Unit 12 1980s-Present Day Part 1
Objective
- In Part 1 of this unit we will highlight important composers from the 1980s through the present day
- Discuss composers' compositional style and approach in additional to characteristics similar to to film composers of the 40s and 50s
- Briefly analyze landmark films of today's composers
Danny Elfman b. 1953
Elfman grew up listening to Bernard Hermann and his film music reflects that fact. He started his music career with The Mystic Nights of the Oingo Boingo, a musical theater troupe that he directed. When he started scoring films he said to himself, "Forget everything you've done over the last eight years, go back to yourself as a teenager, watching and loving films. I just tried to approach everything almost as a thirteen your old, going through those wonderful movies that I loved... all those great Bernard Hermann scores. I just went back to those sources which were and still are a part of me."
Because of his time in Oingo Boingo, he has the ability to write in diverse styles. Yet throughout his styles, he consistently relies on these compositional styles (all of which can be heard in Alice's Theme from Alice in Wonderland):
Because of his time in Oingo Boingo, he has the ability to write in diverse styles. Yet throughout his styles, he consistently relies on these compositional styles (all of which can be heard in Alice's Theme from Alice in Wonderland):
- intense rhythm ostinatos
- use of triplets and competing rhythmic figure
- writing in the minor mode
- intense low sonority instruments: tuba, trombone, bass clarinet, bassoon, organ
- singers: wordless choir, women's choir, boy's choir
- lyrics and song writing
BATMAN - the score that launched Elfman's career
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Thomas Newman b. 1955
- Thomas Newman, son of famed composer Alfred Newman
- Has a specific style that focuses around minimalistic concepts of composers like Philip Glass
- Trademark approach of using repeated muted chords ad infinium
- To keep the minimalistic repetition fresh, he layers elements and adds counter-melodies
- His chord structures often focus around the overtone series
- Utilizes world music instruments, extended techniques, and odd instrumentation
- Prepared instruments (i.e. prepared piano, untuned guitars)
- Not afraid of dissonance
- Writes short, emotional cues
- 10 Oscar Nominations
John Barry 1933-2011
- English-born composer
- Worked as a projectionist in father's movie theater
- Studied trumpet and musical arranging
- Got his break in film by arranging the James Bond theme for the Dr. No movie (1962)
- Composed music for ten James Bond movies
- Won the Best Score Oscar for Born Free, The Lion in Winter, Out of Africa and Dances with Wolves
- His style is easily recognized:
- Uses a homophonic texture with long lingering melodies accompanied by a broken choral accompaniment
- Sometimes adds countermelody as played by the French horns
Piano Reduction of John Dunbar Theme From Dances With Wolves (1990)
What style or film music characteristic is being represented in this scene?