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Posted: |
May 30, 2015 - 5:21 AM
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By: |
johnbijl
(Member)
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There have been a couple of threads where there has been a collision of different views on how to appreciate film music. Lastly the Fahrenheit 451-thread which I found to be educating... among other things 
I've tried to summarize my observations on listening to film scores and came up with three approaches to it. Not that anyone is merged with one way or another; I'm sure we all use the three means to listen to music. Perhaps some focus more on one, perhaps it differs from score to score -- or even from track to track! And perhaps it may change over time.
I'll try to be brief in my descriptions of the three views on film music. Perhaps a discussion on the categories here helps to get a more focussed definition. I hope you join in.
1. Film music as music.
First of all, film music is music. Full of themes, orchestrations and instrumentation. It should be enjoyed as such. Star Wars (especially Empire) can be listened to as a wordless opera. And perhaps it should be! Goldsmith's first Star Trek is a symphony and should be enjoyed as such -- or at least have the chance to.
This view allows and even endorses film music to be newly recorded and even adapted to new performances. The saxophone concerto made out of Catch me if you can is a good example. I enjoyed it more that Williams' original score.
2. Film music as film music
I think we can all agree that there are film scores who 'work' in the picture, but aren't very interesting musically.
Filmscores have a function. They add something to a film. Beat, emotion and canvas. Although perhaps more craft than art, it is something that can be enjoyed and praised. The craft of film scoring of course is just more than just writing notes. It involves spotting, conversations with the director and trying to 'get' the picture.
Even separated from the film I've had wondrous experiences of how film music pushes my buttons: The Hunt for Red October, The Omen, William Ross' Amazing Panda Adventure, Silence of the Lambs, First Blood and almost everything in Horner's oeuvre. For me, this is the main reason I keep coming back to film music: I like how it is pushing my buttons!
3. Film music as a memento
Yes, there's nostalgia involved. Face it, not every track in the Star Trek TOS-box is as interesting judged by criteria one or two. That doesn't mean I can't adore it. But that's because I'm emotionally attached to the track or the memories I have to it. I also have a complete Force FX lightsaber collection. And not because they're 'art'.
That said, I think there is an other criterium or reason we collect film music. And that's because of the collecting it self. There's no real reason why I shouldn't part with my former releases of Krull or Poltergeist II. But I will not part with them. That's because I'm a collector. There are a couple of cd's I own just to fill a gap in my collection.
And there's nothing wrong with that. Some people collect stamps without ever feeling the urge to send a letter. Good for them. Why do I own Mr. Baseball? Well, because of this and I'm proud to say it. 
For me, these criteria help me in understanding why I like a particular score. And hopefully it helps here to prevent any semantical misconceptions on why a certain view on a particular score or particular recording of it came to be.
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Reverse cowgirl
Glass bottom boast
The spit roast
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The only way I've ever been able to verbalize why I like this stuff is - I think of music as a narrative. It tells a story. It takes you somewhere. It describes a developing scenario. And film music is exactly that.
And the great thing about it is that it doesn't have to be the FILM's story that unfolds in your mind. It can be your own personal journey. Long live programmatic music! 
Yes.
I like that the music I listen to has a connection to a another medium or is tied to some other storytelling process, but knowing that story is not imperative for me. I have soundtracks to movies I may someday get around to seeing, or may never see. The programmatic nature of the music still tells some sort of story that is satisfying to me on the abstract level that music provides in general.
Provided the composer is allowed to introduce themes, develop them, and then presents that on the subsequent album.
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While I think that all three are valid, I must say that music exists in and of itself and has its own grammar, vocabulary and content, independent of the dramatic context. As such, I'm firmly in the "film music as music" camp. To me it's a sub-genre of classical music (i.e. the kind of film music that I'm listening to: symphonic), just as scores for theatre or the radio are.
Many of my favorite scores are for movies I have never watched and I'm not going to - ever. But I can still enjoy and appreciate/evaluate the music independently. Horror films, e.g. while I'm a sucker for contemporary classical music, but most modern horror movies are total crap.
Buying a movie score solely as a "souvenir" would never occur to me.
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John, you put it so well in your first post I don't have anything much to add. I enjoy various film music all three ways. My favorite music as souvenir moment came in 1975, when, walking out of the theater after Jaws, I saw the soundtrack LP in the concession area and bought it on the spot. Only time I ever saw a soundtrack album at the theater, and shows how Williams' score broke out that year.
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Reverse cowgirl
Glass bottom boast
The spit roast
Personally, I only _really_ enjoy film music during the Glass Bottom Boat.
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Posted: |
Jun 5, 2015 - 2:31 AM
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By: |
johnbijl
(Member)
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Interesting, Siriusjr.
Are you interested in film music in any other way than 'serious' music, either it be jazz, classical, pop music, whatsoever
If you mean do I buy soundtracks on occasion for the music included other than original music written for the film, the answer is I rarely do. If for example there is an interesting piece of classical music on a soundtrack but the original music written for the film is not so interesting then I would rather seek out the original works of the classical composer. The same goes for most pop music or jazz. If the piece used in the movie is good I would look for more by the artist.
There are a few rare exceptions where a rock song was written for the film and is only available on the soundtrack in which case I might seek it out. I do enjoy the title track for Wanted (Danny Elfman) that was written for the film and also ended up purchasing the single release of the pop song written for Speed Racer film that I enjoyed enough to listen to separately. They actually released a separate CD with just the pop songs. These days it is rare for an original song to be written for a film and more rare that it is any good.
Perhaps my wording is to crude. I meant, do you enjoy film music the same way as music not composed for or featured in a film? Or do listen to film music on specific moments, in special moods, in different settings, more or less casual, etc..
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