weeklyFILM MUSIC

SCORING NEWS: “My Life in Ruins” (David Newman), “Four Christmases” (Alex Wurman) and more

CD REVIEW: Daniel Schweiger Reviews “Sudden Impact”

THE CHART DOCTOR: “To Orchestrate Or Not To Orchestrate: What Is The Question?” by Ron Hess

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY: “Something Completely Different” by Peter Alexander

JOBS: Film & TV Music Current Job Listings

ISSUE 62 • MAY 6, 2008 • A Global Media Online Publication • www.f i lmmusicweekly.com

Varese Sarabande 30th Anniversary Event Features Top Composers

n Garritan has announced that the Authorized Steinway Virtual Concert Grand Piano, Profes-sional Edition, a software instru-ment developed

in collaboration with Steinway &

Sons, has started shipping and is available now.

The sample library utilized Steinway Model D Concert Grand Piano hand-picked by Steinway and recorded at The Troy Music Hall.

The library is available in three versions: The Professional version offers five different listen-

ing perspectives, including a play-er perspective from the bench, a classical recording perspective, an under-the-lid perspective, a stage perspective and a close audience perspective. The Standard ver-sion, which was recently released, offers two perspectives and a Basic version for students will be avail-able soon.

The library features com-plete resonance modeling (both sustain resonance and sympa-thetic resonance), virtuosic ped-aling (damper, una corda and sostenuto), soft pedal samples, multi-stage natural-sounding re-leases, adjustable-velocity actions, adjustable mechanical noises,

Garritan Announces Steinway Sampled Piano Release

ASCAP Honors Bergmans at Film & TV Music Awards May 6

n Robert Townson’s Varese Sara-bande Records will be celebrating its 30th Anniversary with a com-poser signing at Dark Delicacies in Burbank, California on Satur-day, May 10th at 2 PM. The event represents the largest gathering in memory of film composers as-sembled for a signature event.

Scheduled so far are Varese artists Michael Giacchino (Speed Racer), Lalo Schifrin (Rush Hour 2 and 3), Jan A.P. Kaczmarek (The Visitor), Trevor Rabin (Fly-boys), Don Davis (The Matrix), Chistophe Beck (Elektra), Marco Beltrami (Scream), John Ott-

man (Fantastic Four), Charles Bernstein (A Nightmare on Elm Street), Mark Isham (The Mist), Mychael Danna (Breach), Chris-topher Young (Ghost Rider), John Debney (Sin City), Cliff Eidel-man (Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants), Brian Tyler (Children of Dune), Joel McNeely (Star Wars: Shadow of the Empire), Varese head Robert Townson, composer superagent Richard Kraft (Bucket List liner notes) and Varese CD cover artist Matthew Joseph Peak (Psycho).

With a large turnout expected, Dark Delicacies will start issuing tickets for a place in line at 9 AM

(continued pg.3)

n ASCAP has announced it will be-stow its President and Chairman and her husband with the ASCAP Founders Award at the invitation-only ASCAP Film & TV Music Awards dinner on May 6.

The event, open only to se-lected composers and others, cel-ebrates ASCAP’s most-performed

film and television music. At the event to pay tribute to the Berg-mans, will be Quincy Jones, Nor-man Lear, Larry Gelbart, Norman Jewison, Patty Austin, and Larry White among others.

During their career, Alan and Marilyn Bergman have received four Emmy Awards and their songs have been nominated for sixteen Academy Awards, for which they have won three: “The Windmills of Your Mind” from The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968, “The Way We Were” in 1973, and the score for Yentl in 1984. “Windmills” and “The Way We Were” also earned Golden Globe Awards, and “The Way We Were” also earned two Grammys.

Alan and Marilyn Bergman

(continued pg.3)

2� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

Publisher: Mark Northam Editor: Mikael Carlsson

VP Finance and Operations: Rebecca Lee Art Director: Joshua Young

Advertising Manager: Steve SchatzbergCopy Editor: Lisa Rawson

Technology Editor: Peter Alexander Soundtrack Editor: Daniel Schweiger

Customer Service Manager: Robyn Young Website Design: Rakesh Rai

Accounting: Tina Chiang Legal Advisor: Patricia Johnson, Esq.

Film Music Weekly is published weekly by Global Media Online, Inc.Executive and Editorial Office: 23360 Velencia Blvd. Suite E-12, Valencia, CA 91355. Tel: 310-209-8263 Fax: 310-388-1367, email: info@filmmusicweekly.com. We are not responsible for unsolicited material. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission of the publisher is prohibited. The opinions of contributing writers and editors to this publication do not necessarily reflect the views of Global Media Online, Inc. or any of our divisions, management or staff.

YOUR FEEDBACK We welcome feedback on any aspect of Film Music Weekly. All letters must include an address and daytime phone number. We reserve the right to edit letters for clarity and space and to use them in all electronic and print editions. Mail to: Film Music Weekly, 23360 Velencia Blvd. Suite E-12, Valencia, CA 91355 or email feedback@filmmusicweekly.com

ADVERTISING Our comprehensive advertising programs offer premier visibility to film and television music profes-sionals, soundtrack collectors, and music execu-tives worldwide. We offer competitive rates on a wide variety of advertising opportunities including display advertising and online advertising. For more information, call 1-888-910-7888 or 310-209-8263 or email sales@filmmusicweekly.com

REPRINTS AND COPYRIGHT PERMISSIONS Before quoting or reusing editorial material, or for custom reprints (minimum order 100) contact 310-209-8263 or email reprints@filmmusicweekly.com

SUBSCRIPTIONS Subscriptions to Film Music Weekly via email are available at no cost. To subscribe, visit our website at www.filmmusicweekly.com and enter your email address in our subscription section. Film Music Weekly and its logo are trademarks of Global Media Online, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Entire Contents © 2008 Global Media Online, Inc.

weeklyFILM MUSIC This Week on

FMRFILM MUSIC RADIO

ON THE SCORE

SOUNDTRACK LABELS FEATURING

ROBERT TOWNSON AND LUKAS KENDALL

Film music journalist Daniel Schweiger interviews

ROBERT TOWNSON and LUKAS KENDALL,

the heavy soundtrack hitters behind Varese Sarabande

Records andFilm Score Monthly.

LISTEN NOW

ClassicalandfilmmusicProduction company with 20 years tradition and experiences , recording, mixing and mastering studio .Our own „Film Symphony Orchestra Prague“ with excellent players from the Czech Philharmonic and the Czech National Theatre Orchestra.Recording from full symphonic orchestra up to 95 players to small chamber groups.Full service for clients: studio,orchestra booking, conductors, great engineer with years of experiences, scores printing and copying, help with booking the flights and accommodation, transport, catering and other travel needs.All staff speaking english.Studio 1 equiped by Pre-amps and mixing console Neve V48, Lexicon 480, Pro-Tools HD 192kHZ 7.3 version 48 in/out.Wide collection of Neumann microphones, incl. the tube mics.Steinway piano year 1907.Our prices are a fifth of London, Boston or New York.Clients: Dream Works, Sony Pictures, BBC production,Fine Line Media, Wellspring Media, A.R.Rahman, John Califra, J.M.Williams and many others.2 Grammy nominations for Soundtrack to the „ONCE“ movie .OSCAR for the best film music- song „Falling Slowly“.

Contact:www.sonorecords.cztel: + 420 605 287 386, + 420 603 502 500

sono_1.2_horizontalOK.indd 1 3/11/08 7:42:44 PM

ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008� 3weeklyFILM MUSIC

INDUSTRY NEWSGarritan Announces Steinway Sampled Piano Release (continued. from pg 1)

historical tunings and Scala file import, MIDI playback and record in standalone, ambience reverb, 3 band EQ, proportional sustain pedaling, and copy protection that requires no dongles or challenge response.

Powered by the ARIA Player, the Garritan Authorized Steinway Vir-tual Concert Grand runs on Mac Intel OS X 10.4 and higher and Windows XP/Vista (both 32 and 64 bits), standalone and plug-in (VST, Audio Units, RTAS), and is supported by notation programs.

“This was a very important project for Steinway & Sons,” states Gary Green, Vice President Business Development and Customer Satisfaction. “We have long recognized the need for a Steinway sampled sound set that would best reflect the complex architectures of the Steinway sound. We also understand the importance of quality samples and their use by amateur music enthusiasts, as well as prominent producers, composers, recording studios and other venues. We were extremely fortunate to have Gary Garritan work with us on this technically and musically complex project. While both Steinway & Sons and Gary Garritan recognize that nothing can replace the actual Steinway piano, we are extremely delight-ed that there is now a sampling product that comes closest to capturing the distinctive Steinway sound that we are proud to endorse.”

The Authorized Steinway Virtual Concert Grand Piano is priced at US$399 for the Professional Version. For more information and to hear demos, visit http://garritan.com/steinway.html

Varese Sarabande 30th Anniversary Event Features Top Composers (continued. from pg 1)

n Boston based soundware developer SONiVOX has announced the immediate availability of their latest offering, “Anatomy.” The company describes Anatomy as a re-imagination of the human form as an infinite template of sound, of-fering over eight-hundred playable instruments that transform the human body into a collection of physiological melody and rhythm.

The instruments in the Anatomy package are divided into two groups: “Man” includes the organic perspective including hundreds of leads,

pads, kits, and effects including real-time controllers, including every-thing from singing to screaming and snoring to roaring; “Machine” in-cludes what the company describes as “interpretations of the human condition as it might be perceived through the binary brain cells of a bloodless future race,” and includes agitated androids, slumbering cy-borgs who dream of electric sheep, and cinemascapes of hallucinatory terror and funhouse anxiety.

The package also includes body percussion featuring snaps, claps, foot stomps, and heartbeat, Foley an FX including blips, burps, gurgles, growls, groans, and nostril snorts., laughing, moaning and simulated emotional breakdowns.

Anatomy works with Native Instruments’ Kontakt 2 or Kontakt 3 and is available immediately at a MSRP of US$219.00

Free samples of selected Kontakt format intruments from Anato-my as well as MP3 demos are available from the SONiVX website at www.sonivoxmi.com

SONiVOX Announces “Anatomy” Sound Library

Get a free basic listing today on MUSE411 – The Music Industry Online Directory, and access the industry.

Free basic listing includes:

• Your name, email, phone and other contact information• Link to your music demo• Your photo• Musical Styles and Instrument(s) Played• Professional Affiliations — Unions, organizations you

belong to• A description of you, your bio, and much more

* U.S. RESIDENTS

Get your FREE basic listing today!www.muse411.com

Special Zip Code search* allows people in your area to locate you quickly and easily!

Join the new online community where orchestrators and composers discuss the art,

craft and technology of orchestration.www.OrchestrationForum.com

the morning of the signing. Purchase of the Varese 30th Anniversary CD will be needed to attend. Those not able to visit the event will still be able to pre-order signed CDs through the Dark Delicacies website. Photography will also be permitted.

For more information, visit the Dark Delicacies website, or the news section of the Varese Sarabande.

4� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

THIS WEEK’S MAJOR SCORING ASSIGNMENTS

David Newman: My Life in Ruins

David Newman is doing the original score for Donald Petrie’s new comedy,�My Life in Ruins,�starring�Richard�Dreyfuss and Nia Varda-los. Newman previously

scored�Petrie’s�2003�comedy�How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days and his recent filmography is dominated by films in this genre: Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins,�Norbit,�Monster-in-Law. My Life in Ruins tells the story about a tour guide working amongst the Grecian ruins.

Alex�Wurman:� Four Christmases

Alex�Wurman�is�doing�the music for comedy Four Christmases,�fea-turing an impressive cast�including�Reese�Witherspoon,�Jon�Favreau,�Vince�Vaughn,�

Robert�Duvall,�Kristin�Chenoweth,�Mary�Steenburgen and Sissy Spacek. Seth Gordon (The King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters) directs from a script about a couple who struggle to visit all four of their�divorced�parents�on�Christmas�Day.�Also�coming�up�for�Alex�Wurman�is�crime�drama Real Men Cry,�starring�Ethan�Hawke,�Amanda�Peet�and�Mark�Ruffalo,�and Stephen Polk’s indie drama Baggage.

Gabriel�Yared:� Shanghai

Gabriel�Yared�will�continue his work-ing relationship with Swedish�director�Mikael�Håfström,�for�whom�he scored 1408 last year. His new film is

entitled�Shanghai,�is�set�during�WW2�and�revolves�around�an�American�who�travels to Shanghai following the death of a good friend. Hossein�Amini�(The Four Feathers) has written the screenplay and the cast includes�John�Cusack�and�Ken�Watanabe.�The�film�begins�shooting�in�London�next�week�and�is�set�for�a�Christmas�Day�release. The film is being made with funding�from�The�Weinstein�Co’s�$285�million�Asian�film�fund.

Christian�Henson:� The Secret of Moonacre

British�composer�Chris-tian Henson (Severance,�Chasing Liberty,�It’s a Boy Girl Thing),�is�currently finishing work on his score for The Secret of Moonacre,�a�

fantasy family movie based on Elizabeth Goudge’s novel. Hungarian filmmaker Gabor�Csupo�(Bridge to Terabithia) directs and�the�cast�includes�Ioan�Gruffudd,�Tim�Curry,�Dakota�Blue�Richards�and�Natascha�McElhone.�The�film�is�set�in�the�1840’s�and�tells�the�story�about�a�13�year�old�girl�who�journeys�to�Moonacre�Manor�and�discovers�that�she�is�the�last�Moon�Princess�-�the�beloved�story�is�a classic fantasy adventure filled with magic and mystery. The film is scheduled to�premiere�on�August�8.�Christian�Henson recently scored the Dutch romantic drama Zomerhitte and is also doing the music for British TV series Lost in Austen,�starring�Jemima�Rooper,�Alex�Kingston,�Hugh�Bonneville,�Tom�Riley�and�Perdita�Weeks.

Marco�Beltrami:� Amusement

Marco�Beltrami�has�scored Amusement,�the�upcoming horror film di-rected�by�John�Simpson�(Freeze Frame). Beltrami replaced�Debbie�Wise-man as the composer

on the film after she had to withdraw due to conflicting schedules. Amusement is a�classic�stalker�thriller,�to�be�released�by Picturehouse Entertainment and New�Line�Cinema�in�September.�Stars�include�Jessica�Lucas,�Katheryn�Winnick�and Laura Breckenridge. Beltrami has also written the music for The Hurt Locker,�Kathryn�Bigelow’s�Iraq�war�thriller�starring�Ralph�Fiennes,�Guy�Pearce�and�David�Morse.�

THE SCOREBOARD LATEST ADDITIONS

Marco Beltrami:�Amusement Jacques Davidovici:�48�heures�par�jour. Christian Henson: The Secret of MoonacreDavid Newman:�My�Life�in�RuinsBrian Satterwhite:�The�Children’s�War. Gert Wilden Jr.:�Memory�Books�-�Damit�du mich nie vergisst...Alex Wurman:�Four�ChristmasesGabriel Yared: Shanghai

COMPLETE LIST: Panu Aaltio: The Home of Dark But-terflies. Tree Adams: Emilio. Andreas Alfredsson / Christian Sandquist: Possession. Eric Allaman:�Race. John Altman:�The�Master�Builder�•�Shoot on Sight. Armand Amar: La jeune fille et les loups. Marco D’Ambrosio: Say Hello to Stan Talmadge. David Arnold: How to Loose Friends and Alienate�People�•�Quantum�of�Solace�•�The�Chronicles�of�Narnia:�The�Voyage�of�the Dawn Treader. Alexandre Azaria: 15�ans�et�demi. Chris P. Bacon: Space�Chimps. Angelo Badalamenti: The Edge of Love •�Secrets�of�Love. Klaus Badelt:�Starship�Troopers:�Ma-rauder�•�The�Scorpion�King:�Rise�of�the�Akkadian�•�Fire�Bay�•�Dragon�Hunters�•�Heaven and Earth. Lesley Barber:�A�Thousand�Years�of�Good�Prayers�•�Death�in�Love. Nathan Barr:�Tortured�•�Broken�Lizard’s�The Slammin’ Salmon. Steve Bartek:�The�Art�of�Travel. Stephen Barton:�The�Six�Wives�of�Henry�Lefay. Eef Barzelay:�Yellow�Handkerchief. Tyler Bates:�The�Haunted�World�of�El�Su-perbeasto�•�Day�of�the�Dead�•�Watchmen�•�The�Day�the�Earth�Stood�Still. Jeff Beal: Where�God�Left�His�Shoes�•�Salomaybe?�•�The�Deal. Christophe Beck: What�Happens�in�Vegas... Marco Beltrami:�Amusement�•�The�Hurt�Locker�•�In�the�Electric�Mist�with�Confederate�Dead. Jean-Michael Bernard:�Cash. Charles Bernstein:�The�Cursed. Doug Besterman: Exit�Speed. Terence Blanchard: Miracle�at�St.�Anna. Scott Bomar:�Maggie�Lynn. Simon Boswell:�Bathory�•�My�Zinc�Bed. Jason Brandt: Something’s�Wrong�in�Kansas. Benedikt Brydern:�The�Crown�of�Vyseh-rad�•�Stag�Night. David Buckley: Town�Creek. Kenneth Burgomaster: Garfield’s Fun Fest. Mickey Bullock:�Sportkill�•�Orville. Carter Burwell: In Bruges. Edmund Butt:�The�Waiting�Room. Niall Byrne:�How�About�You. Peter Calandra: The Sickness. Jeff Cardoni:�This�Is�Not�Miami. Kristopher Carter:�Yesterday�Was�a�Lie�•�Dance of the Dead. Patrick Cassidy: L’aviatore. Nigel Clarke & Michael Csányi-Wills: The Grind.Sarah Class: The�Meerkats. George S. Clinton: The Love Guru.

Chandra Cogburn:�Fiesta�Grand�•�Orgies�and�the�Meaning�of�Life�•�The�Bard:�The�Story�of�Robert�Burns. Ron Alan Cohen:�Who’s�Your�Monkey?. Juan J. Colomer: Dark Honeymoon.Alfons Conde: No-Do. Normand Corbeil:�Ma�fille,�mon�ange�•�Boot�Camp�•�Emotional�Arithmetic. Jane Antonia Cornish: Every Little Step. Bruno Coulais:�MR�73�•�Les�Femmes�de�l’ombre�•�Coraline. Miriam Cutler:�Bloodline�•�Chris�&�Don:�A�Love�Story�•�One�Lucky�Elephant�•�A�Powerful�Noise�•�One�Bad�Cat:�The�Reverend�Albert�Wagner�Story�•�Absolutely�Safe. Burkhard Dallwitz: The Interrogation of Harry�Wind�•�Chainsaw. Jeff Danna: Lakeview Terrace (co-com-poser)�•�The�Imaginarium�of�Doctor�Parnassus (co-composer). Mychael Danna: Lakeview Terrace (co-composer)�•�Stone�of�Destiny�•�Adoration�•�The�Time�Traveler’s�Wife�•�Passchendaele�•�The�Imaginarium�of�Doctor Parnassus (co-composer). Jacques Davidovici:�48�heures�par�jour. Carl Davis: The Understudy. Marcello De Francisci: The Butcher. Wolfram de Marco: The Lost Tribe. Jessica de Rooij:�Tunnel�Rats�•�Far�Cry�•�Alone�in�the�Dark�II. John Debney: Big�Stan�•�My�Best�Friend’s�Girl�•�Starship�Dave�•�Swing�Vote�•�Old�Dogs�•�Hotel�for�Dogs�•�Sin�City�2. Tim DeLaughter: The�Assassination�of�a�High School President. Charles Denler: I�Am�•�A�Handful�of�Beans�•�Nothing�But�Dreams�•�Buttermilk�Sky�•�A�Meadowlark�Calling�•�Kate�&�Co�•�Killer’s�Freedom�•�Johnny�Kidd. Erik Desiderio:�He’s�Such�a�Girl�•�Sons�of�Liberty. Alexandre Desplat: Afterwards�•�Largo�Winch. Ramin Djawadi:�Fly�Me�to�the�Moon. Pino Donaggio:�Colpe�d’occhio. James Michael Dooley: The Little Mermaid:�Ariel’s�Beginning�•�Impy’s�Island 2. Patrick Doyle: Igor. Christopher Drake: Batman - Gotham Knight�(co-composer). Ludek Drizhal:�Life�Goes�On�•�Synapse�•�The�Next�Race:�The�Remote�Viewings�•�The�Sno�Cone�Stand�Inc. Anne Dudley:�Black�Water�Transit. Randy Edelman:�The�Mummy:�Tomb�of�the Dragon Emperor. Jonathan Edwards: The Golden Boys. Steve Edwards:�The�Neighbor�•�The�Intervention�•�Shark�in�Venice�•�Direct�Contact. Cliff Eidelman:�He’s�Just�Not�That�Into�You. Danny Elfman:�Wanted�•�Hellboy�2:�The�Golden�Army. Paul Englishby:�An�Education.

SCORING NEWS by MIKAEL CARLSSONmcarlsson@filmmusicweekly.com

ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008� 5weeklyFILM MUSIC

Tom Erba:�Chinaman’s�Chance. Ilan Eshkeri:�The�Disappeared�•�Telstar. Evan Evans:�The�Mercy�Man�•�You’re�Nobody�‘Til�Somebody�Kills�You�•�The�Poker�Club�•�Jack�Rio. Nima Fakhara: Lost Dream. Guy Farley:�The�Flock�•�Knife�Edge�•�The�Brøken�•�I�Know�You�Know. Chad Fischer: The Babysitters. Annette Focks: Krabat. Robert Folk:�Kung�Pow:�Tongue�of�Fury�•�Magdalene�•�Vivaldi. Jason Frederick:�Good�Chemistry�•�Bears. Bill Frisell:�All�Hat. John Frizzell: Henry Poole Is Here. Michael Giacchino:�Speed�Racer�•�Star�Trek. Vincent Gillioz:�The�Appearance�of�Things�•�Portal�•�Last�Breath. Scott Glasgow:�Toxic�•�The�Gene�Generation�•�Lo�•�The�Bridge�to�Nowhere. Philip Glass: Les�animaux�amoreux. Erik Godal:�The�Gift�•�Ready�Or�Not�•�Irreversi�•�Holodomer�•�Deep�Gold�•�Spring�Break�‘83�•�Hardland. Elliot Goldenthal: Public Enemies. Joel Goldsmith: Stargate�Continuum�•�Stone’s�War. Jonathan Goldsmith:�Tenderness�•�Fatal�Passage. Christopher Gordon:�Mao’s�Last�Dancer�•�Daybreakers. Adam Gorgoni: Still�Waiting. Jeff Grace:�Trigger�Man�•�I�Sell�the�Dead�•�Liberty�Kid. John Graham: Escape. Harry Gregson-Williams:�Jolene�•�Em�•�The�Chronicles�of�Narnia:�Prince�Caspian�•�G-Force�•�The�Taking�of�Pelham�123�•�X-Men:�Wolverine. Rupert Gregson-Williams:�You�Don’t�Mess�With�the�Zohan�•�Bedtime�Stories. Andrew Gross: National Lampoon’s Bag Boy�•�Diamond�Dog�Caper�•�The�Speed�of�Thought�•�The�Prince�and�Me�3. Larry Groupé:�Love�Lies�Bleeding�•�The�Hungry�Woman�•�Straw�Dogs. Andrea Guerra: The�Accidental�Husband�•�Parlami�d’amore�•�Heart�of�Fire. Robert Gulya: Atom�Nine�Adventures�•�Themoleris�•�9�and�a�Half�Date. Steven Gutheinz: Rothenburg. Gordy Haab: The Shiftling (co-composer) •�Witches’�Night�•�Pornstar. Todd Haberman:�Killer�Movie. Richard Hartley: Diamond Dead. Paul Hartwig:�Holiday�Beach�•�Tyrannosaurus�Azteca. Richard Harvey: Eichmann. Paul Haslinger: Make�It�Happen�•�While�She�Was�Out. Paul Heard:�Clubbed. Alex Heffes:�My�Enemy’s�Enemy�•�State�of Play. Reinhold Heil:�Blackout�(co-composer)�•�The International (co-composer). Christian Henson: Zomerhitte�•�The�Secret�of�Moonacre�•�A�Bunch�of�Amateurs.

Eric Hester:�The�Utopian�Society�•�Lost�Mission�•�Frail. Tom Hiel:�A�Plumm�Summer. David Hirschfelder:�Shake�Hands�With�the Devil. Andrew Hollander:�Weather�Girl�•�Serious�Moonlight. Trevor Horn:�Kids�in�America. James Horner: The Boy in Striped Pyjamas�•�Avatar. Richard Horowitz:�Kandisha�•�The�Whisperers�•�Tobruk. James Newton Howard: The Happening •�The�Dark�Knight�(co-composer)�•�Defiance�•�Confessions�of�a�Shopaholic. David A. Hughes: Awaydays. Terry Huud: Plaguers. Søren Hyldgaard:�Red. Alberto Iglesias:�The�Argentine�•�Guerrilla. Ángel Illarramendi: Todos estamos invitados�•�La�buena�nueva. Mark Isham:�Pride�and�Glory�•�The�Express. Corey Allen Jackson:�Idiots�and�Angels. James Jandrisch:�American�Venus. Adrian Johnston:�Sparkle�•�Brideshead�Revisited. Bobby Johnston:�Hotel�California�•�Happiness�Runs�•�Spooner. Evan Jolly:�Tonight�Is�Cancelled. Tim Jones:�Cryptid. Trevor Jones: Three�and�Out. David Julyan:�Eden�Lake�•�The�Daisy�Chain�•�The�Descent�2. George Kallis: Antigravity. Tuomas Kantelinen:�Arn�-�Riket�vid�vägens slut. Yagmur Kaplan:�The�Elder�Son�•�The�Lodge�•�Broken�Windows. Laura Karpman:�Out�at�the�Wedding�•�Ace�Ventura�3. Kenji Kawai:�L�–�Change�the�World�•�Orochi�•�The�Sky�Crawlers. Rolfe Kent:�The�Lucky�Ones. Wojciech Kilar: Black Sun. Mark Kilian:�Before�the�Rains�•�Traitor. Kevin Kiner:�Star�Wars:�The�Clone�Wars. David Kitay:�Shanghai�Kiss�•�Blonde�Ambition. Johnny Klimek: Blackout (co-composer) •�The�International�(co-composer). Harald Kloser:�2012�(co-composer). Abel Korzeniowski:�Terms�•�Terra�•�Tickling Leo. Penka Kouneva:�Midnight�Movie�•�The�Gold and the Beautiful. Ivan Koutikov:�Wanted�Undead�Or�Alive�•�Living�Hell. Robert J. Kral:�Batman�-�Gotham�Knight�(co-composer). Aryavarta Kumar:�The�Rapture�•�Greater�Threat. Nathan Larson:�August�•�Choke. Jim Latham:�Greetings�from�the�Shore�•�Swishbucklers�•�Parental�Guidance�Suggested. James Lavino:�Woodpecker. Craig Leon:�Maestro. Geoff Levin:�Triloquist�•�The�Rat�Thing�•�Agenda�•�The�Fallen.

James S. Levine:�Otis. Michael A. Levine:�Columbus�Day. Krishna Levy: Le nouveau protocole. Gary Lionelli:�Oswald’s�Ghost. Jason Livesay:�Bounty�(co-composer)�•�Limbo�Lounge�(co-composer)�•�Chasing�the�Green�•�Little�Iron�Men�(co-compos-er). Nolan Livesay:�Bounty�(co-composer)�•�Limbo�Lounge�(co-composer)�•�Little�Iron�Men�(co-composer). Andrew Lockington:�Journey�3-D�•�One�Week. Henning Lohner:�Kleiner�Dodo�•�Love�Comes�Lately�•�Night�Train�•�Marcello�Marcello. Helen Jane Long: Surveillance. Erik Lundborg:�Absolute�Trust. Daniele Luppi:�Hell�Ride. Deborah Lurie: Spring Breakdown. Vivek Maddala:�They�Turned�Our�Desert�Into Fire. Nuno Malo:�Mr.�Hobb’s�House. Mark Mancina:�Sheepish�•�Camille�•�Without�a�Badge�•�Like�Dandelion�Dust. Aram Mandossian:�The�Last�Resort. Harry Manfredini:�Black�Friday�•�iMurders�•�Impulse�•�Anna�Nicole�•�Dead�and Gone. David Mansfield: The Guitar. Kevin Manthei:�Batman�-�Gotham�Knight�(co-composer). Dario Marianelli:�Far�North�•�Hippie�Hippie�Shake�•�The�Soloist. Anthony Marinelli:�Grizzly�Park�•�Footsteps. Gerard K. Marino: Fuego. Gary Marlowe:�Los�Pereyra�•�Das�echo�der Schuld. Phil Marshall: Live. Cliff Martinez: Stiletto. Richard Marvin: The�Narrows�•�Dead�Like�Me�•�Picture�This!�•�A�Fork�in�the�Road. John McCarthy:�The�Stone�Angel. Bear McCreary:�Rest�Stop�2. Michael McCuiston: Broke Sky (co-composer). Don McGlashan: Dean Spanley. Joel McNeely:�The�Tinkerbell�Movie. Nathaniel Mechaly:�Taken�•�Dorothy�Mills. Matt Messina: The Least of These. Guy Michelmore:�Doctor�Strange�•�Bono,�Bob,�Brian�and�Me. Randy Miller:�Last�Time�Forever�•�Shang-hai�Red�•�Second�Chance�Season. Robert Miller:�The�Key�Man�•�Trumbo�•�On�the�Hook�•�Wherever�You�Are. Angelo Milli:�Máncora�•�Second�Coming. Sheldon Mirowitz:�Renewal�•�Operation�Filmmaker. Richard G. Mitchell: Almost�Heaven. Charlie Mole:�Fade�to�Black�•�I�Really�Hate�My�Job�•�St.�Trinian’s. Tony Morales:�Something�Is�Killing�Tate�•�Ball Don’t Lie. John Morgan:�The�Opposite�Day�(co-composer). Paul Leonard-Morgan: Popcorn.

Cyril Morin: Un coeur simple. Ennio Morricone: Il demoni di San Pietroburgo. Trevor Morris:�Matching�Blue�•�Krews. Mark Mothersbaugh:�Quid�Pro�Quo�•�Cloudy�with�a�Chance�of�Meatballs. Hélène Muddiman: Skin. Nico Muhly:�The�Reader. Sean Murray:�The�Lost�•�Clean�Break. Gregor Narholz: Shadowheart. Peter Nashel:�Carriers. Javier Navarrete:�Mirrors�•�Inkheart�•�Fireflies in the Garden. Blake Neely:�Elvis�and�Anabelle�•�The�Great�Buck�Howard�•�Surfer�Dude. Roger Neill:�Take�•�Scar. David Newman:�My�Life�in�Ruins. Joey Newman: Safe Harbour. Randy Newman: The Frog Princess. Thomas Newman:�Nothing�Is�Private�•�Wall-E�•�Revolutionary�Road. Kyle Newmaster: The Shiftling (co-composer)�•�Reservations�•�Star�Wars:�Secret�of�the�Rebellion�•�Blood�Shot. David James Nielsen:�Reclaiming�the�Blade. Stefan Nilsson: Heaven’s Heart. Dana Niu:�Conjurer�•�Hurt. Marinho Nobre:�Left�for�Dead�•�Sacred�Game. Adam Nordén:�Everybody’s�Dancing�•�De Gales hus. Julian Nott: Heavy Petting. Paul Oakenfold: Victims. Dean Ogden:�Oranges�•�Knuckle�Draggers�•�A�Perfect�Season�•�The�Sensei. John Ottman: Valkyrie. John Paesano: Shamrock Boy. Michael Penn:�American�Teen. Heitor Pereira:�The�Canyon�•�Running�the�Sahara�•�Berverly�Hills�Chihuahua. Mark Petrie:�The�Road�to�Empire�•�Valley�of�Angels�•�Farmhouse. Barrington Pheloung: Incendiary. Leigh Phillips:�War�Made�Easy�•�Still�Life. Martin Phipps: Grow�Your�Own. Nicholas Pike:�It’s�Alive�•�Parasomnia. Nicola Piovani:�Odette�Toulemonde. Douglas Pipes:�Trick�r’�Treat�•�City�of�Ember. Michael Richard Plowman: Edison and Leo. Conrad Pope:�In�My�Sleep. Steve Porcaro:�The�Wizard�of�Gore�•�Cougar�Club. Rachel Portman: The Duchess. John Powell:�Hancock�•�Green�Zone�•�Kung�Fu�Panda�(co-composer)�•�Bolt. Zbigniew Preisner:�Anonyma�-�Eine�Frau�in Berlin. Michael Price:�Sugarhouse�Lane�•�Agent�Crush�•�Wild�Girl. Alec Puro:�The�Thacker�Case. Trevor Rabin: Get Smart. Didier Lean Rachou: An�American�in�China. Brian Ralston:�9/Tenths. Jasper Randall:�The�Secrets�of�Jonathan�

Film Music Weekly’s “The Scoreboard” only lists scoring assignments that have been confirmed to us by official sources. The list is limited to feature film scoring assignments.

6� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

Film Music Weekly’s “The Scoreboard” only lists scoring assignments that have been confirmed to us by official sources. The list is limited to feature film scoring assignments.

Sperry. Joe Renzetti:�39�•�Universal�Signs. Graeme Revell:�Pineapple�Express�•�Days�of�Wrath. Graham Reynolds:�I’ll�Come�Running. Max Richter: Henry�May�Long�•�Waltz�with Bashir. Lolita Ritmanis: Broke Sky (co-compos-er). Zacarías M. de la Riva: The Last of the Just�•�The�Anarchist’s�Wife�•�Carmo. Carmen Rizzo: The Power of the Game. David Robbins:�War,�Inc.�•�The�Dot�Man�•�The�Playground. Matt Robertson: The Forest. Douglas Romayne:�In�Zer0:�Fragile�Wings. Philippe Rombi: Bienvenue chez les Ch’tis. Brett Rosenberg: The Skeptic. William Ross: Our�Lady�of�Victory. Laura Rossi: Broken Lines. David Glen Russell:�Contamination. David Russo: Pig Hunt. Hitoshi Sakamoto:�Romeo�x�Juliet. H. Scott Salinas:�Strictly�Sexual�•�What�We�Did�on�Our�Holidays. Ralph Sall: Hamlet 2. Anton Sanko:�Life�in�Flight�•�One. Gustavo Santaolalla:�I�Come�With�the�Rain�•�On�the�Road. Brian Satterwhite:�Cowboy�Smoke�•�The�Children’s�War. Mark Sayfritz:�Sake�•�The�Shepherd. Brad Sayles:�The�Bracelet�of�Bordeaux. Dominik Scherrer: Good�Morning�Heartache. Misha Segal:�Lost�at�War�•�Shabat�Shalom�Maradona.

Marc Shaiman: Slammer. Theodore Shapiro:�The�Mysteries�of�Pittsburgh�•�The�Girl�in�the�Park�•�Tropic�Thunder�•�Nowhereland�•�Marley�&�Me. George Shaw:�Victim�•�Sailfish. Edward Shearmur:�Passengers�•�Meet�Bill�•�Righteous�Kill. Ryan Shore:�Numb�•�Jack�Brooks�–�Mon-ster�Slayer�•�Shadows. Vince Sievers: The Source. Carlo Siliotto:�The�Ramen�Girl. Alan Silvestri:�G.I.�Joe�•�A�Christmas�Carol. Emilie Simon: Survivre avec les loups. Marcus Sjöwall: Dreamkiller. Cezary Skubiszewski: Death Defying Acts�•�Disgrace. Christopher Slaski: Proyecto Dos. Damion Smith: Stompin. Dennis Smith: Major�Movie�Star. Mark Snow: The X-Files 2. Jason Solowsky:�L.A�Takedown�•�Strawberries�For�The�Homeless�•�Tamales�And�Gumbo�•�The�Sweep�•�Exodus? Maarten Spruijt: The Seven of Daran - Battle�of�Pareo�Rock. Fred Story: Children�of�All�Ages. Marc Streitenfeld: Body of Lies. William T. Stromberg:�TV�Virus�•�Army�of�the�Dead�•�The�Opposite�Day�(co-com-poser). John Swihart: The Longshots. Johan Söderqvist:�Walk�the�Talk�•�Let�the�Right�One�In�•�The�Invisible�•�Effi. Frédéric Talgorn:�Mes�Stars�et�moi�•�Hexe�Lilli. Nic. tenBroek: The�Dukes�•�Magic. Mark Thomas:�Tales�of�the�Riverbank. tomandandy: The�Koi�Keeper.

John van Tongeren:�War�Games�2�-�The�Dead�Code. Pinar Toprak: Blue�World�•�Dark�Castle�•�Serbian�Scars�•�Say�It�In�Russian�•�Ocean�of Pearls. David Torn:�The�Wackness. Jeff Toyne:�Within�•�Late�in�the�Game. Michael Tremante:�If�I�Didn’t�Care. Ernest Troost:�Crashing. Marcus Trumpp: Blood: The Last Vampire. Tom Tykwer: The International (co-composer). Brian Tyler: The�Heaven�Project�•�The�Killing�Room�•�The�Fast�and�the�Furious�4�•�Dragonball. Christopher Tyng: Finding�Amanda. Nerida Tyson-Chew:�Cactus. Shigeru Umebayashi:�A�Simple�Love�Story�•�Absurdistan. Cris Velasco: Prep School. Fernando Velázquez: Shiver. James L. Venable:�Zack�and�Miri�Make�a�Porno. Joseph Vitarelli: Kit�Kittredge:�An�American�Girl�Mystery. Reinhardt Wagner:�Faubourg�36. Gast Waltzing:�JCVD�•�Les�dents�de�la�nuit. Thomas Wander:�2012�(co-composer). Michael Wandmacher:�Train�•�Chain�Letter�•�My�Bloody�Valentine�3-D. Stephen Warbeck:�Flawless�•�The�Box�Collector. Matthias Weber:�Silent�Rhythm. Craig Wedren:�Little�Big�Men. Richard Wells:�The�Mutant�Chronicles. Cody Westheimer: Benny Bliss and the Disciples�of�Greatness�•�Hysteria.

Gert Wilden Jr.:�Memory�Books�-�Damit�du mich nie vergisst... Alan Williams:�For�the�Love�of�a�Dog�•�Act�Your�Age�•�Snow�Princess�•�He�Love�Her,�She�Loves�Him�Not�•�The�Velveteen�Rabbit. David Williams:�The�Conjuring. John Williams:�Indiana�Jones�and�the�Kingdom�of�the�Crystal�Skull�•�Lincoln. Patrick Williams: Mikey�and�Dolores. Tim Williams:�The�Passage�•�Star�Crossed. Austin Wintory:�Back�Soon�•�Mr.�Sadman�•�Grace�•�Live�Evil�•�3-Day�Weekend. Debbie Wiseman:�Amusement�•�The�Hide. Chris Wood: Zombies�Ate�My�Prom�Date. Alex Wurman:�Five�Dollars�a�Day�•�The�Promotion�•�Real�Men�Cry�•�Baggage�•�Four�Christmases. Gabriel Yared:�Manolete�•�The�No.�1�Ladies�Detective�Agency�•�Adam�Resurrected�•�Shanghai. Christopher Young:�The�Uninvited�•�Drag�Me�to�Hell. Geoff Zanelli:�Delgo�•�Outlander�•�Ghost�Town. Marcelo Zarvos: What�Just�Happened? Aaron Zigman:�Sex�and�the�City:�The�Movie�•�Lake�City�•�Flash�of�Genius�•�Blue�Powder�•�My�Sister’s�Keeper. Hans Zimmer:�Frost/Nixon�•�Casi�Divas�•�Kung�Fu�Panda�(co-composer)�•�The�Dark�Knight�(co-composer). Atli Örvarsson:�Babylon�A.D.�•�The�Code.

ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008� 7weeklyFILM MUSIC

���������������������������

�����������������������������

�����������������������������

�������

�����������������������������

����������������������������

����������

������������������������� ��������������

Professional training in the art of contemporary

film & media scoring

2008 Summer Intensive ProgramJuly 7

th ~ 18

th

Seattle, Washington

Founded in 1997 by multi Emmy Award-winning film/television composer

Hummie Mann, (“Robin Hood: Men in Tights”, “Wooly Boys”, “In Cold Blood”,

“Thomas and the Magic Railroad”), this internationally recognized program is

taught in the USA, Scotland and Denmark by the program's creator.

The coursework includes both theory and methods for writing dramatic

music for motion pictures, television, video games and other media as well as

in-depth, knowledge and tools needed to succeed in the film scoring industry.

For additional information:

www.pnwfilmmusic.com

800-546-8611

8� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

Title: Sudden Impact Composer: Lalo SchifrinLabel: AlephSuggested Retail Price: $14.98 Grade: B+

F rom Bullit speeding over the hills of San Francisco to the men from U.N.C.L.E. tak-

ing down THRUSH, crime-fighting jazz and Lalo Schifrin have gone together like a man and his magnum. But if one character embod-ied Schifrin’s thrilling dark grooves, then it was Harry Callahan, the inspector who rede-fined the cop film as a brutal arena for justice in 1971’s Dirty Harry. And Schifrin’s groove got down and mean with him, from the grind-ing rock guitar of Harry’s day making to the creepy female vocals of the villainous Scorpio. By fusing hard-broiled jazz, suspenseful strings and militaristic percussion, Schifrin had raised the bar for the musical genre of cop noir that he’d helped to create.

Schifrin’s new, groovily brutal sound would truly kick crime jazz’s ass through four Dirty Harry pictures (with a scheduling conflict turning Jerry Fielding’s exceptionally scored Enforcer into the series’ only excep-tion). But perhaps no Callahan soundtrack was more twisted than 1983’s Sudden Impact, a score that’s as much psycho-thriller horror as cop noir, and now gets its CD release on Schifin’s Aleph label. Where Harry had taken on rapists, radicals thugs and über-vigilante cops in his past films, the “villain” here was Sandra Locke’s rape victim, who goes about enacting lethal payback with no real resis-tance from Harry (who’s kept plenty busy blasting away the usual assortment of goons). And though the decision to essentially make Harry a secondary player didn’t make Sud-den Impact into a particularly effective Dirty Harry film, it certainly allowed Lalo Schifrin

to delve into new, and interesting musical territory, though you might not expect it to go there from the cool disco of Impact’s main title, or the lite jazz groove of the following cue “Murder by the Sea.”

But as a lot of “nice” pop-oriented cues tend to do here, “Murder” quickly shifts into more sinister territory as a deceptively tender flute, strings and guitar take over, a feminine sound that is then commanded by suspense-ful strings and snares. It’s cool female rage ready to strike. And like Harry, Lalo Schifrin is right behind Locke’s mission of revenge. Tenderness bubbles to the surface now and then, but mostly we’re talking evil electron-ics, action percussion and creepy symphonic dissonance – all as contrasted with the lonely jazz of Harry’s cop-against-the-world. It’s a musical match made in vigilante heaven, simpatico musical emotions that are ter-rifically detailed in Impact’s liner notes by album producer Nick Redman. But even more than that, the contrast of vigilante “romance” and outright creepiness is right in line with Schifrin’s Oscar-nominated soundtrack for The Amityville Horror and his unused Exor-cist score. And if he isn’t exactly delivering the kind of electric guitar thrills of Magnum Force here, Schifrin fans are sure to find his dense, nerve-tingling music to be a cool chal-lenge as it’s played on everything from eerie strings to the sound of rubbed glass.

But that isn’t to say that Sudden Impact is lacking for musical fun or the jazz-rock grooves that have always accompanied Dirty Harry (though his past vibe theme only

makes a brief appearance in ”You’ve Come a Long Way”). And Schifrin certainly delivers the excitement with the child-like rhythms of a merry-go-round. But these horsies are bound to impale a bad guy at the end. And Schifrin has fun inverting the “source” music of a seaside carnival with his dissonance of the outrage that occurred there. It all comes together in the cue “Unicorn’s Head” as the calliope music becomes a symphony of fury better suited to a fun house from hell. And then as Harry arrives to provide some assist in “A Ray of Light,” Schifrin treats Eastwood as if he was again playing The Man With No Name, the orchestra singing with a western save-the-day tone, complete with rock guitar and Latin brass.

By the time that the sexy jazz of “San Francisco After Dark” arrives to send Harry and his equal into the sunset, Schifrin’s Sud-den Impact has proved itself to be one of the most psychologically compelling, and provoca-tive of the composer’s Dirty Harry scores. Blowing away the bad guys has never been quite so musically challenging for him. But Schifrin knows how to unload that magnum like no other cop composer. And as always, the Impact is exhilarating. n

CD REVIEW by DANIEL SCHWEIGERdschweiger@filmmusicweekly.com

Lalo Schifrin Releases His Darkest Dirty Harry Score

GET THE CD HERE: •http://www.alephrecords.com/main.htm

ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008� 9weeklyFILM MUSIC

THE CHART DOCTOR by RON HESSrhess@filmmusicweekly.com

To Orchestrate Or Not To Orchestrate: What Is The Question?

A recent thread in Film Music Magazine’s orchestration forum involved a ques-

tion on the best way to approach orchestrat-ing a piano piece. The conventional advice usually involves trying to accommodate and emulate all the “pianistic” elements by other instruments. Essentially, that’s re-copying, however inspired the effort. True, inspired orchestration, however, must dig far deeper. Unless the piece from which you are working was written to either showcase actual piano technique or to make a musical statement achievable only by a single performer, recog-nize that even this piano version was a com-promise over some ensemble piece that never was. Let’s be real: for all its vaunted color and expressive range, the piano is still only a single percussion instrument, no match for a non-consort ensemble of performers.

So, step uno in a true adaptive process is to recognize that music exists independently of the clothes that it’s wearing at the moment. Technically, all music is orchestrated, even if it’s for an “ensemble” of just one piano. As such, any “further” adaptation is really just a tailoring of a new costume for the true un-derlying musical entity to wear when it takes the stage.

Given that, when you first undertake to “re”-orchestrate a piano piece, try to avoid the temptation to pour all the notes (probably doubling most of them) into some “A-list”-sized orchestral palette, as you won’t learn the important analytical and philosophical processes that separate creative orchestration from mere re-copying. Initially, you should aim far smaller, both to more easily get a for-real reading by live players (which will teach you far more, as samples don’t complain or applaud) and, more importantly, the neces-

sary distillation process will force you to thor-oughly analyze and understand the musical essence underlying the piano performance.

To an orchestration newbie, a woodwind quintet (flute, oboe, clarinet, French horn, and bassoon) is a great starting vehicle. It’s small, every school has at least one, and every woodwind player either plays in or knows of one. It has greater agility, a wider performable pitch range, a more stable tuning environment, and a larger palette of usable colors (especially with conceivable doubles of piccolo, English horn, and bass clarinet) than either the ubiquitous string quartet or brass quintet.

Begin by laying out your blank quintet score, but add the two piano staves at the bottom, plus three or four blank staves below them to be a workspace, and you’re all set. Input the entire piano part on the piano staves and leave it sacrosanct for reference. The blank staves below are for exploding chords, etc.

The basic process, then, is to work back-wards from the existing notes and your per-ception of the effect of the piano performance and, using the new instrumental colors and capabilities, try to achieve what you intuit the composer was thinking before he compromised by orchestrating it for the piano (subject to the caveats above). Better still, if you can hear something all your own, emulate that.

If the piano version at times uses forces unmatched to the quintet, don’t fret. Almost every chord or voicing can be boiled down to a simpler stack of notes that still carries the harmonic impact. Ask any jazz pianist or guitarist; they’ve been emulating complex chordal structures with one hand or 5 or 6 strings for their whole careers. Like a fine

brewer, you just have to boil down something complex into something simpler that still conveys the effect. Don’t be afraid to adjust octaves or add or delete notes to maintain the effect. The process can be an amazing and satisfying learning experience, as well as a lot of fun.

Of course, individual live players have their own limitations and liabilities which you can ignore at your peril: Range (obvious), breathing (more subtle, but still important), rests (don’t burn your players out physically or mentally), doubling just for the sake of doubling (with small groups, avoid without a compelling reason), and instrument capabili-ties (at first, don’t rewrite the rule book; it evolved for a reason...).

When you get comfortable with this analyze-dismantle-distill-rebuild process, and you grow trusting of your own taste and skill, then foray in the other direction and work both with progressively larger concepts and ensembles and more closely following your own dramatic and musical inspirations. The more complicated the group, the more geo-metrically complex will become the matrix of options and responsibilities with which you must grapple. But never lose your connec-tion with the “beast within” the music you are orchestrating. He’s the boss.

n Ron Hess works as a studio conductor, orchestrator, copyist and score supervisor in Los Angeles, where he’s well-known for his quick ability to ferret out the most hidden performance problems and spot score glitches rapidly. He holds a Master’s Degree from the New England Conservatory, and is considered one of the top Finale experts in Los Angeles. Email your questions to Ron at rhess@filmmusicweekly.com

10� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY by PETER LAWRENCE ALEXANDERpalexander@filmmusicweekly.com

Something Completely Different

Because of my work in writing orchestration books, the folks at Rutledge publishing sent

me a great book by Paul Mathews, Chair of the Department of Music Theory at Peabody Conser-vatory in Baltimore. Orchestration, An Anthology of Writings, is a refreshing joy to read, as it’s filled with many treats working professionals will appreciate thanks to its inclusion of com-ments from Gustav Mahler to a young composer, Stravinsky, Gevaert, Steve Reich, Percy Grainger (on writing for Concert Band), Charles Koechlin, and others. Some of these articles have not previ-ously been available in English until now.

Paul has organized his Anthology in six sections:

I. The Early Nineteenth Century: Beethoven’s Orchestration

II. The Late Nineteenth Century: French and German Orchestration III. Interlude: Orchestral Possibilities on the Eve of the New Music IV. The Turn of the Twentieth Century: French and German Orchestration II V. The Early Twentieth Century: Klangfar benmelodie and Texture VI. Later Twentieth Century Innovations

Too often in our pursuit of “bigger is bigger” in film scoring, we forget that orchestration has had a progression of writing development influenced by technology innovation and better manufacturing standards. The strings were the first section to be organized and complete as we know them while the woodwinds, brass with valves and percussion evolved over time to become the instruments we know and use today. As standardization of instrument design became accepted, writing techniques followed. Consequently, without a little study, we forget that the dramatic coloristic writing we’ve grown so accustomed to in film music progressed from the Russian composers through the French with Debussy, Ravel, Satie, and others.

This brings us to a very subtle point of Paul’s book - how do you really teach orchestration? And then, how do you really teach orchestration when using electronic and physical modeling libraries

that attempt to replicate the real thing? Within these questions is the hidden, “But who should I study first?”

In his First Lesson: Preliminary Instruction, Belgium teacher F.A. Geveart makes a practical observation.

“The orchestra of the early symphony does not admit of chiaroscuro or mixed colors; the various groups of instruments are juxtaposed without marked transitions. Since intense passages are almost excessively filled by bright timbres (violins, oboe, trumpets), the sonority is all brightness, sometimes even a little crude. Wind instruments seldom appear in the foreground and are mostly restricted to harmonic filling. Thus, by studying the symphonies of Haydn the student will not initiate himself with refined, unforeseen combina-tions. But the student will learn there, better than anywhere, how to assemble the various parts of the ensemble and how to obtain a vigorous and honest sonority with thin resources: qualities which it is wise to acquire before being tested with more ambitious enterprises.”

For the composer wanting to score for film, he will have to study Haydn on this own. Having read through the syllabi of many schools with orchestration classes, one does exercises for grades, not symphonic analysis to build scoring skills. To even find a Haydn/Mozartian library to work with, one must buy what some manufactur-ers insist on calling a “chamber strings” library when in point of fact the recorded instrumenta-tion isn’t too far from the string section size used by Mozart.

Berlioz, in his Treatise on Instrumentation, has a slightly different take. His advice to the young is to look at contemporary scores first to know what’s happening, then go back and look at Haydn.

Having examined my own learning path in this area, I think on reflection that Geveart is really on to something, especially when most sample string libraries start you out with the full-sized Hollywood orchestra. It takes concert attendance to find out just how big a sound with effective linear writing can be created with 12 violins, 4 violas, 4 cellos and 2 basses plus winds and brass.

Mahler’s letter to young Max Marschalk is a thought-provoking, wise piece of writing.

“What struck me most is the feature that you also emphasize in your letter: at present you are still going in very much for ‘tone and colour.’ This is a mistake made by all gifted beginners now composing. I could show you a similar phase in my own development - Mood-music is dangerous ground.

Believe me: we must for the time keep being good to the old principles. Themes - these must be clear and plastic, so that they can be clearly rec-ognized at any stage of modification or develop-ment - and then varied presentation, holding the attention above all through the logical develop-ment of the inner idea, but also by the genuine opposition of contrasting motives.

That is all still blurred in your work. Next, you must shake off the pianist. None of this is a movement for an orchestra - it is conceived for the piano - and then rearranged for orchestra without getting free of the trammels of that instrument.

I suffered from that ailment once myself. All of us nowadays start out from the piano, whereas the old masters’ origins lay in the violin and the voice.”

How true today as well are Mahler’s comments!

Mathews then provides us with a wonder-ful excerpt from Charles Koechlin’s four volume Treatise on Orchestration, published by Max Es-chig in Paris, in classical French on 9 x 12 pages in 9 point type and smaller. I was delighted to see this excerpt. Several on the A-list studied with Koechlin before his death, including Lalo Schifrin (Mission: Impossible theme and many others). I’ve had parts of this book translated for me. And at one time at Alexander Publishing, we tried to negotiate with Eschig to work out the translation rights. Eschig is difficult to work with, as Paul Mathews told me he also discov-ered.

A classmate of Maurice Ravel’s and an individual who also orchestrated Khamma for Debussy, Koechlin had his own thoughts about where a student should begin.

“The first question to treat after studying the resources of each individual instrument [editor’s note: instrumentation] is that of the balance of instruments with one another and instrumental groups with one another. Beginners sometimes write sonorities that are stronger or heavier than they would prefer, - or sonorities (Continued pg 11)

ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008� 11weeklyFILM MUSIC

(Continued pg 11)

Something CompletelyDifferent: (continued. from pg 10)

that combine but leave gaps in the orchestra; one notices unintentional opposi-tions, inconsistencies, inequalities; an instrument predominates when another was intended, etc.”

Koechlin’s observations are still true today, again, especially when start-ing off with sample libraries. Even when an experienced orchestrator tries to work with samples, getting the right balance is a time-consuming, frustrating chore. Then when going from sampled orchestra to live orchestra, the young composer is often in shock as to how “small” the live orchestra actually sounds in comparison to the samples.

Paul Mathews Orchestration, An Anthology of Writings, is a timely book for those of us engaged in the practice of writing for deadlines. It should also be a bugle call to academic institutions to seriously review the holes in the academic instruction of orchestration, the art we live and die by in L.A.

n Peter Alexander is the author of the critically acclaimed Professional Orchestration 2A: Orchestrating the Melody Within the String Section, How Ravel Orchestrated: Mother Goose Suite, and Writing and Performing Christian Music: God’s Plan and Purpose for the Church. You can write him at palexander@filmmusicweekly.com

MUSIC TECHNOLOGY

NEW BOOK!Street Smart Guide to Logic 8

Only $29.95 in downloadable PDF format

Over 330 Pages37 Lessons

Four-Color Screen ShotsForum Support

NEW SALE!Get 64-Bit GigaStudio 4 FREE!

When...

1. You buy the GigaStudio version of the Sonivox Complete Symphonic Orchestra.

2. Upgrade to the Complete Symphonic Collection if you already own 1 or 2 Sonivox Symphonic Collection Libraries.

Royalty IndustRy GuIdes avaIlable now

How to IncRease youR ascap, bmI and sesac RoyaltIesThis extensive guide takes a detailed, inside look at the world of perform-ing rights royalties worldwide and how composers, songwriters and publishers can maximize their per-sonal royalty income. If you currently receive royalties from ASCAP, BMI and SESAC, you may be able to dra-matically increase the amount of your

royalty checks by understanding how the system works, and how to participate in the royalty system to your maximum benefit.

2006-2007 InteRnatIonal musIc RIGHts

oRGanIZatIon dIRectoRyA comprehensive international directory

of performing rights and mechanical rights organizations, featuring contact informa-

tion for over 130 music rights organiza-tions and societies around the world and a

guide to affiliating directly with interna-tional performing rights organizations

clIck on eacH GuIde foR InfoRmatIon oR vIsIt www.GmostoRe.com

12� ISSUE�62�•�MAY�6,�2008 weeklyFILM MUSIC

MUSIC WANTEDCurrent Film & TV Music Job Listings

From The Film Music NetworkINDIE MUSIC LICENSING CO SEEKS MUSIC TO REPRESENTSan Francisco music licensing company is look-ing�for�good�quality�music�from�independent�labels�and�artists�to�represent�non-exclusively.

COMPOSER NEEDED IMMEDIATELY FOR SUSPENSE FEATURE FILM SCORE composer needed immediately for psychologi-cal suspense feature about a woman who has strange dreams and visions. Looking for a dreamy,�yet�passionate,�vibrant,�youthful,�alive,�exciting�sort�of�sound�that�is�a�blend�of�elec-tronica,�funk,�alternative�rock�and�classical.

INDIAN/PAKISTANI INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NEEDED FOR DOCUMENTARY FEATURE Instrumental�(no�vocals)�Indian/Pakistani�music�needed for documentary feature film. Should work�OK�under�dialogue.�Will�consider�all�styles/tempos�of�Indian�and/or�Pakistani�music.

MEXICAN INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC NEEDED FOR FEATURE Instrumental�Mexican�music�needed�immedi-ately for feature film. Looking for music that works�well�under�picture�-�not�too�fast,�not�too�much�motion,�looking�for�music�that�can�func-tion well under dialogue.

ORCHESTRAL AMERICANA MUSIC NEEDED FOR FEATURE FILM Orchestral�music�in�the�“Americana”�style�needed for indie feature film about leaders of the�“green”�movement�and�environmentalism.�Orchestral�digital�samples�OK,�but�must�be�very realistic sounding.

MUSIC LICENSING CO SEEKS FRENCH SONGS/INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC IMMEDIATELY Music�licensing�company�seeks�ambient�French vocal and instrumental music for im-mediate placement. Looking for music in the style of Edit Piaf.

MUSIC LIBRARY SEEKS HOLIDAY/COMEDY/WORLD/SPECIALTY MUSIC Expanding�Music�Library�seeks�master�quality�recordings.�Mixes�must�be�top�notch.�Looking�for the following types of music: Holiday (pub-lic�domain�OK),�Comedy,�World�Beat,�Specialty�(march,�patriotic,�wedding,�etc).

MUSIC LIBRARY SEEKS ORIGINAL MUSIC AND SONGS FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLISHINGEstablished�Production�Music�Library�seek-ing original music and songs for immediate publishing�in�various�Music�Libraries.

MUSIC LICENSING CO SEEKS INSTRUMENTAL ROCK TRACKS Music�licensing�company�needs�to�find�in-strumental�rock�tracks�similar�to�Coldplay.�We�prefer tracks 2+ minutes in length. Since we’ve been�requested�tracks�many�times�in�the�last�couple�of�months�like�Coldplays�we’d�like�to�be�prepared for future clients asking for the same types of tracks.

POP AND ORCHESTRAL UNDERSCORE NEEDED BY LA TV MUSIC LIBRARY L.A.�based�television�music�library�in�use�on�several high profile network and cable produc-tion seeks Instrumental underscore that is 1.�current�on-the-radio�pop�sounding�(rock,�hip-hop,�pop,�etc.),�or�2.�dramatic�orchestral/contemporary film score sounding.

DIGITAL ORCHESTRAL MUSIC NEEDED FOR INDIE SHORT FEATURE Orchestral/symphonic�music�with�an�edge�needed�for�“Digital�Love�of�a�Robot”,�an�art-house�indie�short�feature.�Music�can�have�a�“digital”�sound�or�edge�to�it,�but�they�are�primarily looking for orchestral music - well produced�sampler-based�music�OK.

TRAVELOGUE MUSIC NEEDED FOR TRAIN DOCUMENTARY FILIM Instrumental�“old-fashioned�travelogue�type”�music needed for a historic documentary film now in production about trains and railroads -�looking�for�music�reminiscent�of�the�1920s�through�the�1950s.

PSYCHOLOGICAL HORROR FEATURE NEEDS MUSIC IMMEDIATELY Indie psychological horror feature film is seek-ing�the�following:�*�Slow,�brooding�tracks�-�any-thing�creepy�in�the�“alternative”�(aka�alt-rock,�etc)�style,�*�Pop�dance�music�(with�or�without�vocals�is�OK)

MUSIC LICENSING ORG SEEKS COMPOSERS AND MUSIC Established�Film�&�TV�music�licensing�organiza-tion seeks world class composers and music of�all�genres�for�expanding�licensing�operations�into�new�Cable�TV�markets�and�independent�films.

EURO MUSIC LIB SEEKS NEW COMPOSERS AND MUSIC Established�European�Music�Library�seeks�new�composers�&�music�of�all�genres�for�placement�in�TV/Film/Commercials.�Composer/Artist�must�own�100%�of�Master�Recording.�Recording�must�be�broadcast�quality.

ORCHESTRAL MUSIC NEEDED BY LICENSING COMPANY Established music licensing company is look-ing�for�excellent�quality�orchestral�music�from�independent musicians to represent non-exclusively.

JAZZY OLD SCHOOL MUSIC NEEDED FOR INDIE SHORT FEATURE Instrumental�“jazzy�old�school�music”�needed�for�film�noir�indie�short�feature.�Think�30s-40s�oriented�jazz�-�not�too�lively,�somewhat�dark�sounding. Should work under dialogue.

The jobs listed above are currently listed as open and available on The Film Music Network Industry Job Board. To get more details and submit for any of these jobs, visit http://www.filmmusic.net and select the job from the open job listings on the site home page. To receive job listings by email, sign up for the Film Music JobWire at: http://www.filmmusic.net - locate “Join our Mailing List” on the left side column of the page.