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finally could afford to get this… had to force myself to click “place order” (not used to spending that much on anything other than gear)… having a beer helped… sounds like its worth it though, the book looks amazing, can’t wait…
So not to get too nerdy here but, has any one else ever noticed the similarity in it’s most basic form of alice’s theme and black beauty main titles? i might be generalizing the whole i-IV-i chord progression thing, but is the melody similar to anyone else’s ears? just wondering, because I always hear it…
Yeah, I’m aware of that
. I only say finale because I recently created an orchestral score in finale using the exact same large font time signatures. Aside from the measure numbers, everything else looks similar. Although I have never worked in Sibelius, so I cannot argue against it. Either way, nice to see his newer stuff in full score, even just a snippet.I read this one few years back as well. It’s definitely interesting. I recommend taking Scott Smalley’s film music orchestration seminar. He worked on batman as an orchestrator, and as part of the class you get a gigantic book with about 800 pages of full scores of cues, including some from batman, as well as mission impossible. Also, an Elfman sketch score is in there for one of the MI cues. The class is on orchestration, but you can always analyze the score for compositional goodies too. I think he does one in LA and one in NY. Also in there are tons of Goldsmith and Basil P. Oh. and LONESOME DOVE!
these guys need proof readers:
” Elfman has earned four Oscar nominations for his inventive scores to Good Will Hunting , Men in Black, Big Fish and most recently Mike. “
Bought this one right away. It’s awesome. I really like the last track on disc 2, which is Shirley Walker at the piano demonstrating her themes and discussing. Too bad she passed, it would be nice to hear more from her.
a only know of arrangements, but Danny Elfman’s Batman : A Film Score Guide (Paperback)
by Janet K. Halfyard has snippets of the batman score. Also On the Track by Fred Karlin and Rayburn Wright has a few sketch score cues from edward scissorhands and batman. I know that’s not what you’re looking for exactly, but it might help a little with the thesis.evil-dead
nice stuff! just curious as to what sample libraries you used. keep it up! oh and did you get the music i sent you?
i see what you did there, it does work. i came up with something similar that’s possible but trick up to speed, i had Db C Db Bb C A Bb G up high then on the other 8th notes (the “ands”) an octave lower in 3rds with lh accompaniment moving around inversions of Eb toEb diminished and what not. Weird that that one section sounds like 2 pianos and the rest of the piece doesn’t. I could send you what I came up with if you wanted to take a look.
yes that’s exactly the section i was having trouble with. i have a pdf of what i came up with, which i’m pretty sure is wrong there i could send you. or if you still have your transcription i would like to take a look.
thanks
evil-dead
I will soon. I just need to get of my arse and put it up there. So I guess all I can say is…. coming soon.
oh and for the tritone also check out Stravinsky’s Petrushka – there’s the “Petrushka chord” which is really an arpeggiated C major triad over an F# major triad in inversion. Alan Silverstri used it a bunch in back to the future. It’s that riff you hear (descending triads, one after another) whenever there’s a sense of tension. That’s a rad score, by the way.
If you’re approach is to notate as you write, I reccommend Finale. The latest version has a built in mixer, and say you were writing a piece for orchestra – the sounds are pretty good, although not the best available. If you’re sequencing your stuff and don’t care about notation, or want to notate it later, I reccomend digital performer or reason. You can always import those midi files as audio into protools and the sound banks that are stock are pretty sweet (reason has timpani rolls, superballed gong, harp glissandos, etc.) If you want to get pricy as far as sound banks and samplers, there’s tons of expensive gear out there. but if you’re just recording your own tunes, I recommend finale for notation (and/or midi input), reason for midi sequencing, and protools or logic (if you’r e an apple guy) for audio.
http://elfman.filmmusic.com/forum/read.php?7,25560,25563#25563
Re: to boingo musicA few elfman staples I’ve picked up from listen/checking out sheet music – celste/glock outlining triads (used more than just edward scissorhands). changing tonal centers in minor thirds and back (Cmi to Ami or Eb min). Short rhythmic and melodic cells he expands upon. Also tritone key shifts (minor third x 2). Muted brass rhythmically outlining sustained chords while strings and winds hold em, and triplet figures with these guys too. You should check out the Batman film score guide – its a full analysis available from scarecrow press. Pretty good read. Oh I forgot a super elfman one – alto sax solos over orchestra (stating and embelishing the theme with softer accompaniment – this is more for his Burton scores). When he has a darker chord progression that’s slower he loves them french horns coupled with lower brass and bass clarinet on the bottom. ummmm….. also french horn and trumpet punches during suspense scenes. but yeah – alto solos – mucho celeste/glock – bass clarinet on the low end, and french horns. Oh I almost for got, string arrpeggios in ostinato. And brief harp solos (fills) instead of contant accompaniment. I would look to Bernard Herrmann for inspiration too – he’s Danny’s main man and his scores are more readily available (There’s analysis of most his Hitchcock stuff and citizen Kane – damn he rules). Sorry for rambling – I’m a nerd I know.
I would try and get a piano transcription or an arrangement for concert band (if you want to pay for it). Here’s a concert band arrangement for real cheap:
http://www.musicnotes.com/sheetmusic/book.asp?ppn=BKWBWBRP1013C
Not the exact orchestration (Steve Bartek orchestrates all his stuff anyway). but you can get an idea of the harmony. As far as I’ve read, he composes via sequencers (digital performer, etc) which then translate whats written into notated score, which is then cleaned up and orchestrated (Bartek says he rarely alters any notes, Elfman instinctually knows what sounds good in what range). I’m sure there are a whole lot of snippets of whole tone in there as fills, in fact listening to it right now I’m sure of it. Sticking to just lydian dominant doesn’t seem like Elfman, he always changes it up (and modulates in minor thirds). You should check out Serenada Schizophrana, his concert work. It’s very Herrmannesque at times, with a touch of whomever would be the result of a hypothetical Copland-Shostakovich mutant love child (he quoted Shostakovich’s Jazz Suite as inspiration – you can definitely hear some of it with the standard Ellington flavor as well). I hope that score is what it claims to be, because although an arrangement, 7 bucks aint bad. Hope that helps.
I don’t have a score, and I know Elfman doesn’t consciously think about modes and symmetrical scales, but I think it’s safe to say Lydian dominant – listen to the sax break.
Wierd. I did a paper on Bernard Herrmann for my 20th century music class many moons ago. There’s a book i used called “A Heart at Fire’s Center” that’s got tons of cool stuff. I found out that he and I have the same birthday, and we were both born super premature (cue Herrmann’s Twighlight Zone music). Although I’m not Jewish and was born in the Florida keys…. close enough!
http://www.amazon.com/Heart-Fires-Center-Bernard-Herrmann/dp/0520071239
I have his cantata Moby Dick on vinyl, but my record player broke the next day so I only got to listen to it once. Is it available on cd anywhere?
Yeah, wasn’t Burton in school for animation, not directing? Did he even do any student films? I don’t know about this Rona guy’s fact checking, but I guess it’s not that big of a deal anyway. Plus he worked with Basil Poledouris so he gets some points.
THanks for that. Elfman’s getting up there. Imagine how old he’ll be when his son is outta high school… crazy.
