 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Sep 10, 2014 - 7:49 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
connorb93
(Member)
|
John Williams - Major-fifths in the opening/or ending of his main themes, brass playing 16th-note figures, oboes playing at their highest register, big bombastic drawn out end credits for action films
Jerry Goldsmith- complex rythms, rumbling pianos, percussive synths, pizziaccato strings, brass glissandi (especially a two-note descending identity for suspense), sort of unexpected endings for end credits
Elmer Bernstein - ondes martenot, use of flute in the low register, bassoon, small orchestras
James Horner- 7-note percussive ryhtms (as mentioned before), hammering piano figures, huge chord progressions
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 10, 2014 - 8:24 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
bobbengan
(Member)
|
Great thread. I'd like to add a couple, and lacking a proper musical vocabulary, you'll have to all do your best to follow along:
JOHN SCOTT: Rolling/oscilating high string figures playing a 'circular' motif under which low string or brass state the primary theme (esp. present in his 90's scores), bass strings carrying a melody while higher-register instruments answer, call-and-response-style (see the end credits of KING KONG LIVES, KING OF THE WIND, PEOPLE THAT TIME FORGOT), incredibly complex/ornate layering of woodwind lines that create a very "organic" sound from the orchestra (GREYSTOKE, 20,000 LEAGUES UNDER THE SEA, THE WICKER TREE and basically all his COUSTEAU scores), huge stomping action rhythms accompanies by tambourine flourishes on each beat (KING KONG LIVES, WICKER TREE, MOUNTBATTEN) and otherwise complex and layered action rhythms (WALKING THUNDER, LIONHEART), sustained low-registered ominous opening moments of his scores punctuated by high brass explosions of the main theme for given score (WALKING THUNDER, SHOGUN MAYEDA) to name but a few of his noteworthy compositional and orchestrational marvels...
RICHARD BAND: Incredibly distinct string writing (especially in "mysterioso" mode), waltz-like rhythms, "severe"-sounding high string delays in his action/horror cues whilst the lower regions of the orchestra churn away violently, music-box like melodies, constant mark tree usage for coloration.
BILL CONTI: High brass during action cues, baroque-accented trills and progressions from brass or woodwinds, and even more notably a series of chord progressions heard in MASTERS OF THE UNIVERSE's thematic material, THE 4TH WAR's end titles and THAT CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON's main theme.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
To build onto what DavidinBerkeley said: The tone pyramids used at the very end of a Leonard Rosenman score were - quite literally - a signature. He would use them to 'spell out' his name - typically with the number of pitches corresponding to the number of letters in either his first or last name (or initial plus last name, or any permutation of that type).
Also, the last seven notes of "Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home" are "I am Leo-nard Ro-sen-man," which is another, more literal 'signature' of a composer's work.
|
|
|
|
|
|
I usually can spot Jerry Goldsmith's signature sounds in his action
music, but I lack the musical vocabulary to describe it. .
See-sawing open fifths.
WIND AND THE LION is one example>
brm
|
|
|
|
|
|
Rife with signatures is Leonard Rosenman.
People call one of them a "tone pyramid": an ascending (rising in pitch) series of notes, the first played by one grouping and the note is held, the next note by another grouping and held. This continues until 4 notes have sounded and are all being held in unison. Often in the brass, often when something revelatory or shocking is happening.
.
You have just described his ENTIRE body of work
brm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 13, 2014 - 2:00 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
nerfTractor
(Member)
|
I usually recognize any composer (from the film world or otherwise) by a combination of their preferred harmonic signatures and the time period of the discernible composition or recording. Williams, Goldsmith, Barry, Morricone, Elfman, Goldenthal, Shore, Doyle, they all have a very clear favored harmonic sound, even if that sound can vary widely depending on the circumstances the music was written for. Rhythm and instrumentation are good cues as well but. I nearly always go off of harmonies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 14, 2014 - 10:35 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Ray Worley
(Member)
|
I hadn't seen this recently resurrected thread before, so I know some of the comments are years old.
One comment really has me scratching my head. In characterizing John Williams' signature sound, one commenter stated that part of it was "rarely any piano".
Seriously? The poster must not have heard a lot of Williams' scores, like EIGER SANCTION, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST,
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, and JFK just to name a few off the top of my head that are filled with piano.
John Williams was a studio pianist before taking up composing, so of course, he favors the instrument.
It's like saying Maurice Jarre doesn't use much percussion or Ennio Morricone doesn't use much trumpet.
I can usually pick out Williams, but for me the easiest are Rozsa, Jarre, Rosenman, Bernstein, Goodwin, Malcolm Arnold, Tiomkin, Rota, and a lot of Morricone. All very distinctive signatures.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Sep 15, 2014 - 5:23 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Tall Guy
(Member)
|
I can usually pick out Williams, but for me the easiest are Rozsa, Jarre, Rosenman, Bernstein, Goodwin, Malcolm Arnold, Tiomkin, Rota, and a lot of Morricone. All very distinctive signatures.
Yes - two that I could easily have included on my list, but didn't, are Jarre and Goodwin. Ron in particular has a signature sound which is like the musical equivalent of Rolls Royce aero engines. I listened to his Valhalla last week, and there are some definite 633/BoB/WED moments - which were as welcome as they were unexpected in that context! Love Ron Goodwin!
TG
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 15, 2014 - 6:19 AM
|
|
|
|
By: |
bobbengan
(Member)
|
One comment really has me scratching my head. In characterizing John Williams' signature sound, one commenter stated that part of it was "rarely any piano".
Seriously? The poster must not have heard a lot of Williams' scores, like EIGER SANCTION, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST,
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, and JFK just to name a few off the top of my head that are filled with piano.
John Williams was a studio pianist before taking up composing, so of course, he favors the instrument.
It's like saying Maurice Jarre doesn't use much percussion or Ennio Morricone doesn't use much trumpet
Not to mention JANE EYRE, SABRINA, STANLEY & IRIS, E.T., as well as a few notable solos in HOOK etc...
Perhaps the poster might have been referring to his more popular large-scale works, i.e. SUPERMAN and STAR WARS, which admittedly don't bare very notable roles for the piano?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Sep 18, 2014 - 9:34 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Ray Worley
(Member)
|
One comment really has me scratching my head. In characterizing John Williams' signature sound, one commenter stated that part of it was "rarely any piano".
Seriously? The poster must not have heard a lot of Williams' scores, like EIGER SANCTION, ACCIDENTAL TOURIST,
A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE, and JFK just to name a few off the top of my head that are filled with piano.
John Williams was a studio pianist before taking up composing, so of course, he favors the instrument.
It's like saying Maurice Jarre doesn't use much percussion or Ennio Morricone doesn't use much trumpet
Not to mention JANE EYRE, SABRINA, STANLEY & IRIS, E.T., as well as a few notable solos in HOOK etc...
Perhaps the poster might have been referring to his more popular large-scale works, i.e. SUPERMAN and STAR WARS, which admittedly don't bare very notable roles for the piano?
You may have found the answer there. If one is only familiar with his big action genre scores: STAR WARS, SUPERMAN, INDIANA JONES, then one doesn't get the full scope. There is A LOT of piano in his more contemplative scores....and he has been doing a lot of those lately.
Yes - two that I could easily have included on my list, but didn't, are Jarre and Goodwin. Ron in particular has a signature sound which is like the musical equivalent of Rolls Royce aero engines. I listened to his Valhalla last week, and there are some definite 633/BoB/WED moments - which were as welcome as they were unexpected in that context! Love Ron Goodwin!
Love me some Ron Goodwin too. To me the big giveaway in his sound is his frequent use of the orchestra playing tutti. The whole orchestra blasting the rhythm in particular....as in the opening of WHERE EAGLES DARE. Starting with just a snare drum and ending with the whole orchestra in that classic Goodwin sound....just awesome.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Alan Silverstri
Very fast, usually ascending, orchestral passage which stops abrubtly, then tacet.
brm
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Barry is surely the easiest to identify. Herrmann's a close second.
Tied for first
bru ce
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
John Barry is surely the easiest to identify. Herrmann's a close second.
Tied for first
bru ce
Herrmann gets a little trickier because so many people try to sound like Herrmann at least once in a while.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
