#film music

[vcollies]

hi guys i need to be autistic about film scores for a second

so im rewatching mission impossible: rogue nation (for the third time in a week. don't mention it) and realized something about the non-diegetic music just before ethan goes into the opera: it features a flute. not just any flute, a bass flute!

this is most noticeable in the track starting right around the 3:40 mark. a few notes of the "mission impossible" theme is also played on bass flute at 4:40.

"now mav," you may be asking, "why do we care?" and to that i respond with two main reasons:

bass flute is a rare instrument to hear in film scores, mostly because it's a rare instrument in general. nearly every other time in the score when the typical mission impossible theme is played, it's introduced by your typical C flute, occasionally accompanied by piccolo trills. but this time, it's just one bar with a lone bass flute. why?

to answer the "why," it's highlighting joe kraemer's strike of genius in composing the score: he is using the instrument to foreshadow what comes next. the next scene shows a presumed musician getting his bass flute checked by security, and we later learn that there is a weapon hiding inside the flute (which, coming from a flute player, is a fantastic idea. nobody expects the bass flute!). by featuring the bass flute and having it play the mission impossible theme before we even see the plot-relevant bass flute in the film, we (the audience) are having something important alluded to us: this instrument is going to be relevant.

film composers love to do this; sprinkling blatant foreshadowing into their scores, telling the audience what's coming next in a way that the majority of viewers won't ever pick up. this is probably going to send me into yet another rewatch of the film where i try to find more silly little tidbits in the music.

anyways. that was a brief analysis of the importance of one singular instrument in a movie that came out a decade ago. thanks for letting me yap.

[badarchitectrecords]

Listen to this new, ambient track ‘Timeless Light’ by composer Judson Hurd

[citizenscreen]

Happy birthday, John Williams 🎹 🎼

[velvet4510]

I guess I’m one of those weirdos who so deeply feels the essence of an instrumental leitmotif from a film score associated with a particular character or couple, that I start associating said leitmotifs in my head with ANOTHER character from an entirely different film/book/series. And I’ve built up a whole library of leitmotifs for LOTR characters even though I ADORE Howard Shore’s original score for the trilogy. I consider these leitmotifs to be add-ons, NOT replacements.

Nor do I intend to completely disassociate all of these themes from their intended films/characters; some of them are perfect fits for the films they were written for. It’s just my mind going wild like usual. (But I admit, in some cases, the pieces are from films I dislike, and thus I would rather see these great songs associated with something of LOTR quality rather than what they were actually stuck with, especially when the lack of lyrics gives you the freedom to let the melody take you wherever it takes you, personally.)

In the case of Silmarillion characters and relationships, well, it’s a different story - it really is my attempt to cobble together what could be a hypothetical score, if it were brought to the screen. Obviously it’d never be this exactly, but I would hope a composer for a potential screen adaptation of The Silmarillion might be inspired by themes like these.

In some cases, the characters these themes were originally written for don’t resemble the corresponding LOTR characters very much, or at all. Also some of them have titles that by themselves could not be more different from and unfitting for Tolkien’s world. It’s just the melodies on their own, without context or even name, performed by these gorgeous orchestras, that have come to remind me of particular Tolkien figure(s).

I also have found lots of “love themes”, both romantic and platonic, for character relationships, as you’ll see. I’ve included romantic themes for canonical couples, as well as for pairings that I personally ship. I know Shore already gave Aragorn and Arwen a theme, but as I said, these are all extra additions and not replacements.

And yes I have a lot of Star Wars stuff in here, because I love Star Wars…but I love Tolkien more.

For the heck of it I’ll share some of these, with links to each song on YT. It’s hard to explain why I made these choices/associations, but maybe you’ll get it if you listen to some of them.

CHARACTER THEMES

The Valar = “Guardians of the Whills Suite” by Michael Giacchino

Lúthien Tinúviel = “Once Upon a Time in the West” by Ennio Morricone

Túrin Turambar = “Anakin’s Theme” by John Williams

Nienor Níniel = “Helena’s Theme” by John Williams

Frodo Baggins = “Romeo” by Nino Rota

Sam Gamgee = “Rey’s Theme” by John Williams

Aragorn = “The John Dunbar Theme” by John Barry

Gandalf = “Yoda’s Theme” by John Williams

Legolas = “Rose Tico” by John Williams

Éowyn = “Marion’s Theme” by John Williams

THEMES FOR LANDS/LOCATIONS

The Undying Lands = “Out of Africa” by John Barry

ROMANTIC LOVE THEMES

Frodo x Sam = “Love Theme from Ben-Hur” by Miklos Rozsa

Beren x Lúthien = “Love Theme from The Godfather” by Nino Rota

Faramir x Éowyn = “Han Solo and the Princess” by John Williams

Aragorn x Arwen = “Love Theme from Cinema Paradiso” by Ennio Morricone

Sam x Rosie = “Love Theme from Dances with Wolves” by John Barry

Bilbo x Thorin = “Andante Cantabile” by Bernard Herrmann

Thingol x Melian = “Indecent Proposal” by John Barry

Fingon x Maedhros = “Wuthering Heights” by Alfred Newman

Galadriel x Celeborn = “Central Park” by James Newton Howard

Finrod x Bëor = “Somewhere in Time” by John Barry

Aegnor x Andreth = “Love Theme from The Scarlet Letter” by John Barry

Finduilas x Gwindor = “Deborah’s Theme” by Ennio Morricone

Túrin x Beleg = “Midnight Cowboy” by John Barry

Mablung x Nienor = “Wanda and Vision” by Christophe Beck

Tuor x Idril = “Conversation Piece” by Bernard Herrmann

Eärendil x Elwing = “Tennessee” by Hans Zimmer

Elrond x Celebrían = “And Then I Kissed Him” by Hans Zimmer

Pippin x Diamond = “Love Theme from East of Eden” by Leonard Rosenman

Merry x Estella = “Love Theme from Rebel Without a Cause” by Leonard Rosenman

Elanor x Fastred = “Theme from A Summer Place” by Max Steiner (arranged by Percy Faith)

PLATONIC RELATIONSHIP THEMES

Elrond & Elros = “Brothers” by Hans Zimmer

Merry & Pippin = “Flying” by John Williams

Legolas & Gimli = “Rain Man” by Hans Zimmer

Boromir & Faramir = “Luke and Leia” by John Williams

Bilbo & Frodo* = “The Mother’s Love” by Miklos Rozsa

Sam & Elanor = “The Ludlows” by James Horner

I may add to this as I think of more, or even replace certain songs entirely if I come across a better match. Always return to the pinned post here to see the most recently updated list.

* Bilbo & Frodo’s melody is heard in the first minute of the linked track, 0:00–1:01, and again at 1:48. Also, the love theme I associate with Frodo & Sam starts playing at 1:03, making this whole thing fit all the hobbits even better.

[no-life-without-music]

My favourite Sofia Coppola film. Decided to scan the cd booklet that comes with the soundtrack which is one of my favourites as well, it sets the vibe for the film so well.

[jumpingbear]

Robot Dreams (2023)

[man-am-i-the-greatest]

Let me be passionate about something real quick. I just watched a video on Youtube about Hans Zimmer’s work on Interstellar, at the Royal Albert Hall performance. I don’t think people understand how much talent and work it takes to make film music. Especially to a film that has loads of elements and elaborate plots pieces. Music is the missing piece of a film, it’s what your mind takes in and it’s what’s guiding you to feel when watching the film. The video showed the texture and elements used in the performance, including instruments, voices and most importantly the organ. I think the one scene that stood out to me is where in the film Murphy finds the paper pushed in the bookshelf and in the paper it showcases how Cooper saw how the Dust Bowl made an impact on the atmosphere and the uneven pattern. I believe that when watching the main film before composing the music Hans zimmer saw the pattern on the page and decided to recreate that through the rhythm in the music in that specific scene. Also the ticking showcasing each day passing by is just so perfect, it’s the exact sound of something like a timer. Makes it an impression that they don’t have as much time as they think. That their life on earth will go by a lot quicker than they think. This ticking happens every 1.25 seconds. THE ACCURACY. I can’t lie i got goosebumps.

Look don’t quote me on the specifics but the little details are everything to film music and Hans knows exactly how to take the scene and give it emotions.

[mikrokosmos]

Fendrix - Soundtrack for the film Poor Things (2023)

I've probably said this before but I usually don't post film music on this blog. Mainly because it's questionable how much a score for a film could be considered "classical" or of the classical tradition. On the one hand, the kinds of genre and styles used for films, and the specific function of the music as accentuating or being part of the overall finished work of the film makes it out to be its own unique genre. On the other hand, classical composers in history have written incidental music for stage plays as well as scores for films, from early / classic film scores by Saint-Saëns or Prokofiev or later in the century by Takemitsu or Glass and going through to today. Regardless I had heard this music before seeing the film Poor Things and was immediately taken in. I loved it so much that I was disappointed that it did not win the Oscar for best film score this weekend (though I won't complain much because the winning score by Ludwig Göransson for Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer was evocative and intense so it was worthy of the award and praise). Still I have a soft spot for Jerskin Fendrix's imaginative and otherworldly music fitting for the equally "otherworldly" and fantastical atmosphere that the world of Poor Things tries to evoke. Yorgos Lanthimos is one of my favorite living directors and I was excited to see this film, even moreso after hearing the score. While I love the exuberant style, unique cinematography, and the dreamlike images, I will admit I was somewhat disappointed by the film overall (I didn't love it as much as I did his 2018 film The Favourite), and am still uneasy and disturbed by the subject matter and implications of an infant/prepubescent mind developing in the body of an adult woman, and all of the uncomfortable sex scenes and conversations as the film goes along. Still, I do love this score as a stand-alone album. Bella's theme is awkward, slightly out of tune and discordant, conveying the kind of naivety, curiosity, and somewhat self consciousness of being a "child" trying to understand the world they live in. The score continues with keyboard textures, detuned harps and winds, scratchy violins, vocalized oos and ahs, creating a lot of artificial and even alien sounds that disorients the listener in the same way that the wide lenses and porthole shots disorient the viewer. And later in the film (mild spoiler alert) when "Bella's" "real husband" arrives, we are made to feel sick and unsettled by the low frequency pulsing that makes us dread his arrival. A lot of textures and harmonies are unexpected in ways that make me wish Stravinsky were still alive so he could hear and share his thoughts. I especially thought of Stravinsky with my personal favorite track, "Portuguese Dance II", with violent and punchy, comically disturbed accordion chords that open into a catchy dance tune which may as well have come from one of his ballets. This same music gets its own awkward dance scene (another Lanthimos trademark) with Emma Stone's Bella and Mark Ruffalo's despicable Duncan. Again this is a bit different from my usual posts but regardless I hope you can enjoy the bizarre and wonderful soundworld that Fendrix created for this film.

[aphroditeslover11]

I’m back with my own little take on the music of Oppenheimer and Oppie’s own experience of music. Please note I’m a non-professional violinist with a classical background but fuck all knowledge of theory!

I can also sympathise with hating the piano, I tried to learn at a similar age but was awful. I’m limited to a very simple piece of Schubert and the introduction to ‘I don’t like Mondays’ but the Boomtown Rats!

[ivovynckier]

Only film composers can do Christmas without getting corny.

[leavemeslowly]

Listen to this and let your soul float…

[sjwallin]

My Favorite Soundtracks: "Stargate"

One of my most favorite movies-plus-soundtracks is 1994’s “Stargate“. I’ve always loved this film, ever since I first saw it as a teenager–I just really resonate with the story, the design… and, of course, the soundtrack!! Created by David Arnold, it’s a glorious meld of Golden Age Hollywood drama with epic, ancient-music feels. Following are some of my favorite moments from the movie (that I…

[citizenscreen]

Legendary conductor/composer Bernard Herrmann was #botd in 1911 🎶

[velvet4510]

This is the love theme that I have chosen for Bilbo & Thorin.

When you have 3 minutes to spare, you can start thinking about these two and listen to “their” theme here.

This was really tough for me to search through my library of instrumental pieces from film scores to find something that fit our favorite dwarf/hobbit pairing. I’m sure not everyone will agree with my choice.

This piece is from the great 1947 film The Ghost and Mrs. Muir (highly recommended), composed by the genius Bernard Herrmann.

I know the gentle and slow melody doesn’t fit the fiery tempers of either character. But I picked this as a leitmotif for their relationship, and the main reason is the amount of yearning and unfulfillment in it. It captures that sense of a slow burn doomed by tragedy to never fully blossom.

Mostly, it brings two images to my mind:

(1) Bilbo and Thorin in Lake-town the night before they head for Erebor, looking out and up at the mountain and talking about Thorin’s history there and his dreams for its future.

(2) Bilbo sitting in Bag End, remembering the dwarf he loved and all the things they said with their eyes but never with their words, and telling young Frodo about him.

Hope y’all enjoy. :)

[iffeelscouldkill]

Singing the Honor Among Thieves drinking song ("No fortune found, nor faith divine, come close to toping the juice of the vine...") to myself and feeling a Yearning

I would love a movie-esque version of this to listen to. There's a lovely version by Daniel Kelly Folk Music played on a homemade lyre (with two additional verses he wrote himself!), but it has a slightly different tune. I would love a version that had a lute or some flute instrumentals, maybe leaning into an Irish folk music sound 🪈🎶

It doesn't have to be an official version but it would be great if they released one, I think everyone who's been going feral over that song since the film came out would love it xD