Forums › Forums › General Discussion › A Pioneer in Film Music…
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- October 27, 2004 at 9:45 pm #36926Dawg ManParticipant
Listen and then take a guess when this piece of music was written. Then guess who wrote it (sorry in advance for the quality; it’s a low quality mp3 so it could fit it on the server)…
http://www.ext13.com/flynn/thebattle.mp3
Give up?
1938 and Prokofiev.
Pretty mind blowing huh?By the 1930’s film music was in it’s seminal form and silent movies started becoming a thing of the past. Original composers, sometimes commissioned from a classical lifestyle, began to be hired on as crew members — which is opposed to what the norm in silent movies was (using source music). Among others, Max Steiner helped create what we recognize as the original score today as did Franz Waxman. Many film score enthusiests believe and preach that 1933’s “King Kong” by Max Steiner was the first “real” film score in the history of cinema. That’s true… but in a way Sergei Prokofiev, a Solviet composer, exceeded Steiner almost flamboyantly five years later and may be the real person behind movie music today.
Prokofiev is a bit of a quandry to me. I’ve been studying him and you can always listen to something by Steiner, Korngold or Waxman and tell right away the music in question was from the 1940’s, 30’s or whenever. Prokofiev’s film scores were just different. They hardly ever adhered to that rule and, therefore, would work just as well if inserted into one of today’s motion pictures. The man was really ahead of his time.
Anyway, the movie I’m thinking about in particular is titled “Alexander Nevsky”, a true story about a Russian warlord-prince who defeated invading Teutonic Knights in a massive battle over a frozen lake. This movie it’s self was made in 1938 and pretty well dated by today’s standards but it’s score was so progressive that it rivals anything on CD today. Period.
In addition to that, Prokofiev’s “muscle” score (or more precisely the music over the final battle — which you heard up top) inspired so many film composers of this day and age, it’s not even funny: including Basil Poledouis from “Conan: The Barbarian” fame (the vocals), Howard Shore in “Lord of the Rings” (the tone) and — most notibely — Danny on “Darkman” (the belly growl; as well as the way he handles much of his action in general, like in “Batman”).
For example: The theme for the Teutonic Knights, the villains, is so damn dark and Elfman sounding that you’d think it was by him directly on first listen… or at least Bernard Herrmann. Hell, you’d never guess this was from a 1930’s movie… or Prokofiev! I’m too used to his piano music and only recently (due to my college requirements) started listening to his orchestral work. God I’m glad.
October 27, 2004 at 10:37 pm #52671Nin_CherryParticipantThat “G sharp, B flat, A” brass motif at the beginning… I seem to understand where Danny’s inspiration for Sleepy Hollow came from…
October 27, 2004 at 11:34 pm #52674rexParticipantCool stuff man!
Thanks for sharing, truely amazing!rex
October 28, 2004 at 2:44 am #52677Ryan KeaveneyKeymasterProkofiev’s NEVSKY… Been there, done that… So long ago
Ryan
October 28, 2004 at 3:17 am #52678Mr. DantzParticipantThe guy is obviously influenced by Elfman, Williams, Herrmann, and Shore.
October 28, 2004 at 4:03 am #52681Dawg ManParticipantThe guy obviously influenced Elfman, Williams, Herrmann, and Shore.
October 28, 2004 at 6:30 am #52683AnonymousGuestdont forget Horner, in a big way.
October 28, 2004 at 8:20 am #52684Nin_CherryParticipantlol
Too bad nobody got it.
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