FILM MUSIC:

COMPOSITION STYLE

WHY? = meaning

HOW? = structure

WHY THIS MUSIC?

As one of the three codes…

• Visual

• Dialogic

• Musical

In some sort of relationship with the other codes…

• Music confirms the other codes

• Music reveals hidden agendas

• Music opposes the other codes

• Music structures the visual imagery

• Music evokes time and place

HOW IS IT DONE?

• Perspective:

…how much do we notice it and how do we stand in relation to it?

Perspective:

• Background diegetic: dance music

Underscored: Frankie Limon & the Teenagers

Flagged diegetic: Connie Francis

Foregrounded in action: Tiny Tears

Full presence in credits: all episodes

HOW IS IT DONE?

• Structure:

…microstructure: the cue

…macrostructure: the whole film

‘REAL’ CLASSICAL MUSIC

Platoon Samuel Barber: Adagio for Strings

2001 Johann Strauss: Blue Danube Waltz

Solaris Bach: Chorale Prelude in F minor

SPECIALLY COMPOSED ‘CLASSICAL’ MUSIC

Dangerous Moonlight Richard Adinsell: Warsaw Concerto

Hilary and Jackie Barrington Pheloung: Cello Concerto

FILM MUSIC DRAWING ON CLASSICAL INFLUENCES

John Williams The Witches of Eastwick

Composition Style in Film

• romantic 19C classical; Rachmaninov Nino Rota: Dream of Olwen

• suspense Schönberg/20th C avant-garde Bernard Herrman: Psycho

• Americana Copland Maurice Jarre: The Witness

John Williams: The Reivers

Alexander Courage: The Waltons

David Rose: Little House on the Prairie

• Hispanic flamenco (via Falla?) Ennio Morricone: A Fistful of Dollars

• Italian Sicilian folk music; Verdi Nino Rota: The Godfather

• Mid East Arab music (via Shehrazade) Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia

Peter Gabriel: The Last Temptation

• Far East Chinese music (via Turandot) Bruce Montgomery: Fu Manchu

• future minimalist Cliff Martinez: Solaris

(1972)

Sicilian folksong: Zappatu

Verdi: La Forza del Destino

Maurice Jarre: Lawrence of Arabia (1962)

Rimsky-Korsakov:

Sheherazade (1888)

The Last Temptation of Christ (1989)Music by Peter Gabriel: titles music on solo nay

Peter Gabriel: The Last Temptation…

Arab usul: fast Maqsum

Film Noir

Raymond Chandler / Philip Marlowe films…

• The Big Sleep 1946

• Farewell My Lovely 1977 (music by David Shire)

• Philip Marlowe, Private Eye 1983-86 (music by Samuel Matlovsky)

Other films in the genre…

• Chinatown (Roman Polanski) 1974

• LA Confidential (Curtis Hanson) 1997

Film Noir

Pastiche = pastiche of earlier films

…in Film Noir it has become an imperative

Philip Marlowe…Film: Farewell My Lovely (1975)Music by David Shire

Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)speech underscore

Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)building tension

Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)action underscore

Philip Marlowe…radio series

The High Window (1983)

Film Noir…Chinatown (1974)

Roman Polanski; music by Jerry Goldsmith

Film Noir…L.A. Confidential (1997)

Roman Polanski; music by Jerry Goldsmith

Philip Marlowe…TV series: The Pencil (1983)Italian style

John Williams1969 The Reivers 1991 JFK

1970 Jane Eyre 1993 Jurassic Park

1972 The Cowboys 1993 Schindler’s List

1975 Jaws 1995 Nixon

1977 Star Wars 1997 Jurassic Park 2

1977 Close Encounters 1998 Saving Private Ryan

1978 Superman 1999 Star Wars: The Phantom Menace

1980 Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back 2001 A.I.

1981 Raiders of the Lost Ark Star Wars: Attack of the Clones

1982 E.T. Harry Potter & the Philosopher’s Stone

1983 Star Wars: Return of the Jedi 2002 Minority Report

1984 Indiana Jones / the Temple of Doom 2002 Harry Potter: the Chamber of Secrets

1987 Witches of Eastwick 2004 Harry Potter: the Prisoner of Azkaban

1988 Indiana Jones & the Last Crusade 2005 Revenge of the Sith

1989 Born on the 4th July 2005 War of the Worlds

1990 Home Alone 2005 Memoirs of a Geisha

1991 Hook 2005 Munich

John Williams: Star Wars

1977

Korngold: The Private Lives of Elizabeth & Essex

1939

…an example of the model coming from an earlier film

The Reivers

1969

4ths and 5ths

have come to

represent

pioneering

energy…

Little House on the Prairie (1974-82)Music by David Rose

Little House on the Prairie: titlesMusic by David Rose

And even…

Copland: Statements (1932-5)

Copland: Symphony 3 (1946)

Under Siege (1992)Music by Gary Chang

ChesterWilliam Billings of Boston

Shaker Hymn

original version

Shaker Hymn

Copland’s version

Canonic writing increases the sense of flow through the cadences

The Witness (1985)

Music by Maurice Jarre

Geronimo (1993)

Music by Ry Cooder

Lonesome Dove (1989)

Music by Basil Poledouris

Witches of Eastwick (1987)

George Miller; music by John Williams

• Cher earth mother wants: sex

• Susan Sarondon romantic cellist wants: passion

• Michelle Pfeiffer good, idealistic wants: true love

The Witches of Eastwick ()

George Miller; music by John Williams

The Witches of Eastwick (1987)

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Bartok: Concerto for Orchestra…4

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Bartok: Sonata for 2 Pianos & Percussion…3

Lemony Snicket

Thomas Newman

Witches of Eastwick: Music Styles = Worlds

• 18C Haydn boring, suburban…where they are

• 19C Dvorak; Puccini passion…what they want

• 20C Bartok pastiche dangerous, occult, demonic

…what they get

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002)Chris Columbus; Music by John Williams

Prokofiev

Romeo and Juliet

Jurassic Park: Final Cue

1. Small dinosaurs approach creates tension

2. Dinosaurs fight expedites action

3. Brief dialogue (Neill/Attenborough) provides underscore

4. In helicopter…intimate atmosphere creates expression

5. Sea and birds evokes epic landscape

6. Titles becomes foregrounded

Style changes: action & tension = 20th

century

expression = 19th century

Williams: Jurassic Park (1993)

Wagner: Lohengrin Act 3 scene�III