by Paul Tonks
score -- n. / Pron. “skôr”
1. The notation of a musical work.
2. The written form of a composition for orchestral or vocal parts.
3. The music written for a film, play, or other viewed entertainment.
4. The resounding cheer of ‘high-fiving’ Producers getting music that’s close enough to the Temp Track, without being sued.
FILM MUSIC’S CHICKEN OR EGG
Here we go with another dictionary definition to kick-off this Column:
play•back – n.
1. The act or process of replaying a newly made audio or video recording, as to monitor quality.
2. A method of or an apparatus for reproducing sound recordings.
There’s a third that I’ve yet to find in any dictionary. “Playback” is also a term used on movie sets for music being played while the cameras are rolling. The idea being that it serves to inspire performance and then all sound will be replaced later on. I’ve heard various tales about this practice over the years, from movies as diverse as ONCE UPON A TIME IN AMERICA to THE ABOMINABLE DR. PHIBES!
The type of playback I want to spotlight here is when the film’s composer has worked with the project since before the cameras began rolling. In one way or another they’ve worked with a director on this playback music. This isn’t to lead to a follow-up piece to the column on film composer cameos (here), instead it’s about the most intimately of intertwined ways of music functioning within a movie.
The inspiration for this came from the news of Michael Kamen’s death on November 18th. His passing has affected me these past few weeks in a number of ways. The way that I knew Kamen to be so devoted to his family (note the same dedication in every CD booklet) has come to touch me very personally. And specifically in scores of his that were amongst his own favourites. I had the privilege of interviewing him twice at his London home, and both times he made a point of singling out the romantic and / or familialy sentimental as those that meant most to him.
About an hour after I learned of Kamen’s death, I was watching MR. HOLLAND’S OPUS, which begins my list of examples of wonderful film music playback.
From the very opening of the movie, Kamen’s score is both within and without the soundtrack. Richard Dreyfuss sits at the piano and hears a full orchestra come to life in his head – and so do we. The symphony is then segmented and allocated to different chapters of Mr. Holland’s life as a teacher. So at the emotional climax when Holland hears his opus performed for the first time, it really is a beautifully thought through musical idea.
 |
EXOTICA
I remember how impressed I was when I realised the exotic dancers in the film’s Club Exotica were moving in time to Mychael Danna music. Specifically because the style and material were already integrated into the picture. Director Atom Egoyan like sto play with your perception of time, and Dann’s music works wonders to keep you anchored to where you are chronologically speaking. The main thematic ideas are introduced in the titles, then work to differentiate between ‘then’ and ‘now’. So when the club’s writhing dancers boogie to the dance versions of these ideas, we know precisely when we are.
 |
TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY
The Internet Movie Database may claim Alan Rickman is playing the cello during the movie, but really the credit all belongs to composer Barrington Pheloung. He was on set for nearly every day of shooting, making sure Rickman looked like a professinaly cellist by employing all manner of Houdini tricks. Through camera angles and editing, it’s either his hands you see in insert shots or a mimicking move performed by the actor. Of course, in order to assist that performance, Pheloung had worked with the director on the pieces prior to filming. Oh, and as reward for his efforts he can be seen as a double bass playing ghost waving goodbye at the end of the film. Interestingly, he got to repeat much of the same on HILARY AND JACKIE a few years later!
 |
CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND
When I compiled this list, I realised I’d already covered CE3K in this capacity before. So when you get chance, check out the very first column (!) archived here.
 |
DEAD AGAIN
Kenneth Branagh’s second movie is a goofy supernatural thriller that at least impresses with a powerful score from Patrick Doyle. On screen we see Branagh as modern detective Mike Church and historical composer Roman Strauss. Around both is woven a musical idea hailing from an opera that was written during the film’s significant timeframe. In order for Branagh to be seen working on this music, Doyle had to be on board from very early on. Here’s how it worked in his own words from the album’s liner notes: “I went on location and frequently saw the rushes and had to provide important thematic material in advance of and during filming. I was very eager from the outset to intertwine musically as much as possible the past and present e.g., the music played by the strolling players at Otto’s party, echoes Roman’s Opera, as does the pastiche underscore of the old movie clip show on the TV inside the antique shop. The intercutting from the past to the present in the climactic scene in which Roman creates his opera proved to be very tricky both technically and musically (especially in the climax to the movie) and I tried as much as possible to inject the underscore with the sense of genuine opera.”
Goofy though the premise of the movie may be, the musical ideas between the narrative ideas are exceptionally well conceived.
 |
THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH
Hitchcock’s 1956 remake features a most interesting collaboration between composer and director. Having only worked together once the previous year on HE TROUBLE WITH HARRY, Hitch was supremely trusting of Herrmann in making decisions about the all-important clmactic assasination at the symphony. In his 1934 originaly version, Hitchcock employed British composer Arthur Benjamin to to create a piece for this sequence. Herrmann deemed that “The Storm Clouds Contata” was still the perfect piece for the scene despite being offered the opportunity to write something of his own. He re-orchestrated and extended the piece however. And the extra use of the material is what makes this playback tale of interest. Not only is the assasination forewshadowed in Herrmann’s Main Titles, it’s subtly alluded to in snatches of music at approproiate moments throughout the enture movie. So when the orchestra strikes up – yes, with Herrmann onscreen a full minute conducting at The Royal Albert Hall – the feeling of inevitibility is unbearable! Genius.
SHOOT-BACK HERE! |
ARCHIVES
