanting and chorus. Full orchestra. Leitmotifs, applied generally. Themes: Fellowship, Ring, King of Gondor (Later given to Aragorn but implies humankind in general), Sauron, and Hobbit.

Gravity

Score by Steven Price. Oscar for Best Score. Minimalist score. Synthesizers and organ, simple, slow progressions; solo strings and vocals for variety; slow-moving melodies with sustained growth in volume.

Skyfall

Score by Thomas Newman. wrote Score for both Skyfall and Spectre. Wall-to-wall scoring, minimalism with rock pulse, word music, bond motives, "Skyfall" mixed into score. Won Best Song- "Skyfall" by Adele. Uses 3 traditional Bond themes. Nominated for Best Score.

The Last of the Mohicans

Score by Trevor Jones. Darkly beautiful title theme, long-short rhythm, scottish snap- connection to Munro family. Dance tune: Source music and underscoring. Repeating bass: Suggests Baroque era. Synthesizer-harpsichord. Music detached from stunning drama. Runs counter to the action.

The Red Violin

Score by concert composer John Corigliano. String orchestra and solo violin. Principal theme belongs to Anna (wife of violin maker) and the Red Violin. Principal Themes: Red Violin Begins on D, but arrives on G, A, and E in other phrases. Open strings of a violin. Theme altered for time period of episode. Baroque, gypsy, Romantic, and modern. Chaconne: structure in music based on a harmonic progression or repeated bass line. Rising 7-note pattern. Accompanies the violin theme.

Three Colors: Blue

Themes are focus of each story. Colors visually dominate. Julie's husband was famous composer. Nearly completed large work. She destroys manuscript. Later pieces it back together. Fragments of work heard throughout film- in Julie's mind. Heard in its complete form at the end. Score by Zbigniew Preisner. Leitmotifs (Intro, Orchestra, Solo Soprano, Conclusion). Full orchestra, chorus, and solo soprano. Clever diagetic and non-diagetic use. Scenes involve Julie and a piano.

The Shawshank Redemption

Traits of 1990s films: Dark tones, realism of prison life, twisting plotline. Score by Thomas Newman. Nominated for Oscar. Score rarely reflects details of drama. Sets mood- cold and distant or somber. Seldom changes in scene. Melodic fragments. Minimalism: a musical trend from the 1970s featuring short melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic ideas repeated with little variation. Pedal: scoring in which you hear a long sustained pitch, generally in a low register. Escape scene: Mood rather than reflect an action. At climax- music simply louder. No dramatic chords.

The Phantom Menace

Williams faced a hurdle. New sound while keeping ties to original trilogy. Recycles opening and closing credits. Brings back 6 of the 7 leitmotifs from trilogy. Use of leitmotifs: Familiar themes are sparse. Obi-Wan and Yoda- only 2 original figures of outset. Obi-Wan's theme- the Force. Darth Vader's theme- Yoda worries about Anakin's future. Emperor theme: Low male voices- ominous quality. New Ideas: use of choir. Duel of the Fates/Battle with the Sith. New melody for child Anakin. Lyrical and innocent. Final cadence Anakin- Darth Vader's theme. We know his future.

Titanic

Won 11 Academy Awards. Portrays 1912 sinking of the Titanic. Not followed in near future by other blockbuster epics. Relation to other epics: Large symphonic score and many leitmotifs. Keeps a close relationship to current popular music trends. Theme song. Synthesizer. Primary melodies loosely applied to drama remain intact and recognizable. Wordless vocals - la la. Southhampton and Titanic suggest excitement and wonder. Love verse and love chorus- rose/love themes . Rose and Jack's emerging relationship.