Scoring the 'Verse with David Newman.
The Serenity composer talks about his involvement in the movie (via Cinescape who also review the soundtrack and rate it very highly). Soundtrack.net has a review of the score as well and gives it 3 1/2 stars out of 4 (big spoilers in that link btw).
I've added Wiseblood's link to this thread.
October 28 2005
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zeitgeist | October 28, 09:38 CET
Tell me I'm not alone in that :P
Angel TheVampire | October 28, 12:28 CET
The "problem" with the score is that most soundtrack fans expect to get an organized work, complete with a haunting love song and a big, booming victory theme - but the music of Serenity lacks these things. As well it should, since "Serenity" doesn't have a big love story, or a booming victory to score. Just as the smaller events onscreen in "Serenity" pull together to make the movie so wonderful, it is the brevity, for want of a better term, of the score that makes it so special.
Anyway, that's how I hear it.
wissxwe | October 28, 13:46 CET
I just think it's very different from most of what you hear today, as Newman says in this interview, almost every film these days, apart from maybe comedies, have the typical, big booming orchestral score, and whilst that often works very well, that's not always the case if it isn't bringing something new to the table, and I think Serenity does that very well.
The score is very unconventional in that respect, it is slightly more subtle and I think more sophisicated because it isn't just the some love themes, a victory piece... Newman doesn't announce these moments quite as brazenly, but it works, and when the music needs to be emphasised or achieve some other feeling, it does so. He doesn't use as many of the instruments you would expect, either. I actually really liked the nice piano themes and the very interesting percussion work.
To me, it feels perfect, like any good score it stands on its own as a great piece of art seperate from the film itself, but it is also an integral part of the film and the perfect accompaniment. I especially love "Serenity", "Mal's Speech", "Run to Black" and especially "Final Battle", just at the part when the music swells towards the end, and as anyone who has seen the movie can testify, it is a beautiful moment.
I do think they should definitely have had the instrumental version of The Ballad of Serenity at the end, and the Fruity Oaty Bars jingle could have made a nice bonus track, as I do think if it were placed in the middle of the other songs it would have broken up the flow of the score music, but surely they could have put it on as the last track. But I don't mind that so much if the advert itself is on the DVD, but they really should have the Ballad of Serenity on there.
Razor | October 28, 14:05 CET
bobster | October 28, 19:57 CET
Gah. C'mon "Serenity"....get popular on DVD. I want a sequel.
pat32082 | October 29, 07:41 CET
Drifter | October 29, 12:28 CET
Lioness | October 29, 13:09 CET
Wow! What beautiful pieces of music. I'm no musician but I find just the music itself all very smart, moving and elevating. If you want to be sold on the CD ($25.99 CDN at HMV), get and read Joss's intro for the album. You thought he went all fanboy on Veronica Mars! He goes all cool detached music critic and fanboy on David Newman's work, finishing with: "I may have designed Serenity, but it's David Newman that [who] made her soar." To appreciate the weight of that statement, you have to have read the description leading up to JW's last sentence. I'm not ready to type it all out at the moment. Besides, it's copyright material.
Own it today! (heh, heh)
[ edited by Drifter on 2005-10-30 03:02 ]
Drifter | October 29, 20:00 CET
Lioness | October 29, 21:26 CET
Maybe this will sum it up: Joss tells the story of Newman finding an antique piano that was weirdly shaped and out of tune. Newman said the odd sound reminded him of River and he wanted to use its sound to create her theme. "Something beautiful that had been slightly warped. The glow that I [Joss] felt during the conversation was nothing compared to the theme itself: haunting, haunted, vaguely Eastern and achingly unresolved."
Isn't that a beautiful description?
chrz
[ edited by Drifter on 2005-10-30 08:22 ]
Drifter | October 30, 00:22 CET
samatwitch | October 30, 02:43 CET
wissxwe | October 30, 10:12 CET
I crave to find this, since I am pretty sure I'll be able to play it after some trials!
Le Comité | October 30, 10:17 CET
Le Comite, will this do?
Lioness | October 30, 11:17 CET
Drifter | October 30, 13:31 CET