Blog #4 The Final Frontier... I mean, Post.

In this past week (the final week of January Term) we have ventured into the land of electronic music, namely, the first film with a totally all-electronic score. Premiering in 1956, Forbidden Planet is giving the honor of ushering in this era. The score "electronic tonalities" Louis and Bebe Barron created was actually nominated for an Academy Award! This film and it's scoring undoubtedly opened the door for other films using electronic music. A few years later in the 1970s, John Williams (composer of the score of Close Encounters of the Third Kind, among other films) brings back the idea of big symphonic scores for films. His score of Close Encounters of the Third Kind is a brilliant addition to his portfolio. Williams creates a form of communication between humans and aliens by employing a five note leitmotif consisting of Re, Mi, Do, Do and Sol. Interestingly enough, because of the sheer importance of Williams' composition to the film, he was present every day for the fifteen week postproduction phase. Speilburg, the film's director, would actually construct the scene based on what Williams had composed! That almost never happens in the film music industry!

Poltergeist was another one of the interesting films we watched this week, even if the final few scenes scared the crap out of me. The music brilliantly leads you astray from time to time, letting you believe that you are safe in suburbia while you are, in fact, on top of a cemetery that in going to start fighting back. Goldsmith, the composer of the score, eerily combines nursery song sounding piano with ominous dissonance in the orchestra for Carol Anne's theme. The silence in Poltergeist is used brilliantly as well. You don't have the music to tell you what to feel and it puts you on edge more so than any sort of dissonance would. The Matrix was the third film we watched this week. What made this film so interesting, music wise, is the face that the composition is wall-to-wall. Even if there are no notes being played, there is always some sort of sound design added. The most striking of those moments is when Neo and Trinity storm the building where Morpheus is being held captive. Everything from the footsteps of the soldiers to gun fire and the fall of shell casings is perfectly placed in a "rhythmic ballet". There were no truly melodic lines until the moment when Trinity declares her love for Leo, making him The One.

The final film of the course, and one of my personal favorites, is Up. My favorite musical moment in the movie, by far, is when Mr. Fredrickson going through his morning rituals and the 'Habanera' from Carmen is playing. To me, it seems to be the most inappropriate music to be playing at the time, but it breaks the tension and I find it absolutely hilarious! What I find most interesting about the score for this animated jewel is the constant use of the theme presented at the very beginning of the movie. It weaves its way through the entire plot line and credits, barring storm and action scenes! Brilliant!

I had a great time, Dr. Berry! Kudos to you!