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That dual interview was mesmerizing! Also re “looking to be Elfman’s first well-received movie since Goosebumps”, i think it should be noted that though panned by critics, JUSTICE LEAGUE took in $650m+ worldwide and has relatively high audience scores across the board. And while the critics panned TULIP and GIRL, both films received kudos for Elfman’s scores, especially the latter. Just trying to look at the bright side!
Happy to see Den of Geek give Elfman some love for his contributions to Superhero sounds over the years. Reminded me how much I’ve been enjoying the JL score. Some of my favorite cues/musical moments:
-“Hero’s Theme” – dig the syncopated slow burn/build and lumbering 6/4 time signature, as well as the the stabby string counterpoint that starts at 1:07, the complete tonal shift in the middle, the twitchy string figures throughout, and those creaky electronics at the end.
-“The Amazon Mother Box” – haven’t really heard over the top grandeur at this level since Elfman’s amazing Dark Shadows opener (also dig those descending string figures reminiscent of his Hulk score–super hero callback!)
-“Tunnel Fight” – as excellent an action set piece as Elfman has ever composed, and my heart always skips a beat when Flash’s tickly time jump theme cuts through the well-balanced bombast.
-“Anti-Hero’s Theme” is a jaw dropper, unlike anything Elfman has composed for a blockbuster in terms of chord building amidst in his patented “dark superhero” minor mode mono-texture. This cue always makes me wonder what Philip Glassi would do with Batman.
-“Friends and Foes” – powerful, nuanced composition and darrrrrk. Especially love that rolly flute and harp thing at 0:35, and the sinister variations of the Williams’ Superman theme.
-Also: the orchestral arrangements of Zimmer/Guo’s Wonder Woman theme, sections in “Final Battle” reminiscent of his Age of Ultron score (nice subversion of the two universes!), and, more than the full quotes of his classic Batman theme, how he twists/turns it throughout to near unrecognizable mutations.
diggin’ the “hero’s theme”. touches of ultron and spider-man by way of his errol morris music. just wondering why “hero’s” is singular. “friends and foes” has some nice textures. looking forward to seeing how these marry to film. here’s the (double ?) cd tracklist via EW:
Justice League soundtrack
01. Everybody Knows – Sigrid (4:25)
02.The Justice League Theme – Logos (0:48)
03. Hero’s Theme (4:17)
04. Batman on the Roof (2:34)
05. Enter Cyborg (2:00)
06. Wonder Woman Rescue (2:43)
07. Hippolyta’s Arrow (1:16)
08. The Story of Steppenwolf (2:59)
09. The Amazon Mother Box (4:33)
10. Cyborg Meets Diana (2:36)
11. Aquaman in Atlantis (2:39)
12. Then There Were Three (1:10)
13. The Tunnel Fight (6:24)
14. The World Needs Superman (1:00)
15. Spark of the Flash (2:18)
16. Friends and Foes (4:14)
17. Justice League United (1:24)
18. Home (3:24)
19. Bruce and Diana (1:06)
20. The Final Battle (6:14)
21. A New Hope (4:36)
22. Anti-Hero’s Theme (5:35)
23. Come Together – Gary Clark Jr. & Junkie XL (3:13)
24. Icky Thump – The White Stripes (4:14)
25. The Tunnel Fight (Full Length Bonus Track) (10:58)
26. The Final Battle (Full Length Bonus Track) (12:57)
27. Mother Russia (Bonus Track) (1:45)The score 89:30 min, the songs 11:52 min
(updated w/ times via iTunes.)
definitely a different mix (or even recording) than what was on the orginal soundtrack, but the tempo feels the same to me.
Beyond the obvious (Scrooged, Edward, Nightmare, Batman Returns, Family Man), I’d recommend the following for their holiday cheer/christmas creepy vibes (some a bit of a stretch!):
“Main Titles”, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
“Main Titles”/”Beautiful Day”, Flubber
“Jump for Joy”, Black Beauty
“At Work”, Sommersby
“The Moon”, Simple Plan
“Bliss”, Fifty Shades of Grey
“Dog Poo”/”Anita’s Theme”, Milk
“Worm Lounge #1”, Men in Black II (always reminds me of an office christmas party for some reason…)
“I Forget”, Serenada Schizophrana
“Finale & Bows”, IRISSo impressed! In the “at least one track” category, should there be NOVOCAINE, SCREAM 2, NACHO LIBRE, NOTORIOUS, SILVER LININGS PLAYBOOK, “Original Music from ‘Tales from the Crypt'” and maybe 9?
Lest we forget… “Warren was insane.“
Elfman discussing orchestration/orchestrators, courtesy of an ancient (1995!) Film Score Monthly profile:
Quote:“I use orchestrators, not arrangers. The difference may seem subtle. but it’s not,” [Elfman] explains. “The orchestrator’s job is to take music which has been clearly written and balance it for the size orchestra that has been designated. Steve Bartek has been my primary orchestrator on almost every film I’ve done. He never changes a melody, he doesn’t add counterpoint, he does not change or add harmonies. That’s the composer’s job. He will elect what instrumentation might best express what I’m trying to convey in terms of doubling melodies and dividing the parts of the string section so they can be used most effectively. I don’t want to minimize this job, it’s very important. It’s time-consuming and I, Iike most composers, depend on our orchestrator to complete the final stage of the scoring. John Williams uses orchestrators and he certainly doesn’t need to. Prokofiev used orchestrators, though he certainly didn’t need to. I use orchestrators for the same reason.” To give specific examples, if Elfman wrote three parts for strings, Bartek will decide which individual players will play which note to best balance the orchestra. He might also write out more orchestral parts than are eventually used; for example, the oboe music might include lines from the flute part, so that even though the oboist is not expected to play, his music will include the flute lines in case it is deemed necessary for him or her to “double” (also play) it. It’s simply easier to have it all written in advance than to have to rush and have the copyist scribble out new parts on the stage. “We may have the first pass of a cue over-orchestrated, and then have to tacit parts, but better that than under-orchestrated,” he explains.The orchestrator is helpful before the recording, as well as during it. “I have a tendency to overwrite, as you’re well aware, and Steve is very helpful in finding train-wrecks before we get to the scoring stage. When I’m moving very fast, he’ll be able to help me, like ‘tell me where I fucked up by laying it on too dense.’ Sometimes Steve will call me up, he’ll say, ‘Your melody is down there in this very loud section, I think you’ve got to make a decision between what the trombones are playing or where the melody is.'”
Great profile on Elfman in the Los Angeles Times, discussing his approach to GIRL ON THE TRAIN:
Quote:Elfman likes to present directors with three different approaches to a score, one being decidedly more unorthodox. “The pleasureful moments for me are when I play something which I think is more off-center,” he said, “and the director’s eyes light up and go, ‘Yeah!’ Then I go, ‘All right — we’re in business.’”In this case, the angle was a bass-heavy, rhythmic motor using (among other things) de-tuned mandolins and screaming electric guitars. In some scenes, musical phrases are run in reverse for a disorienting effect. Most of the score was made with synthesizers and sampled instruments, and Elfman said he had fun taking a break from orchestras, spending half of his time programming sounds late at night. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-girl-on-the-train-danny-elfman-20160930-snap-story.html
Elfman also comments on the viral YouTube video “The Marvel Symphonic Universe”, taking exception to how his comments about temp tracks were used. The article reconfirms the violin concerto and Ponsoldt thriller THE CIRCLE as upcoming projects.
In other news, though the film was near universally panned, several critics spotlighted Elfman’s score as a highlight (in addition to the Hollywood Reporter rave mentioned above):
“It helps loads to bask in the dark shadows of Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s cinematography and the haunting cadences of Danny Elfman’s score.” http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/peter-travers-the-girl-on-the-train-movie-review-w443189
“The casting is topnotch (including Lisa Kudrow in what amounts to a fleeting cameo), and the tension-building assets include Danny Elfman’s score.” http://www.cnn.com/2016/10/06/entertainment/the-girl-on-the-train-review/
“while critics largely criticized Taylor’s direction and Erin Cressida Wilson’s screenplay, the film’s aesthetic elements, including Danny Elfman’s score and Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s cinematography, are being noted as highlights.” http://www.ew.com/article/2016/10/03/girl-on-the-train-reviews
“there’s plenty to keep this cinematic train a-rollin’, from Charlotte Bruus Christensen’s adventurous cinematography to Danny Elfman’s expressive score and Erin Cressida Wilson’s oddly sympathetic script.” https://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/oct/09/the-girl-on-the-train-review-emily-blunt-paula-hawkins
“thanks to some crafty editing from Michael McCusker and Andrew Buckland, fine cinematography including lots of very cool train shots from Charlotte Bruus Christensen, and an eerie Hitchcock-like score from Danny Elfman (one of his best and most surprising), the movie works on its own terms.” http://deadline.com/2016/10/the-girl-on-the-train-review-emily-blunt-tate-taylor-video-1201830759/
“Credit ‘The Girl on the Train’ for making tracks with Danny Elfman’s surprisingly (for him) untraditional music, a moody, anti-melodic score radiating with atonal tension and pulsating suspense lacking in every other compartment on this unexciting ride.” http://www.dailyherald.com/article/20161006/entlife/161009357/
What was it like collaborating with Danny Elfman on the score?
Tate Taylor: It was a dream. He’s such a master and his work speaks for itself. We had a blast. We took chances, and I told him to go as crazy as he wanted. He’s fantastic and became a great friend.
1. Unknown Known (2013) – The awkward, maybe slightly special needs cousin to Standard Operating Procedure—one of my top Elfman scores of all time—is just beyond. Heart, quirk, sadness, malevolence—all pretty much following the incomprehensible blatherings of a man sitting in a chair. And Elfman doing minimalism is always a pleasure. Of course Philip Glass set the bar (installed the glass ceiling?) when it comes to documentary scoring, but Elfman has twice now proved he can not only work in that milieu, but can comprehensively make it his own.
2. Dark Shadows (2012) – I’m agog every time I listen to the uncut Prologue music—such craftsmanship, audacity, richness and density! Plus the 70s/synthesizer sound experiments, bass flutes galore, and tingles still ripple over my body when those growling electronic glissandi tear through the Shadows theme.
3. Fifty Shades of Grey (2015) – Totally riveted by this score—pure iconoclasm of the genre and sort of a mashup of elements I love from Unknown Known and Red Dragon.
4. Alice in Wonderland (2010) – You had me at “Alice!” The extended score from the box set really brings this one to life.
5. Avengers: Age of Ultron (2015) – Maybe not a proper choice with such full-bodied, fully realized and incredibly accomplished scores as Epic, Oz, Peabody, Wolfman (love that Wolf Suite!) and Real Steel, but I’m going on the utter listenability of a number of tracks—how clean and crisp the action cues are yet containing a healthy dose of invention, the emotional complexity of Ultron-Twins, and, let’s not forget, a solid, stirring heroic theme the likes of which we haven’t really heard on this level in decades. Though Elfman reverently and expertly seeded in bits of Silvestri’s theme and style from the first film, he still came up with something timeless of his own (more timeless than Silvestri’s I feel, which sounds a little 90s shrug-of-the-shoulder to me.) I think the world has moved on from this style of theme, but it’s awesome to know Elfman can still crank one out in a rush when he must.
Bonus: IRIS (2011) – Though not a film score, this would be at the top of the list of “Tops” from 2010-2015. It’s such an expansive, imaginative tapestry, and a complete encapsulation of Elfman’s musical being.
That radio interview was awesome. Seeing the show tonight and can’t wait! I’ve been keeping track of all the coverage and most articles say the same thing: how did you get started, what’s it like working with Tim Burton, did it really take 15 minutes to compose the Simpson’s theme, etc.–nothing new for most of. But there’s been a few new insights.
The New York Times’s review of the concert pointed to influences of Shostakovich and Paganini in addition to the more typical stylistic comparison of Prokofiev (didn’t Elfman once say that if you hear classical influences in his works–e.g. Wagner in BATMAN–it is most likely those influences transmitted through golden age film composers like Korngold, Waxman and Herrman?)
Slate waxed rapturous about Elfman’s use of the Neapolitan 6 chord.
The New Yorker went “antiquing” with Elfman in NYC.
And The New York Post asked a hard hitting question about Elfman’s religious leanings. (Spoiler: No surprise but Danny appears to be marching in the army out to crush religious freedom, if I’m reading the subtext of The Post’s question right.)
Other features:
http://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/on-the-town/2015/07/7/lincoln-center-festival-opens-with-danny-elfman-s-music-for-tim-burton-films.html
http://www.vulture.com/2015/07/danny-elfman-on-8-of-his-iconic-scores.html
http://www.buzzfeed.com/briangalindo/danny-elfman-looks-back-on-his-5-earliest-collaborations-wit#.mkjgxeWOX
http://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6620146/danny-elfman-simpsons-tim-burton-batman-interview
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/jul/06/danny-elfman-tim-burton-lincoln-center-festival
http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/01/danny-elfman-tim-burton
http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/music/concert-honors-danny-elfman-work-tim-burton-article-1.2285846“Madison Gate Records and Sony Classical have announced that they will be releasing the official soundtrack to the upcoming adventure horror/comedy Goosebumps…”
Danny Elfman’s “Goosebumps” Score To Be Released By Madison Gate Records/Sony Classical
Publicity blitz ramping up for the NYC concerts! In addition to features on Elfman at Rolling Stone and The Village Voice, Lincoln Center posted an article on conductor John Mauceri:
“To open this most prestigious and eclectic festival with Danny Elfman’s music is, for me, a tremendous victory for valuing music that frequently is not valued.”
http://www.lincolncenter.org/article/john-mauceri-on-danny-elfman-music
Full score available to listen on YouTube… for now. Here is the playlist:
Avengers Age of Ultron Soundtrack | YouTube
Edit: And alas, it is gone. Glad some of you got to hear it!
Tickets went on sale today for the NYC performances, and they jazzed up the webpage:
http://www.lincolncenterfestival.org/2015/danny-elfman-s-music-from-the-films-of-tim-burton
Tx are hella expensive, but probably worth it to see the spectacle in one of the country’s most revered concert music halls. [Sorry Ryan, I’m sure the cities where you saw the concerts were great, but they weren’t NYC!
]More details from Lincoln Center:
Quote:The festival opens on July 6 with Danny Elfman’s Music from the Films of Tim Burton, a multimedia orchestral experience of specially created suites from a majority of the film collaborations by the legendary composer and visionary director, combined with montages of film clips, sketches, drawings and storyboards edited by Burton. John Mauceri, one of the world’s foremost conductors of live film music, will lead a full orchestra and choir, with Danny Elfman making a special guest appearance. Audience members are encouraged to come to the performance dressed as their favorite character from the films. There will be eight performances in Avery Fisher Hall through July 12.…
Tickets: Lincoln Center Festival packages go on sale on January 23 to Friends of Lincoln Center and to the general public on February 2. Single tickets for the entire festival go on sale to Friends of Lincoln Center on March 23 and the general public on starting March 31. For more information and to buy tickets, visit LincolnCenterFestival.org or go to the Avery Fisher or Alice Tully Hall box offices, or call CenterCharge, 212-721-6500.
Fresh(ish) details on the Part II concert:
… premieres of two new concert suites, Milk Suite and Oz the Great and Powerful Suite, both assembled by Newman and Max Mueller for the occasion… in addition, Newman conducts music from Alice in Wonderland and Spiderman, and the Big Fish Suite… the event kicks off with a free symposium, at 4:30 pm, including a performance of Elfman’s Overeager Overture…
Someone has been posting the complete Spider-Man score on the YouTube. I didn’t even notice there was music on the bus ride.
WSJ’s article from the Mysitc Manor opening, foucusing on the music with a brief interview with Elfman. Kinda of ominous him wanting to get into the minds of kids.
“It was my connection with the Haunted Mansion from Disneyland that drew me, because I remember that so well. The chance to pay a bit of homage to that was very exciting to me, because I like the idea of doing something that gets into the subconscious mind of children from many generations, like the Haunted Mansion did for me.”
http://blogs.wsj.com/scene/2013/06/14/danny-elfman-on-scoring-for-a-disney-ride/
