SCORE! ORIGINAL MOVIE MUSIC RETURNS TO SPOTLIGHT AS OSCAR RECOGNIZES TODAY'S BEST FILM COMPOSERS.Byline: Fred Shuster Music Writer The big chill is thawing in the film world, where for the first time in decades, directors are focusing on original music rather than compilations of often overexposed o·ver·ex·pose tr.v. o·ver·ex·posed, o·ver·ex·pos·ing, o·ver·ex·pos·es 1. To expose too long or too much: Don't overexpose the children to television. 2. pop songs. Evidence can be found in stirring Oscar-nominated scores for ``Catch Me If You Can,'' ``The Hours,'' ``Road to Perdition,'' ``Frida'' and ``Far From Heaven.'' Each soundtrack consists of eloquent compositions designed to underscore the filmmakers' vision in terms of mood, emotion and color. It's an opportunity few veteran Hollywood composers expected to see again. For ages, directors generally turned to licensed pop tunes to act as emotional shorthand for characters, situations or the period portrayed on celluloid. In 1973, for example, ``American Graffiti'' used 1950s and 1960s rock and doo-wop jukebox hits complete with DJ chatter to sustain the mood of a 1962 summer's night in suburban California. But many of the most acclaimed film projects last year took an alternate route An official alternate route is a bannered highway that provides an alternate alignment for a highway. Originally, the term for these routes was "optional"; but in 1959, the designation became alternate. and leaned toward creative collaborations with composers. It was an unforeseen throwback throwback see atavism. to a golden era when Max Steiner's themes dramatized ``Gone With the Wind'' and ``Casablanca,'' Bernard Herrmann labored over resonant symphonic cues for Hitchcock thrillers like ``North by Northwest,'' and Nino Rota brilliantly combined jazz, pop and classical elements for his timeless Fellini music, not to mention ``The Godfather.'' Emotional echoes Veteran film/TV composer Elmer Bernstein, 80, whose melancholy underscore for ``Far From Heaven'' has been singled out for praise and an Oscar nod, said the move toward smaller stories dealing with emotions rather than explosions requires deeper musical accompaniment. ``The whole nature of things has changed,'' he observed. ``Things like 'The Hours,' 'Road to Perdition' and 'About Schmidt' are modest kinds of films - the kinds of films we haven't seen for a while, with more adult themes that need emotional support from the music. I think we're seeing directors making films where they're projecting emotions rather than events. And music is the one art that's purely about emotions.'' Thomas Newman, among the most influential modern film composers and a second-generation member of Hollywood's pre-eminent musical dynasty, views Hollywood's new mood as a step toward a less dictatorial atmosphere. ``I'm able to encourage my musicians to improvise,'' said the five-time Oscar hopeful whose nominated ``Road to Perdition'' is just the latest in a long reel of highly regarded film work. ``When you work with an intimate ensemble, you work almost as a sound effects sound effects Noun, pl sounds artificially produced to make a play, esp. a radio play, more realistic sound effects npl → efectos mpl sonoros person would. But I think the main thing directors are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. is music that deepens the dramatic experience rather than comments on it.'' Newman's is arguably the most ubiquitous sound in current cinema. His compelling and strangely persuasive African music-tinged trademark has enhanced such features as ``White Oleander oleander: see dogbane. oleander Any of the ornamental evergreen shrubs of the genus Nerium (dogbane family), which have poisonous milky juice. Numerous varieties of flower colour in the common oleander, or rosebay (N. ,'' ``American Beauty American Beauty n. A type of rose bearing large, long-stemmed purplish-red flowers. ,'' ``The Salton Sea'' and ``In the Bedroom,'' along with the Emmy Award-winning ``Six Feet Under'' theme for HBO Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) A form of oxygen therapy in which the patient breathes oxygen in a pressurized chamber. Mentioned in: Ozone Therapy . Instrumental honesty ``He's part of a movement of environmental composers,'' said Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. film composer Starr Parodi. ``The music can make you feel like this story could be happening to you. He's very influential and often copied. His use of marimbas, (the stringed stringed adj. Music 1. Having strings. Often used in combination: a six-stringed lute. 2. Produced by stringed instruments: stringed chamber music. ) balaton and angular-sounding piano, coldly played, is extremely original. A lot of people who try to re-create his style use synthesizers, but it's much more effective to do what Newman does and use a close ensemble playing the instruments.'' Since Steiner's day and earlier, the twin forces shaping screen cues remain the desire to target a specific audience and the question of who has final cut. When marketing pressures don't tip a filmmaker's hand and a popular song or two aren't obligatory, the function of an original score is to compliment and reinforce plot. ``We expect music to be the emotional point of view of a film - images are surprising neutral,'' said composer Philip Glass Philip Glass (born January 31, 1937) is a three-times Academy Award-nominated American composer. He is considered one of the most influential composers of the late-20th century[1][2][3][4][5] , who collected an Oscar nod for his turbulent ``Hours'' cues. Glass is one of the few composers who successfully straddles the relatively free world of contemporary classical music In the broadest sense, contemporary music is any music being written in the present day. Contemporary classical music can be understood as belonging to a period that started in the mid-1970s with the retreat of modernism. and the often restrictive studio system. As Newman's observation about a new informality in major movie composing suggests, imaginative musical thinking is being sought from within or without the mainstream. New and notable The last few years has seen the electronics-friendly names Craig Armstrong Craig Armstrong may refer to:
Armstrong, the Scottish composer and arranger whose credits include Bjork, U2, Massive Attack and a Golden Globe trophy last year for work on ``Moulin Rouge Moulin Rouge (French for Red Mill or windmill) is a traditional cabaret, built in 1889 by Joseph Oller, who already owned the Paris Olympia. ,'' was brought into the ``Quiet American'' remake at the insistence of the film's star, Michael Caine. ``I was sent little bits of the film and started realizing this was a chance to do a score almost in the traditional Hollywood way,'' Armstrong said. ``The film was poetic and so beautiful that I decided to go back to the old way of creating a theme for each main character. I love Hollywood scores like Herrmann's work for Hitchcock, where the characters were very tied into the themes. For `Quiet American,' it was refreshing to try and write some beautiful East-West melodies for the orchestra.'' Other thoughtful musicians have long found support at the studios. From the jazz fringe, trumpeter and onetime Van Morrison sideman side·man n. A member of a jazz band who is not the leader or a featured soloist. Mark Isham (``Moonlight Mile'') and trumpeter Terence Blanchard (``25th Hour'') were lured to Hollywood many years ago. From pop came Oingo Boingo's Danny Elfman (``Spider-Man'') and the Police's Stewart Copeland Stewart Armstrong Copeland (born July 16, 1952) is an American musician, best known as the drummer for the band The Police and is an influential drum stylist. During the group's extended hiatus from the mid-1980s to 2007, he played in other bands and composed soundtracks. (``Rumble Fish''). Glass (``Koyaanisqatsi'') has been at the top of a very short list for around 30 years. Authentic blend A slightly more traditional approach can also pay dividends. Elliot Goldenthal Elliot Goldenthal (born May 2 1954 in Brooklyn, New York City) is an acclaimed American composer of contemporary classical music. He was a student of Aaron Copland and John Corigliano, and is best known for his ability to blend various musical styles and techniques in original and , who won a Golden Globe for his Oscar-nominated ``Frida'' score and is also a contender for an original song trophy for the film's end-title song, ``Burn It Blue,'' mirrored the Mexican heritage of painter Frida Kahlo Frida Kahlo[1](July 6, 1907 – July 13, 1954) was a Mexican painter, who has achieved great international popularity. She painted using vibrant colors in a style that was influenced by indigenous cultures of Mexico as well as European influences that include in a refreshingly melodic soundtrack that combined original music with mariachi tunes and romantic boleros beloved by the film's subject. ``It wasn't a big budget thing,'' Goldenthal said. ``We thought of the project as something to do out of artistry. An important part of the score is song. Song is everywhere in Mexico - you are sung to and you are expected to sing. I wanted the music to become another character in the movie.'' Predictably, instrumental scores don't often translate into major sales no matter how good they are, apart from Howard Shore's best-selling ``Lord of the Rings'' albums and John Williams' platinum ``Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace.'' The biggest soundtrack money-spinners in recent days include the musical ``Chicago,'' ``8 Mile,'' ``The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers,'' ``Disney's Lilo 1. (operating system) lilo - Linux Loader. 2. lilo - first-in first-out. & Stitch'' and ``A Walk to Remember.'' But even with minor sales, music will always be a carefully considered element in any film production. Its importance is magnified each year in Oscar's two music categories - original score and song (winners are announced March 23 at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre The Kodak Theatre is a live theatre in the Hollywood and Highland retail, dining, and entertainment complex on Hollywood Boulevard and North Highland Avenue in the Hollywood district of Los Angeles. ). Just the mere fact that instrumental scores are again finding a home in Hollywood is heartening heart·en tr.v. heart·ened, heart·en·ing, heart·ens To give strength, courage, or hope to; encourage. See Synonyms at encourage. Adj. 1. to musicians like Armstrong, who predicts other entertainment options will provide even more work for composers and arrangers. ``The fact that movie composers are writing music for films and getting work is good,'' he observed. ``But I think we'll be seeing even more original music in other areas, be it songs or atmospheric sounds, in computer games where people are looking for a fast hit - viscerally or literally. But the reward of scoring a film for a composer is infinite. ``You really have to dig deep - and that's worth everything.'' Assemble the musicians Here is a look at this year's four other Academy Award-nominated composers. Elmer Bernstein (``Far From Heaven''): The dean of living film composers, he marks his 52nd anniversary in Hollywood this year. His more than 200 major film and TV scores include ``The Man With the Golden Arm,'' ``The Magnificent Seven,'' ``Sweet Smell of Success,'' ``Summer and Smoke,'' ``To Kill a Mockingbird mockingbird: see mimic thrush. mockingbird Any of several New World birds of a family (Mimidae) known for their mimicry of birdsong. The common, or northern, mockingbird (Mimus polyglottos) can imitate the songs of 20 or more species within 10 ,'' ``Return of the Seven,'' ``Hawaii,'' ``True Grit,'' ``Trading Places'' and ``The Age of Innocence.'' A 14-time Oscar nominee, Bernstein won the trophy in 1967 for his score for ``Thoroughly Modern Millie.'' He attributes his longevity to the musical training he received from his mentor, composer Aaron Copland, who took an early interest in his career. Thomas Newman (``Road to Perdition''): Widely regarded as one of the most innovative composers on the film scene, this member of Hollywood's foremost musical dynasty and five-time Oscar nominee penned scores for ``The Shawshank Redemption,'' ``American Beauty,'' ``White Oleander,'' ``In the Bedroom,'' ``The Horse Whisperer'' and other titles. He's the youngest son of Alfred Newman, nephew of Lionel and Emil Newman, brother to David Newman and Maria Newman, and cousin to Randy Newman. Able to squeeze enormous emotional power out of few notes, his dark, atmospheric soundscapes are much imitated. John Williams (``Catch Me If You Can''): Among the most popular and versatile contemporary American orchestral composers, Williams has won five Academy Awards, 17 Grammys, three Golden Globes, two Emmys and five awards from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts. Best-known for soundtracks and ceremonial music, Williams is also a composer of concert works and a renowned conductor. His scores for ``Jaws,'' ``E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial,'' ``Schindler's List,'' all of the ``Star Wars'' movies and the Indiana Jones series drew worldwide notice. In ``Catch Me If You Can,'' his 20th collaboration with Steven Spielberg, Williams artfully re-creates his early days as a pianist for Henry Mancini on such jazzy jazz·y adj. jazz·i·er, jazz·i·est 1. Resembling jazz in form or nature; rhythmical. 2. Slang Showy; flashy: a jazzy car. projects as ``Peter Gunn.'' Elliot Goldenthal (``Frida''): Creator of works for orchestra, theater, opera and film, Goldenthal has earned two Oscar and two Golden Globe nominations for his scores for ``Interview With the Vampire'' and ``Michael Collins.'' His soundtrack for ``The Butcher Boy'' in 1997 won the L.A. Film Critics Award for original score. Goldenthal's scores are noted for the use of brass (especially saxophones) and strings, carefully placed dissonance and elements of jazz, big band and swing. Born in New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of , he, like Bernstein, was a student of Copland. He is married to film and theater director Julie Taymor, with whom he often collaborates professionally (Taymor directed ``Frida''). His Latin-themed ``Frida'' work won this year's Golden Globe for original score. - Fred Shuster The Oscars will be broadcast at 5:30 p.m. March 23 on ABC ABC in full American Broadcasting Co. Major U.S. television network. It began when the expanding national radio network NBC split into the separate Red and Blue networks in 1928. . CAPTION(S): 5 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- cover -- color) the return of the original score This year's Oscar nominees tell why music makes a difference in film (2) Elmer Bernstein (3) Elmer Bernstein (4) Thomas Newman (5) John Williams (6) Elliot Goldenthal (7) John Williams Box: (1) Assemble the musicians (see text) (2) The Oscars (see text) |
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