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NICE.
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This is so great. I've been lamenting John Powell's 'exile in animation' for a long time. (He does stunning work in these features - but I feel he's trapped in being stereotypically chosen for those films!) This more than fills the gap until producers and directors get wise to how well he scores 'serious' films. 'Pan' was also a very happy break out. I believe Powell's best days are all ahead.
I'm pretty sure people have said that Powell chose his current career path. He certainly seems to suggest in the liner notes to the recent AGENT CODY BANKS album that going forward he will only score family-friendly films that reflect his values, which is of course his right.
He paid his dues and then stood atop the profession for years. I don't think it's anything to do with directors not recognizing him. Paul Greengrass would probably have him scoring everything he does till the end of time if he could, as it is he had Henry Jackman ape the clear temp track of Powell's United 93 in Captain Phillips, and then just tracked the entire finale cue of that film over the newer film too. Powell seems like he had enough of composing ten scores a year and simply prefers this route.
Also, I think someone said he takes fewer jobs now in order to spend more time with his family, which is commendable at his level of success.
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Among other more vague quotes in the Agent Cody Banks, there's this one: "I'd never be able to score a Bond, because I can't allow myself to score something that I believe is pernicious to society."
I'm pretty sure I've seen other quotes from him along the same lines. Also I'm pretty sure someone here said that he cut back his immense annual output due to an illness in the family. Again, while I love his music and wish I could hear a score every month, as we got for a while, I respect his right to make his own choices, and that those choices focus on his family and his belief in supporting films he thinks make the world better. 
That said, I'd love to have him back doing live-action dramas, his score for United 93 is an untouchable masterpiece.
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I found HTTYD2 to be even better than the original. I heard more of a classical sound to it and it seemed more organic and flowing than the first one which I still believe was a fantastic score. The choral sections were truly moving and recalled the somber tone of Prokofievs Ivan the Terrible. I don't know any of the backstory about why he took a hiatus from Hollywood but HYTYD2 was a truly wonderful score and is rather take less Powell scores if they all have that level of writing in them.
This is also probably unpopular thinking but I'd love to hear what Powell would do with a Star Wars related project. I think it would be amazing personally
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Posted: |
Feb 3, 2016 - 4:22 AM
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By: |
mastadge
(Member)
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I'm pretty sure people have said that Powell chose his current career path. He certainly seems to suggest in the liner notes to the recent AGENT CODY BANKS album that going forward he will only score family-friendly films that reflect his values, which is of course his right. ]
Powell has brought this up in interviews several times too:
"If it glamorises or celebrates the warrior spirit, then I won’t do it." - can't currently find the link, will track it down on the board this afternoon.
"In a way, I love [animation] more than live action because often it’s not so obsessed with a warrior and fighting and violence, I mean I’ve done my fair share of that. I’d like to see if I can bring something into the world that’s more about beauty or joy." - http://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2014/12/composer-john-powell-talks-train-dragon-2-oratorio-wamg/
"Zimmer said, in an interview with Variety, that Powell’s music is “underpinned, if not inspired by, a solid moral stance”. What did he mean? “I’ve often tried to persuade Hans not to do certain films because I think they’re bad for the world,” Powell replies, alluding to a certain sort of unthinking action film without the intelligence or conscience of the Bourne series. “You’ll notice there are types of film I don’t do and never would – or maybe did earlier in my career and regretted. Films that don’t bring anything good to the world.”" - http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/classical/news/john-powell-interview-i-sold-myself-to-the-devil-just-a-bit-9466955.html
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This is also probably unpopular thinking but I'd love to hear what Powell would do with a Star Wars related project. I think it would be amazing personally
Not unpopular at all. I think he'd do a brilliant job, perhaps he'll be hired for one of the spinoffs after the upcoming Desplat one. The Star Wars movies definitely have the kind of positive message he was talking about wanting to be associated with.
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This is FREAKING AWESOME. I can't wait.
I look forward to what other concert music Powell might write.
Yavar
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The clips do indeed sound amazing. Is anyone going to the concert at the Royal Festival Hall in March? Just booked, can't wait! Hopefully get to meet the man himself.
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I feel compelled to provide some comments on the concert, but with very mixed emotions. The work itself was terrific, powerful and moving. Sure, there were a couple of times where he could have developed ideas a little more and given the work a bit more time to breathe, but these are minor. The performance by the RPO under Jose Serebrier was superb - while performances of film music and orchestral concerts are generally of a high standard, having a top end orchestra and excellent choir, plus a couple of equally good male soloists, under the baton of a well regarded conductor primarily known for classical music recordings really does make the difference between good and great.
The sad news is that John Powell wasn't there to attend. I had assumed this was due to composing commitments, but alas the reason was considerably more unhappy: http://slippedisc.com/2016/03/the-composers-wife-died-30-minutes-after-world-premiere/
Surely a devastating event made all the more poignant when it happened on a day that should have been one to remember for all the right reasons. I'll be the first here to express my sympathies to John and his family. Very sad.
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Well that's fucking terrible.
Has this been verified? I see John's Facebook account posted 4 hours ago. Not sure if they have his updates cued up using Hootsuite or something similar.
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Well that's fucking terrible.
Has this been verified? I see John's Facebook account posted 4 hours ago. Not sure if they have his updates cued up using Hootsuite or something similar.
Norman Lebrecht is a pretty well known writer on classical music so I think it's unlikely to be erroneous. It did seem surprising that JP wasn't at the concert (sincerely hoping to meet him) but this would a very sad explanation as to why.
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