Film Score Focus

Few film composers have garnered a reputation as an aural chameleon like Mychael Danna. When you hear one of his scores you're hearing something that is, most likely, fresh and quite different than anything you've heard from him before. With each project Danna brings out a huge palette of colors, textures, and shapes while coupling them with a rainbow of emotions. He's done almost every type of film imaginable and his use of ethnic instruments and folk music in his scores is a signature that he continues to develop to this day.


Here is the lineup for FSF-095 Composer Spotlight: Mychael Danna



Mychael Danna's music is readily available on CD but a few titles are vanishing quickly and could fall into out-of-print bins before too long. He always composes a couple scores a year and just about every score he completes receives a CD release. Such is the case with his more recent scores to films like BREACH (2007), THE NATIVITY STORY (2006), and LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE (2006).

One of his earliest films which put him on the map was THE ICE STORM (1997) for director Ang Lee. Although there is a CD release of the soundtrack, only two tracks from Danna's score can be found. The rest are songs from the film. A more complete version of Danna's score to THE ICE STORM can be found as a direct download release on iTunes. There are quite a few downloadable Danna scores on there actually.

One of the primary characteristics Danna exhibits in his music is the incorporation of ethnic instruments and textures even though that particular culture isn't reflected in the film. He treats these instruments not as "ethnic only" instruments but uses them as freely as he would a violin, guitar, or flute. He loves finding new and invigorating colors for his music and the instruments of the world certainly help with that.

When you hear this week's show you'll hear an eclectic mix of sounds. It's hard to believe that it all came from the same composer. Enjoy!

The contest is officially over and I do believe we have a winner!

Before I announce the winner I'd like to thank those who entered and sent me some fabulous ideas for future programming here on Film Score Focus. My list of show ideas hasn't shrunk since I took over the program two years ago and now, thanks to you, I've been able to add more diverse programming ideas which I plan to share with you.

I hope you enjoyed the show today on the eclectic film music of Mychael Danna.

Without further adieu the winner of the two free Mychael Danna CDs: THE NATIVITY STORY (2006), and BREACH (2007) is...

Susan M. Romanella of San Marcos, Texas.

While everybody wrote in ideas that would make excellent programs Susan took her idea a step further. Quoted below is what she sent me...

My best idea is to do a show on “water music on film”…selecting films where water (albeit in the form of rivers, oceans, streams, ponds….or even ice and snow) is a central focus in the story and its presence is translated into the accompanying score. It would be exciting, in lieu of hearing the scores of more obvious choice “blockbuster” films, to hear some lesser known music and composers.

I do have another important reason for suggesting this idea for a show. 2007-2008 is the year of the “Water Planet” Common Experience theme at Texas State University-San Marcos. Throughout the year, our university community will focus on and celebrate the unique role of water in our lives in an effort to encourage good stewardship of this precious natural gift. I have included the link to the “Water Planet” Common Experience website that features a few of the upcoming events and programs that will take place all year long. Shimmering and flowing throughout our campus, the San Marcos River is an ever present reminder of the beauty, power, and grace of water. The subject of water is a source for creative expression that crosses all boundaries – artistic, cultural, and historical. It would be wonderful to add your special musical signature to this “common experience”!
http://www.txstate.edu/commonexperience/index.htm

Susan didn't merely suggest an idea for a show that would certainly reap volumes of wonderful film music we could all enjoy. She suggested a show that could also bring awareness to an issue that is very near and dear to her heart. I'm often humbled by the power that music has in a film. Susan reminded me of the power that it can wield off screen as well. There are no supplemental reasons to listen to film music other than pure enjoyment, however if it can bring awareness to our culture, our society, or to us as a people living on this planet, then it's done something that not many mediums are able to accomplish and for this I was impressed and deeply grateful for her idea.

Sometime early next year I'm going to work with Susan and try to produce a show of great "water" film music highlighting the Water Planet Common Experience theme at Texas State University - San Marcos.


Thanks Susan for taking the time out to write and for all who sent in show ideas! You are all wonderful!

Enjoy the Show!

If you haven't already done so, send your emails to me as soon as possible for the contest to win two free Mychael Danna CDs. I'll stop receiving entries this Saturday morning and I'll post the winner right here on this web site Saturday evening. Good Luck and thanks for all who entered! I've been getting some really great ideas from you.

I love Japan. I actually lived there from late 1988 until 1991 where I attended my first three years of high school. Each day I was there I further developed my love for the culture, the people, the food, music, movies, cities...everything! I haven't been back since I came back to the good 'ol USA and I miss it terribly. One day I'll return and relive my days as an American teenager in the land of the rising sun.

Why wait? I want to go back now and you know what? I'm going to take you with me. Of all the densely packed genres that make up my passion for cinema, one of my very favorites are Japanese samurai pictures. I love the samurai! There's a fascination in Japan with the early protectors of the feudal lords much like America's fascination with the mob. Samurai warriors can be savage yet beautiful, graceful yet powerful and your friendliest enemy. The culture of the samurai goes back about a thousand years and many modern Japanese filmmakers have cemented their legacy retelling the stories of the noble clans.

This week on FILM SCORE FOCUS I'm going highlight some great cinema featuring tales of the samurai. Although I could've easily kept them Japanese I decided to vary up the palette and include a couple western productions in the mix as well. The scores are amazing and vastly different yet there is a simple commonality among them all. I hope you enjoy it.

Here is the lineup for FSF-094 Swords of the Samurai



The one drawback about this particular program is that almost all of the scores featured on the program are rare imports or out-of-print. Only one of the titles, THE LAST SAMURAI (2003) by Hans Zimmer is readily available.

One of my latest obsessions is obtaining all of the Toho Company Ltd. titles that have been recently released. The only problem is that the run about $40 a CD. The first on my list of acquistions is the Akira Kurosawa classic SEVEN SAMURAI (1954) which is highly regarded as one of the best films ever made. If you haven't seen it I highly recommend losing yourself with this one as soon as possible. THE TWILIGHT SAMURAI (2003) is a more recent samurai picture and a very good one. It's score by Isao Tomita is exquisite as well.

Most cinemaholics are familiar with another Akira Kurosawa classic called RAN (1985) and television audiences were glued to the set in 1980 to experience the mini-series SHOGUN (1980). Both of these scores couldn't be farther apart creatively but yet when you hear their militaristic overtones, you begin to understand their commonality. RAN couldn't be more Japanese in tone while SHOGUN couldn't be more of a western interpretation of Japanese culture. It's interesting how these pair together.

Finally THE LAST SAMURAI (2003) is a fine picture worth the climaxing samurai battle and detailed samurai costumes. Hans Zimmer did the score and although I'm not the biggest fan of Zimmer, this score is definitely one of his better accomplishments in the last several years. Of all these scores THE LAST SAMURAI is the easiest to get. SEVEN SAMURAI is easy to order online but again, it'll cost approximately $40.

Enjoy the swords of the samurai!

This week we're going to continue our journey through the music of the twelve-episode BBC documentary series entitled PLANET EARTH.

After Part I aired a couple of weeks ago, I received an above average amount of emails from listeners expressing their enjoyment of the show while praising the music. I had a feeling that it would be well received. It was such a huge part of this amazing series. Whether or not you've seen the series, this music will leave an impact on you and take you to the farthest reaches of earth. It's amazing how composer George Fenton is able to accomplish this with seemingly little effort.

An interesting side note to mention...Earlier in the week a listener emailed me and told me about BLUE PLANET which is another BBC documentary series which predates PLANET EARTH by about five years. Before the premiere of PLANET EARTH in England last year and America earlier this year, BLUE PLANET seemed to reign supreme as the best series of nature documentaries ever assembled. The Discovery Channel has been rebroadcasting the series in the wake of success of PLANET EARTH. George Fenton also composed the music for the entire BLUE PLANET series and I hear it's equally as awesome as his music for PLANET EARTH. I'm looking forward to checking it out. There is a CD of music from the series but it's been out-of-print for sometime now and very difficult to find.

To check out a schedule of upcoming broadcasts of BLUE PLANET you can click here.

I hope you enjoy the second part of this two part series.

Here is the lineup for FSF-093 Discovering Planet Earth, Part II