Classic Ross Amico

Tag: Film Score

Star Wars Music Return of the Jedi & Prequels

This week on “Picture Perfect,” we conclude our multi-part retrospective of music from the “Star Wars” movies, in anticipation of the theatrical release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on December 18.

We spent the past two weeks listening to highlights from the finest of the scores, those for “Star Wars” (later subtitled “Episode IV: A New Hope”) and “The Empire Strikes Back.” This week, we’ll hear selections from “Return of the Jedi,” which rounded off the original trilogy in 1983, and music composed for the prequels, issued between 1999 and 2005.

Already in 1983, there was, in some respects, an air of fatigue that hung about the third installment, “Return of the Jedi,” the most episodic of the original films that also seemed to recycle quite a bit of material from the first. The landspeeder was replaced by speeder bikes, the Wookie was usurped by teddy bear-like Ewoks, and the threat of the Death Star was replaced by – well, an even bigger Death Star.

For one of the scenes, which occurs fairly early in the film, the score even recycled battle music heard the first time around, perhaps in homage, but also, from a practical standpoint, to get it in on deadline.

That said, “Jedi” sported plenty of imaginative touches, fleshing out the villainous Emperor and giving us the belated onscreen debut of Jabba the Hutt. All told, while not quite on the same exalted level as its predecessors, the film got the job done and rounded off the trilogy in satisfying fashion.

Unfortunately, George Lucas couldn’t let well enough alone, and 16 years later, as if against our will (how could we help ourselves?), we were propelled back to a galaxy far, far away. The “Star Wars” prequels generated some pretty impressive box office, but also a fair amount of controversy. The films were criticized by some for their overreliance on computer generated imagery, inane dialogue peppered with impenetrable jargon, and wooden performances, with some particularly painful love scenes.

Though “Star Wars” composer John Williams crafted some lovely thematic interludes, the emphasis this time around seemed to be on epic bombast and ponderous premonitions of a date with destiny that the story and visuals required. Because everything in the film could be manipulated digitally and reedited virtually right up until the moment of release, the scores suffered through excessive tinkering in post-production.

I’ve selected just over a half an hour worth of cues from the prequel trilogy – “Episode I: The Phantom Menace,” “Episode 2: Attack of the Clones,” and “Episode 3: Revenge of the Sith” – which I’ve assembled into an extended suite. Williams indulges in nearly ten minutes of unabashed sentiment during the end credits of “Sith,” recalling some of the most beloved “Star Wars” themes and pushing things completely over the top by evoking the pomp of Sir William Walton to provide a euphoric coda to the series.

At the time, it was thought this would be the last of the “Star Wars” films, so who could blame him? Of course, we now know that not to be the case…

I hope you’ll join me this Friday evening at 6, with a repeat Saturday morning at 6, for a conclusion to our “Star Wars” retrospective; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

December 10, 2015
Empire Strikes Back Score A Retrospective
The Force was strong with this one.

The second installment in our retrospective of the “Star Wars” scores will focus exclusively on music for the first of the sequels, “The Empire Strikes Back,” released in 1980. For many, this is the best in the series so far, the “Godfather Part II” of space fantasy movies.

Both George Lucas and composer John Williams succeeded in developing and deepening material from the first film, yet managed to avoid becoming too heavy-handed by ramping up the creativity and maintaining a spirit of adventure.

You could ignore the jargon, let the back story glide over you, and still have fantastic time. Beloved characters from the original film, fun and familiar, were joined by instant “Star Wars” pop cultural icons, Lando Calrissian, Boba Fett, Emperor Palpatine, and of course Yoda.

How could you take an invasion by elephantine Imperial Walkers, or riding patrol atop stop motion tauntauns too seriously anyway? One of the leads was played by a Muppet with the voice of Miss Piggy, for crying out loud.

Williams came up with themes or motives for all of these, alongside the first appearance of “The Imperial March” and a love theme for Han and the Princess, arguably managing to top the achievement of his seemingly untoppable original score. His work on “The Empire Strikes Back” earned him his 15th Academy Award nomination.

Last week, I discussed the merits of the original soundtrack albums, with their re-edited material providing a satisfying home listening experience, versus the current trend of releasing the music note-complete and chronological, as it’s heard in the film.

With “The Empire Strikes Back,” it’s a very tough call, since of all the scores, this one perhaps holds up the best when heard complete from beginning to end. That said, with less than an hour to touch on the highlights, it’s much easier to accomplish when sampling from the original two-LP set.

This is a challenge, since only material from one of the two records has ever made it to compact disc, at least in this country (on Polydor 825 298-2, released in 1985). Selections from the other are reconstructed on this week’s show, using the film mix, as it appears on the 4-CD “Star Wars Anthology” (issued as a box set on 20th Century Fox Film Scores 07822-11012-2, released in 1993).

How fanboy is that? I even tossed on the 20th Century Fox fanfare, for good measure.

I hope you’ll JOIN ME* for this week’s “Picture Perfect,” tonight at 6 ET, with a repeat tomorrow morning at 6, or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzvY1OzoDbQ
December 4, 2015
Star Wars Music Retrospective Original Soundtrack

A disconcerting thought occurred to me the other night, as I was driving up to my folks’ late Wednesday, after having completed production work on this week’s “Picture Perfect.” We are now as far away from the original “Star Wars” (released in 1977), as “Star Wars” was from “Gone With the Wind” (released in 1939)! I am always thinking thoughts like that, and it’s like getting my brain pinched in a collapsed telescope. It would have been possible, then, in 1977, that Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh, had they lived, could have come back for a belated sequel to one of the most beloved classics in American cinema.

I’m not saying I would have wanted that, but it is something to ponder, with the impending release of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” on December 18. Can this film possibly live up to the hype? Of course, the bar has been set pretty low after the prequels. But come on, the Millennium Falcon is back, John Williams is doing the music, and George Lucas is in no way involved. Who doesn’t want to see a 70 year-old Han Solo brandish a sidearm at least one more time?

Clearly, this could rapidly degenerate into obsessive geekdom, so allow me merely to point out the fact that this week on “Picture Perfect,” we will begin a multi-part musical retrospective of the “Star Wars” movies. Part one will focus on the film that started it all.

“Star Wars,” as it was known when it was first released in theaters on May 25, 1977 (later to be retitled “Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope”) provided a fun and fantastic escape to a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away. Things became a lot more serious and jargon-heavy as the saga progressed. We’ll try to shrug off some of that ponderousness and remember what it was like to first encounter the wonder of John Dykstra’s Oscar-winning special effects (before they were replaced, retroactively, with CGI), and John Williams’ fresh and heroic music, credited with singlehandedly reviving the fortunes of the orchestral film score. “Star Wars” went on to become the best-selling orchestral soundtrack of all-time.

Now, there are two options when it comes to listening to a classic soundtrack originally released during this era. The first is to enjoy it in the form it was originally issued, in which composer and music editor took cues from different parts of the movie and arranged them into musically satisfying sequences on the album. The second is to listen, as many prefer today, when soundtracks are released note-complete, to everything presented chronologically, even if some of the cues are mere fragments, as it is heard in the film. Fortunately, because of the continued interest in “Star Wars,” the music has been reissued several times, so that it can be enjoyed either way.

Since I personally first obtained this soundtrack on vinyl, I have a preference for the form in which I first encountered it (though I’m certainly happy to own the complete score, as well). The double-LP contents no longer seem to be commercially available. Therefore, I am happy to present this rare opportunity to enjoy the music as countless did when the album was released, back in 1977.

Williams’ Academy Award-winning score, while adored by millions, has been criticized by some for its at times derivative nature, with suggestions of Holst, Prokofiev, Stravinsky, Korngold, Dukas and Walton, among others. I tend to think of it as being brilliantly post-modern, hand-in-glove with Lucas’ cinematic approach, which draws on any number of western, swashbuckler, war, and samurai motifs. Influences abound – intentionally, I think – but at no time can the composer be mistaken for anyone other than John Williams.

I hope you’ll join me as we listen to the London Symphony Orchestra, having the time of its life, on the original soundtrack to “Star Wars,” tonight at 6 ET, with a repeat tomorrow morning at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

November 27, 2015
Malcolm Williamson: The Master Who Changed Music

Thanks to Malcolm Williamson, the appointment of Master of the Queen’s Music (or King’s, as the case may be) is no longer for life. Since the 17th century, musicians have held the post with the expectation of writing music for important milestones in the lives of the Royal Family and for ceremonial occasions.

When Williamson, an Australian by birth, was named the successor of Sir Arthur Bliss in 1975, there was grumbling among his colleagues. Sir William Walton attributed the choice to the need for “cementing the cracks in the Commonwealth.” He wrote to Sir Malcolm Arnold (who most certainly would have brought his own set of problems) that “they had got the wrong Malcolm.” Arnold, a sporadically brilliant composer, was also a manic depressive (and possibly bipolar) who survived alcoholism and multiple suicide attempts.

Williamson’s great sin was that he was very bad with deadlines (and for that, he certainly has my sympathy). Most particularly, he failed to complete a symphony in time for the Queen’s Golden Jubilee in 1977. His ambitious “Mass for Christ the King,” also written for the occasion, was also delivered late. Significantly, he was the first Master of the Queen’s (or King’s) Music in over a century not to be knighted.

After the Jubilee debacle, his output slowed, though he was seldom unproductive. In all, he wrote seven symphonies, concertos for piano, violin, organ, harp and saxophone, and numerous other orchestral, choral, chamber and instrumental works. Like many of his colleagues, he also composed music for the cinema, for films of varying quality. It’s always amusing to find his name in the opening credits of Hammer productions like “The Brides of Dracula” and “The Horror of Frankenstein.”

Williamson suffered from a series of illnesses in his later years. He too turned to the bottle, and it can only be speculated if depression and the stress of trying to hold his head high as a colonial outsider at the court of England contributed to his decline.

Williamson was the first non-Briton to hold the post. Following his death in 2003, the parameters of the appointment were revised so that Master of the Queen’s Music is now a ten-year term. Sir Peter Maxwell Davies was the first Master to serve under the new guidelines. He was succeeded in 2015 by Judith Weir, the first woman to hold the post (and yes, she is still referred to as “Master”).

It seems to be the case that composers’ reputations are at their lowest in the decade or two following their deaths. In the case of Williamson, he seems to be rebounding nicely in the recording studio, though there remain gaping holes in his discography. Still, it’s possible to sample his symphonies, his concertos, his choral and instrumental works, and even his score for the Carol Reed film (starring Alec Guinness) “Our Man in Havana.”

I know there is at least one other person who visits this page that knows a good deal more about Malcolm Williamson than I, and he is invited to flesh out this account if he so chooses.

Happy birthday, Malcolm Williamson!

Malcolm Williamson in conversation with Bruce Duffie:
http://www.kcstudio.com/williamson2.html

Williamson performs his attractive Piano Concerto No. 2:

A rare recording of his Symphony No. 6:

Theme music for “The Brides of Dracula”:

November 21, 2015
Alex North’s Fury Yul Brynner in Faulkner Film

Yul Brynner as Jason Compson? Okay, so the 1959 film version of “The Sound and the Fury” is a mess. But the score by Alex North is wonderful. If you’re a North fan, you’ll want to be on hand this week for “Picture Perfect,” when we present an hour of literary pairings: “The Sound AND the Fury,” “War AND Peace,” “Crime AND Punishment,” and “Sense AND Sensibility.”

You get the picture? Perfect!

I hope you’ll join me for music by Alex North, Nino Rota, Arthur Honegger and Patrick Doyle, written for movies inspired by the writings of William Faulkner, Leo Tolstoy, Feodor Dostoyevsky and Jane Austen, this Friday evening at 6 ET, with a repeat Saturday morning at 6; or that you’ll listen to it later as a webcast at wwfm.org.

PHOTO: [Feigning a Yoknapatawphan accent] “Et cetera, et cetera, et cetera…”

October 8, 2015

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