Despite the acclaim he often said he thought his background scores were underappreciated. He said he would love for an audience to "see a movie once without the music" to appreciate how the experience changed. He would go on to write more than 40 movie scores.
After I heard the news yesterday, I happened to go downstairs to another office at work and sawe on a colleague's desk a Simpsons desk calendar and it was like a trivia question one. It referenced an episode called 'The Way We Weren't' and that was very freaky, the calendar mentioning this play on words for 'The Way We Were', the same day we lost Marvin.
they mentioned that MH was "the last of the celebrity composers" and listed Mancini, Bacharach, and SONDHEIM as the others! obviously, they meant BERNSTEIN (Lenny), Sondheim's lyricist for WEST SIDE STORY BRUCE
they mentioned that MH was "the last of the celebrity composers" and listed Mancini, Bacharach, and SONDHEIM as the others! obviously, they meant BERNSTEIN (Lenny), Sondheim's lyricist for WEST SIDE STORY BRUCE
Hi Bruce,
Unless I'm misunderstanding your post, I think the NYT was quite correct. Mr. Sondheim is an ingenious and incredibly accomplished Composer as well as Lyricist. It's true, he provided "only" the lyrics for "West Side Story" and several other shows, but his true legacy and achievement are for the monumental and legendary shows (too numerous to mention here) for which he conceived the stunning music as well as the lyrics. He's also written a number of couple of "incidental music" scores for dramatic plays and one notable film score ("Stavisky"). Anyhow, just thought it was worth giving Stevie his due, LOL, especially if you only know him for his words. Discover his music, too, it's complex and wonderful enough to keep you busy forever!
they mentioned that MH was "the last of the celebrity composers" and listed Mancini, Bacharach, and SONDHEIM as the others! obviously, they meant BERNSTEIN (Lenny), Sondheim's lyricist for WEST SIDE STORY BRUCE
Hi Bruce,
Unless I'm misunderstanding your post, I think the NYT was quite correct. Mr. Sondheim is an ingenious and incredibly accomplished Composer as well as Lyricist. It's true, he provided "only" the lyrics for "West Side Story" and several other shows, but his true legacy and achievement are for the monumental and legendary shows (too numerous to mention here) for which he conceived the stunning music as well as the lyrics. He's also written a number of couple of "incidental music" scores for dramatic plays and one notable film score ("Stavisky"). Anyhow, just thought it was worth giving Stevie his due, LOL, especially if you only know him for his words. Discover his music, too, it's complex and wonderful enough to keep you busy forever!
you misunderstand me. It is not a statement about talent , it is a statement about "celebrity' Bernstein was a celebrity - he appeared on television and was a star personality. Ditto for Bachararch and Mancini. They were recognizable to the general public. When Hamlisch won all thos Oscars he too became a celebrity. Sondheim was a great talent just not a 'star'.
they mentioned that MH was "the last of the celebrity composers" and listed Mancini, Bacharach, and SONDHEIM as the others! obviously, they meant BERNSTEIN (Lenny), Sondheim's lyricist for WEST SIDE STORY BRUCE
Hi Bruce,
Unless I'm misunderstanding your post, I think the NYT was quite correct. Mr. Sondheim is an ingenious and incredibly accomplished Composer as well as Lyricist. It's true, he provided "only" the lyrics for "West Side Story" and several other shows, but his true legacy and achievement are for the monumental and legendary shows (too numerous to mention here) for which he conceived the stunning music as well as the lyrics. He's also written a number of couple of "incidental music" scores for dramatic plays and one notable film score ("Stavisky"). Anyhow, just thought it was worth giving Stevie his due, LOL, especially if you only know him for his words. Discover his music, too, it's complex and wonderful enough to keep you busy forever!
you misunderstand me. It is not a statement about talent , it is a statement about "celebrity' Bernstein was a celebrity - he appeared on television and was a star personality. Ditto for Bachararch and Mancini. They were recognizable to the general public. When Hamlisch won all thos Oscars he too became a celebrity. Sondheim was a great talent just not a 'star'.
bruce
Oh I gotcha. Sorry bout that. re-reading your original post, I see what you meant now. Of course some would argue, with Sondheim's stature and endless honors later in life, that he's a celebrity too. But never in the way that Lennie and the others became household names. Still, it was a fun digression and still, Rest In Peace, Mr. Hamlisch.
Excellent news, seems like a perfect project for him. I love that Soderbergh rediscovered him on The Informant, and his music added hugely to that film. It really brought the character's inner world to life in a way very few scores do. It was in no way musical wallpaper reinforcing emotions already present. Instead it was counterpoint to the scenes quite often, letting us know from the beginning that we were with an unreliable narrator. One of the most clever scores of the last few years, which did more narrative heavy lifting than 50 other modern scores combined.
If you're a fan check out Soderbergh's commentary on the Blu-Ray, he talks at length about the score and working with Hamlisch, and has nothing but the highest praise for him.
Richard Kraft's Facebook posting about Kraft-Engel Management's client Marvin Hamlisch was picked up by The Hollywood Reporter:
Veteran film-music agent Richard Kraft remembers the man behind "The Way We Were," "The Sting" and "A Chorus Line."
I first met Marvin when I was 12 years old. My parents were driving my brother David and me to something in Los Angeles, and we spotted Marvin crossing the street. We breathlessly squealed out to our folks to stop the car then dashed into the clothing store he had just entered and cornered him, manically yelping, "Mr. Hamlisch, Mr. Hamlisch, we love your music!" He was taken aback that two kids recognized him. He said, "Oh, do you know me from the Academy Awards?" (He had just won three Oscars at the 1974 ceremony for The Sting and the song and score to The Way We Were.) We snapped back: "No, we loved you WAY before that. We snuck a tape recorder into a drive-in in Bakersfield to record your scores to Take the Money and Run and Bananas." Even though he had just completed his Oscar hat trick, I felt compelled to assure him, "Someday you're going to be really big!"
Laura Engel and I had the good fortune to represent Marvin. A favorite moment was when Steven Soderbergh asked Marvin to score The Informant! (2009). It was an incredibly gonzo score, and a great bond formed between Marvin and Steven. Marvin was just in Los Angeles last week to start work on Soderbergh's latest, Behind the Candelabra, after the opening in Nashville earlier in the week of his new musical, The Nutty Professor.
I will miss hearing Marvin's endless showbiz stories (he played piano on Groucho Marx's comeback tour in the early 1970s). He would regale Laura and me with movie gossip accompanied by his infectious, bellowing laugh. And I will always treasure the time I spent watching his films, attending his concerts and listening to his music. His music was romantic and full of life and humor. Much like the man himself.
Richard Kraft is co-owner, with Laura Engel, of Kraft-Engel Management, an L.A.-based talent agency specializing in film composers and songwriters. A dedicated film-music enthusiast, Kraft penned this remembrance of their friend and client after learning of the composer's death Aug. 6 after a brief illness at age 68.
Among other pop songs, Hamlisch composed one of my favorite "California songs," namely CALIFORNIA NIGHTS for Lesley Gore, which in my mind ranks with the best work of Brian Wilson.
Richard Kraft's Facebook posting about Kraft-Engel Management's client Marvin Hamlisch was picked up by The Hollywood Reporter:
Veteran film-music agent Richard Kraft remembers the man behind "The Way We Were," "The Sting" and "A Chorus Line."
I first met Marvin when I was 12 years old. My parents were driving my brother David and me to something in Los Angeles, and we spotted Marvin crossing the street. We breathlessly squealed out to our folks to stop the car then dashed into the clothing store he had just entered and cornered him, manically yelping, "Mr. Hamlisch, Mr. Hamlisch, we love your music!" He was taken aback that two kids recognized him. He said, "Oh, do you know me from the Academy Awards?" (He had just won three Oscars at the 1974 ceremony for The Sting and the song and score to The Way We Were.) We snapped back: "No, we loved you WAY before that. We snuck a tape recorder into a drive-in in Bakersfield to record your scores to Take the Money and Run and Bananas." Even though he had just completed his Oscar hat trick, I felt compelled to assure him, "Someday you're going to be really big!"
Laura Engel and I had the good fortune to represent Marvin. A favorite moment was when Steven Soderbergh asked Marvin to score The Informant! (2009). It was an incredibly gonzo score, and a great bond formed between Marvin and Steven. Marvin was just in Los Angeles last week to start work on Soderbergh's latest, Behind the Candelabra, after the opening in Nashville earlier in the week of his new musical, The Nutty Professor.
I will miss hearing Marvin's endless showbiz stories (he played piano on Groucho Marx's comeback tour in the early 1970s). He would regale Laura and me with movie gossip accompanied by his infectious, bellowing laugh. And I will always treasure the time I spent watching his films, attending his concerts and listening to his music. His music was romantic and full of life and humor. Much like the man himself.
Richard Kraft is co-owner, with Laura Engel, of Kraft-Engel Management, an L.A.-based talent agency specializing in film composers and songwriters. A dedicated film-music enthusiast, Kraft penned this remembrance of their friend and client after learning of the composer's death Aug. 6 after a brief illness at age 68.
Oh that is a wonderful story, through and through. Thank you for posting it. The part about Hamlisch taken aback brings back fond memories of standing next to Jerry G when he was taken aback after a teenager handed him A Patch of Blue for signing (Detroit/summer 2000). Hooray for the younger ones!
My composer friend Joseph Marcello, (who knew Marvin, having studied at the same college of music with him in Queens), was with me that night in Carnegie Hall when Groucho performed his solo show. Marvin's overture, on the piano, began with Mozart and quickly overlaid it with Kalmar and Ruby, ("Hooray for Captain Spaulding"). The next thing I knew, two great cinema careers were beginning with THE SWIMMER: composer Marvin Hamlisch and production assistant (go-fer) Preston Jones.
In all seriousness, it's been gratifying to read all the appreciation for the score, and the film, which had to go through years of struggle to find its audience. My wistfulness at the passing of my colleague, (if I may be so presumptuous, even with a twinkle in my eye which I hope he would have appreciated), can best be consoled by listening again to the tender, pastoral passages of his first score.
A terrible shame - no age at all. My favourite Hamlisch track is probably The Tanker from TSWLM. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with The Swimmer but would quite like to be from everything I've read here.
I don't mean this to be promotional; just want you to be able to enjoy a wonderful interview with Hamlisch which it'll be my pleasure to present tonight (Sat., Aug. 11, 9 pm EST) on my WQXR show Movies on the Radio. My WQXR colleague Midge Woolsey has provided me with a lively, informative interview she conducted back in 1997 or so. Hamlisch came to our New York studio and talked in detail about some of his film scores, illustrating his points at the piano, along with selections from the scores themselves. Particular attention is given to "The Swimmer" and "Sophie's Choice."
He tells about how he began scoring films, compares song-oriented and traditional scores, explains why he thinks Bernard Herrmann is great, and much more. He's fascinating, lively, and funny! You can listen online as well as on-air, and after tonight's broadcast the show will be archived on this page for the next two weeks: http://www.wqxr.org/programs/movies/2012/aug/11/
A terrible shame - no age at all. My favourite Hamlisch track is probably The Tanker from TSWLM. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with The Swimmer but would quite like to be from everything I've read here.
Apart from Bond, The Swimmer is my only Hamlisch. The finale is a tour-de-force. So glad to have it.
His passing is very unfortunate. On seeing the news my first thought was, "oh no!" The effect of mortal 'creep' and the question, "how long do I have," have become some of the most deeply self-reflective and philosophical issues to come out of this board - strange as it may seem. Long may his music live.
A terrible shame - no age at all. My favourite Hamlisch track is probably The Tanker from TSWLM. I'm afraid I'm not familiar with The Swimmer but would quite like to be from everything I've read here.
I just picked it up used at Amoeba SF to resell, listened to it, and I'm keeping it.
I saw the film years ago, but had no recollection of the score. It's very good and I'd highly recommend it.
I don't mean this to be promotional; just want you to be able to enjoy a wonderful interview with Hamlisch which it'll be my pleasure to present tonight (Sat., Aug. 11, 9 pm EST) on my WQXR show Movies on the Radio. My WQXR colleague Midge Woolsey has provided me with a lively, informative interview she conducted back in 1997 or so. Hamlisch came to our New York studio and talked in detail about some of his film scores, illustrating his points at the piano, along with selections from the scores themselves. Particular attention is given to "The Swimmer" and "Sophie's Choice."
He tells about how he began scoring films, compares song-oriented and traditional scores, explains why he thinks Bernard Herrmann is great, and much more. He's fascinating, lively, and funny! You can listen online as well as on-air, and after tonight's broadcast the show will be archived on this page for the next two weeks: http://www.wqxr.org/programs/movies/2012/aug/11/
