Movie Music Monday: 'Legends of the Fall'

Few composers capture the vibe, theme, philosophy, and character of the movie they are composing for as well as James Horner did. When you listen to his soundtracks, you can hear what the movies are about. You hear the romance, the heartbreak, the terror, the violence, the grandiosity and the epic sweep. You can sense the period of time and the mood. Horner, like precious few others, had the ability to truly capture in notes, melodies, harmony and percussion what the films were created to say through dialogue, cinematography, plot, and action. He was a magnificently gifted composer and Legends of the Fall is one of my all-time favorite Horner scores.

Edward Zwick's Legends..., based on the Jim Harrison novella, is the story of a Montana family's battle to stay united through the early years of the twentieth century. Horner's score beautifully and terribly captures the dynamics of the Ludlow family's saga, from the idealism of young men heading off to fight in World War I to the catastrophic loss of loved ones and the eventual discovery of the family's need for one another. The soundtrack masterfully incorporates elements that bring to mind the Americana of the newly settled frontier, the chaos of trench warfare, and the spiritual appreciation the characters hold for the land and time in which they live. The film is a multilayered and complex story, and the music is similarly diverse.

But Horner never leaves a listener stranded for long. He was clearly a big believer in theme and accessibility, and the soundtrack for Legends... contains a handful of some of his most memorable lines. You may even hear hints of other Horner films and recognize traces of instrumentation that were prominent in some of his later scores. His signature was a memorable one, and Legends... certainly marked some of his most potent work.

//

Movie Music Monday: 'Fantastia'

Alright, alright, alright... today's movie music pick isn't technically movie music. Or, maybe it is technically movie music. Either one. Whatever.

Disney's timeless animated musical, Fantasia, features the performance of classical music tunes that have become - at least in part because of the popularity of the movie itself - some of our culture's favorites. The Nutcracker Suite. Ave Maria. The Sorcerer's Apprentice. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor. These are all pieces that most people recognize and love, regardless of their exposure to or education in classical music. They have simply become part of our cultural understanding of what the genre sounds like.

The soundtrack for Fantasia features Leopold Stokowski directing the Philadelphia Orchestra through these masterpieces (and more) in what is surely one of the most popular classical music recordings in modern history. For fans of Disney, for fans of soundtracks, and for fans of classical music, this collection is one to own. It's a deep and moving progression, as well, even if you haven't seen the film. This one's a treasure, people. Be sure to check it out.

//

Movie Music Monday - 'Burnt'

The wife and I checked out the Bradley Cooper flick Burnt a few days ago, and, while we both felt like the movie was alright (not great, not bad, but worth watching), the soundtrack definitely had some notable highlights. There's some beautiful, introspective, and melodic pieces throughout this film, and I took to iTunes to grab some of the tracks that I couldn't ignore. The piece posted here is included on both the soundtrack album (which features some of the instrumental score along with some other tracks from various artists) and the score album (which is comprised of only Rob Simonsen's music), and adds a wonderful texture to one of the best scenes in the movie.



~

Movie Music Monday - 'Nightcrawler'

I watched Nightcrawler inside Bob Hope Airport waiting for a delayed flight. It is a provocative film, definitely not for everybody, but from the moment the opening credits begin to appear, the thing you absolutely cannot miss or deny is the power of the music. James Newton Howard's score is vibey, cool, atmospheric, and melodic. It's one of the most listened to soundtracks in my collection and definitely worth checking out regardless of whether you have any intention of even seeing the movie. Great, great stuff here.

Movie Music Monday - 'Saving Mr. Banks'

Had this song playing in my head all day yesterday... there are worse things, I assure you. It's from a great movie and Thomas Newman is one my favorite movie score composers. This soundtrack is just one of many examples why.