* John Williams' scores for the Star Wars series contain some of the most recognisable, and popular music ever written for film. In this essay I analyse one theme, or set piece, from each of the three trilogies - 'Duel of the Fates' from the prequels, 'Princess Leia's Theme' from the original trilogy and 'The Battle of Crait' from the sequels. I use these to consider how Williams created the iconic sound of the Star Wars universe, as well as how he uses the music to enhance the narrative and add depth to the characters.
Star Wars - The Genius of John WilliamsListening In2019-12-06 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* John Williams' scores for the Star Wars series contain some of the most recognisable, and popular music ever written for film. In this essay I analyse one theme, or set piece, from each of the three trilogies - 'Duel of the Fates' from the prequels, 'Princess Leia's Theme' from the original trilogy and 'The Battle of Crait' from the sequels. I use these to consider how Williams created the iconic sound of the Star Wars universe, as well as how he uses the music to enhance the narrative and add depth to the characters.
#StarWars #JohnWilliamsWhy Hannibal Lecter Murders to BachListening In2022-02-15 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Get 20% off Hooktheory's interactive books and a lifetime subscription to Hookpad: hooktheory.com/listeningin
Hannibal Lecter's murders in the courthouse scene in second act of The Silence of the Lambs are some of the most violent things we will see in the film. But, for me, one of the most disturbing things about the scene isn't what Lecter is doing, but what he's listening to whilst he's doing it. He's listening to two movements from J.S. Bach's Goldberg Variations. Let's find out why Lecter murders to Bach.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: Adam Weddel, Bradley Janse van Rensburg, Karen Rosenow, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonThe Music That Links Dumbledores Death to Bach and RadioheadListening In2022-01-17 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/listeningin01224
When Nicholas Hooper, composer for fifth and sixth Harry Potter films, was set the task to write music for Dumbledore's death, he decided to look back upon the music of mourning from hundreds of years ago. The piece he produced is not only beautifully simple, but also uses a bass line that links composers and musicians across hundreds of years - from Monteverdi to Bach, to The Beatles to Radiohead. Let's find out what ties them all together.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: Adam Weddel, Bradley Janse van Rensburg, Karen Rosenow, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonWhy Sondheims Music is So AddictiveListening In2021-12-08 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* For a whole month of great cinema for free, visit: mubi.com/listeningin Leos Carax's ANNETTE is now showing exclusively on MUBI in the UK, Ireland, India, Brazil, and Latin America.
17 years ago, I heard Stephen Sondheim's music for the first time and ever since, I've been hooked. Let's try and find out why his shows and music and his lyrics are all so addictive...
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonDid Neurological Damage Lead To Ravels Masterpiece?Listening In2021-10-19 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
Ravel wrote his orchestral masterpiece, Boléro, towards the end of his life and it quickly became his most popular piece of music. But behind the infectious rhythms lies a story that might explain why he wrote the piece in the way that he did.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonWhy The Matrix Has the Perfect EndingListening In2021-09-27 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
Watch the bonus video on Trinity's theme only on Nebula! https://nebula.app/listeningin
Don Davis' score for The Matrix is perfectly suited to the multi-layered world that the Wachowskis created - it's full of polytonality and polyharmony and is constructed, unlike a traditional score, using several separate musical cells instead of melodic themes. And it all culminates in what I believe is one of the best musical conclusions for any film. Let's find out why it's so good.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonWhy Spider-Man has the Best Marvel ScoreListening In2021-09-10 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Sam Raimi's 2002 Spider-Man was ground-breaking in many respects - in approach, aesthetic, narrative and cinematography. But, for me, of the most enduring gift that the film gave us was the score, written by Danny Elfman. Elfman's music for Spider-Man contains some of the greatest themes ever composed for film, but it also plays a significant role as part of the narrative.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonWhy Over the Rainbow was Cut from The Wizard of OzListening In2021-08-25 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* The first 1,000 people to use this link will get a 1 month free trial of Skillshare: https://skl.sh/listeningin08211
'Over the Rainbow', written by Harold Arlen and Yip Harburg, has become a cultural icon since its inclusion in MGM's 1939 classic The Wizard of Oz. But despite its current fame, it very nearly didn’t see the light of the day. This is the story of how Over the Rainbow was written, but also how it was nearly lost to history.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonThe Music of the Monsters of Lord of the RingsListening In2021-08-09 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
Watch the extended edition of this video only on Nebula! https://nebula.app/listeningin
Howard Shore's music for The Lord of the Rings uses a vast set of clearly defined themes for the cultures, people and places of Middle-Earth, and it was no different for the monsters of this world. Let's find out what the music of the monsters of J.R.R. Tolkein and Peter Jackson's world sounds like.
FURTHER WATCHING The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Uses Voices: youtu.be/T0xD7buOO20 The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Builds Tension: youtu.be/EmSxW2ExVKs The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Makes Us Care: youtu.be/Azd7lyJ4918
FURTHER READING The Music of The Lord of the Rings Films: A Comprehensive Account of Howard Shore's Scores [Doug Adams] amazon.com/dp/0739071572/ref=cm_sw_su_dp
Thank you to Doug Adams for his help with the transcriptions.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonDebussys Clair de Lune, deconstructedListening In2021-07-27 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Clair de Lune is Debussy’s most famous work, heard in countless films like Ocean’s Eleven and re-imagined as pop songs. But what can we learn from the cultural and aesthetic world in which it was written? Let’s deconstruct Clair de Lune.
FURTHER WATCHING What links ‘The Great Wave’ and Debussy’s ‘La Mer’? youtu.be/j0O-uWPrC0I
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley, Bryan EllertsonWhy Jurassic Parks Music is So PowerfulListening In2021-07-13 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* John William's score for Jurassic Park contains some of the most iconic themes ever written for film. But although the music by itself is deeply affecting, the real power comes through the complex relationships we make with the music when it's paired with Spielberg's visuals. In this essay, I consider why the music for Jurassic Park is so powerful, and why it has stayed with us all of these years.
Note: At 2:00 I say that the carnivore theme is played by a pan flute - it's actually played by a shakuhachi
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David WileyHow Radiohead Wrote the Perfect Bond ThemeListening In2021-06-28 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
Like every James Bond film that came before it, Spectre begins with a title sequence accompanied by a newly-written song. For this 24th installment in the franchise, Sam Smith provided 'Writing's On The Wall' for the opening, but they were not the first choice to provide a new song for the film. Radiohead were initally approached to write a new theme song, and what they delivered was, in my opinion, one of the greatest Bond themes ever written. In this video, I look at the musical components that make up a great Bond song, and consider what makes Radiohead's 'Spectre' so good.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David WileyWhats the Colour of Music? Messiaen and ColourListening In2021-06-10 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Many composers over the years have claimed to experience synaesthesia, a condition where one sense is activated by experiencing another, and for music, this normally means that when someone hears sounds, they see colours. Scriabin, Liszt and Ligeti are some well-known examples of synesthetes, but among these composers, there is only one who truly dedicated his life to exploring the colours of music – the 20th century French composer, Oliver Messiaen. In this essay, I explore Messiaen’s music and sound-world through the lens of colour and shape, using an ambitious and wide-reaching project by Håkon Austbø as the basis for my discussion.
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David WileyWhat does it mean to be a musician in 2021?Listening In2021-05-30 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Over the past year, I've been working with music students from a high school on Mercer Island in Seattle to create of a new piece of music for their wind band. The project started with me writing the music for them to record individually, which we would then put together for the final audio, but it very quickly turned into a much bigger project. It became a huge collaborative effort, and I ended up working very closely with the students in developing the piece. All this made me think about what it means to be a musician in 2021, after so many people were forced to stop playing in 2020. And this is what this video is about - it's about the project itself, but it's also about what it means to make music after a global pandemic.
Watch the full video recording: youtu.be/JD6Gg5hsJ2g Musical director: Parker Bixby Audio engineer: Jacob Krieger
To get access to the score, as well as the additional audio (used at the beginning of the video), sign up to my Patreon: patreon.com/listeningin
Thank you to my all my amazing supporters on Patreon, but in particular to my Perfect Fifth supporters: David Ball, Pavel Makeenko, Max Braun, Hamish Madden, Andrew Wong, David Wiley1917 - How Music Propels The StoryListening In2021-05-10 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* The score for Sam Mendes' 1917, by composer Thomas Newman, plays one of the most significant roles in storytelling in the film, partly due to the way the music is used, but more importantly because of the nature of the film's construction. By building 1917 around a single, un-broken shot, it brings the music into even greater focus, creating an even stronger link between story and music, propelling the characters forward on their journey.
* Hokusai's 'The Great Wave Off Kanagawa' is one of the most recognisable paintings in art history. But why did Claude Debussy use a version of it on the front cover of the his orchestral masterpiece, 'La Mer'? In this essay, I look at the influence of Japanese art on cultural life in France in the 19th Century, and consider the connections between 'The Great Wave' and 'La Mer'.
* 'When she loved me' was written by Randy Newman for Pixar's third feature film, Toy Story 2. For me, and for so many people, this song is not only incedibly powerful in its original context, but also when taken away from the film, when played or heard by itself. In this video, I consider why, musically, it is so emotional, and what it means to me.
* This is a new series of videos called 'Behind the Music', where I analyse music from all of genres of 'Classical Music' as well as film music. To begin, I'm going to take a detailed look at one of the most well-known pieces of orchestral music ever written - Jupiter from Gustav Holst's 'The Planets'.
#behindthemusicThe True Meaning of Atonement’s MusicListening In2021-03-18 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Joe Wright's 'Atonement' features one of the most iconic moments in film history - a 5-minute Steadicam shot that follows Robbie around the beach in Dunkirk. And accompanying this scene is Dario Marionellis' 'Elegy for Dunkirk'. In this essay, I look at the context of this music to find out its true meaning.
* In the 1930s and 40s, Salvador Dalí painted a number of works that featured musical instruments, presenting a perspective on music unlike any other 20th Century artist. In this essay, I consider why he painted musical instruments in the way he did and consider what this tells us about Dalí's approach to music.
MUSIC Stravinsky - Symphony in Three Movements Reich - Electric Counterpoint (movement 1) John Luther Adams - Become Ocean John Adams - Phrygian Gates Wagner - Tristan und Isolde: LiebestodHow Jonny Greenwood was Influenced by PendereckiListening In2021-02-28 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Jonny Greenwood is best know as the lead guitarist and keyboardist in Radiohead. But, increasingly, he is becoming know for both his stand-alone concert and film music, which are full of sounds drawn from his fascination with the work of the late Polish composer, Krzysztof Penderecki. In this video, I look at the sounds in Radiohead songs that can be directly linked back to the first time Greenwood hear Penderecki's music in college and I also look in depth at Jonny Greenwood's own concert work.
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH Timbral Aspects of Orchestration [Mathias Langfeldt]: https://www.duo.uio.no/handle/10852/51099 Jonny Greenwood Scores the Western: Music as Generic Subversion in There Will Be Blood: dalspace.library.dal.ca/handle/10222/73268
0:00 Introduction - Greenwood and Penderecki 2:15 Greenwood and Radiohead 5:29 Greenwood's concert works 7:51 Popcorn Superhet Receiver 12:12 Bringing it all togetherJacob Collier: Home Is - Harmonic AnalysisListening In2021-02-15 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Jacob Collier’s four album Djesse project began in a completely unexpected way. The first song on Djesse Volume 1 is a slow, introverted and harmonically complex choral work, sung beautifully by Voces8 - ‘Home Is’. In this essay, I analyse the harmonic progressions and use of harmony in the piece to try and work out what Jacob’s musical home sounds like.
* Bach's prelude in C major from book one of 'The Well-Tempered Clavier' is one of the most recognisable pieces of piano music ever written. In this essay, I deconstruct the history, rhythm and harmony to try and work out why it has captivated musicians and listeners for centuries.
* How can we visualise film music? In this essay I look at a new approach to film music analysis that places the score within the context of the narrative, allowing us to consider the effect of music on the whole story, on the whole film at a glance. And to do this, I use Michael Giacchino’s beautiful and evocative score for Disney Pixar’s ‘Inside Out’.
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH Audio-vision: Sound of Screen (Chion, 1998): amzn.to/3o7ur6w Film Music (Larsen): amzn.to/3sUvKJJ
#InsideOutRadioheads Masterpiece in OrchestrationListening In2021-01-07 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Radiohead's songs can almost be defined by their use of sound and their unique sound-worlds. In this video, I look at the use of orchestration in one of their most interesting and captivating songs, 'How to Disappear Completely' from Kid A.
#RadioheadInception - What do Dreams Sound Like?Listening In2021-01-05 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Hans Zimmer's score for Christopher Nolan's 2010 psychological thriller, Inception, was perfectly placed to explore the many layers within Nolan's story. Zimmer was able to realise the sound of dreams in music, but was also able to tell a story that bound Cobb and Mal together across time. In this essay, I look at how Zimmer uses a simple chord sequence, usually played by two violins, to do this.
#TheDirectorProject #ChristopherNolanThe Dark Side of The NutcrackerListening In2020-12-16 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Tchaikovky's 'The Nutcracker' may be the most well-known ballet every written, famed for his beautiful and instantly recognisable melodies. But behind the music lies a story that will completely change the way you think about this Christmas classic.
#TheNutcrackerRe-scoring Spirited AwayListening In2020-12-01 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Joe Hisaishi's scores for Hayo Miyazki's films evoke a feeling unlike any other film score. In this essay, I look at how Hisaishi's approach to writing music for Studio Ghibli films leads to this unique soundworld and show how successful his approach is by re-scoring a scene taken from the middle act of 'Spirited Away'.
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH
“Between tradition and modernity – The eclectic approach of Joe Hisaishi to Miyazaki’s “Spirited Away” soundtrack”: https://archives.berklee.edu/thesis-between-tradition-and-modernity-eclectic-approach-joe-hisaishi-miyazakis-spirited-away/34775/datastream/OBJ/view
#TheDirectorProject #MiyazakiListening In is making video essays on musicListening In2020-11-17 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Listening In is a series of video essays on music. I love making these essays, but need your help so I can keep creating the best possible content.
* Choral music is currently going through a renaissance with hundreds of professional and amateur choirs singing all across the world. But what makes the sound, and in particular the sound of a professional group, so appealing? In this essay, I look at the science behind the notes to find out why choral music sounds so good.
#ChoralMusicHow Music Makes E.T. FlyListening In2020-11-01 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* The score for 'E.T. the Extra Terrestrial' represents the pinnacle of John William's art, but also the pinnacle of a decades-old artistic collaboration between John Williams and Steven Spielberg. In this essay for the first month of the brand new Director Project, I look at the glorious music behind E.T. and consider how it lifts the the narrative, both metaphorically and literally.
#TheDirectorProject #SpielbergThe Last of Us Part II - Storytelling Through MusicListening In2020-10-05 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* The Last of Us Part II begins and ends with a shot of a guitar. In this essay, I look at the symbolic power of the guitar in the game, and consider how the music played on the instrument reflects and enhances the story being told. 'If I ever were to lose you, I'd surely lose myself'.
#thelastofuspart2The True Meaning of ‘Stop all the clocks’Listening In2020-09-26 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* W.H. Auden's 'Stop all the clocks' may be one of the most recognisable poems ever written, made famous by its inclusion in the 1994 film 'Four Weddings and a Funeral'. But it started life in a completely different context, written to be set to music by Benjamin Britten for 'The Ascent of F6', a play written collaboratively by Auden and Christopher Isherwood. In this video, I consider the poem's origins, how it has changed and how we should think about it now.
#Auden #BrittenThe Psycho Chord - Consonance vs DissonanceListening In2020-08-02 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Bernard Herrmann’s score for ‘Psycho' might contain some of the most famous music ever written for film, and there’s nothing more recognisable than the Prelude’s opening stabbing string chords. In this essay, I look behind the minor major seventh chord that begins the film and consider how it is inextricably linked to the story of this iconic psychological thriller.
#PsychoThe Mystery Behind Elgars EnigmaListening In2020-06-03 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* What the meaning of Edward Elgar’s ‘Enigma’ is within his ‘Enigma Variations’ has fascinated musicologists and enthusiasts ever since the piece’s first performance in 1899. In this essay, I look at the background behind the Enigma and consider, in turn, three main musical solutions that each suggest a melody that could work in counterpoint with the original theme.
#Elgar #NimrodInterstellar - How Hans Zimmer Creates the Sound of SpaceListening In2020-05-15 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Hans Zimmer’s score for Interstellar dispensed of a lot of the musical language that had been so commonplace in his scores before this film. Driven by the desire to create a sound-world that he, and director Christopher Nolan, hadn't yet explored, Zimmer created music full of soft, introspective sounds: sustained organ melodies and chords, hushed orchestral textures and transparent, widely-spaced harmony. In this essay, I look at how this sound-world perfectly captures the isolation and loneliness of space, but I also consider, more significantly, how Hans Zimmer’s music realises the emotional message that is at the heart of the film.
#Interstellar #HansZimmerWhat links Rothko and Mozart?Listening In2020-04-28 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Mark Rothko was obsessed with Mozart's music, considering him the 'alpha & omega' of composers. But what can we learn from this obsession? In this essay, I look at the parallels between Mozart's music and Rothko's paintings and consider how both artists aim to achieve the same goal - the simple expression of the complex thought.
* Howard Shore's scores for The Lord of the Rings contain, perhaps, some of the greatest music ever written for film. This music acts as a reflection of the cultures of Middle-earth, it outlines the emotional landscape of the narrative and also acts as a narrator in itself, commenting and supporting the story over 11-hours of film. And at the centre of this, Shore had to write music to accompany the journey of two hobbits, taking them from the Shire, all the way to the fires of Mordor, and back again. The Shire's music undergoes a gradual transformation through the course of the three films. In this essay, I look at how this music changes, what it changes into, and, ultimately, why this makes us care deeply about Frodo and Sam.
VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Uses Voices: youtu.be/T0xD7buOO20 The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Builds Tension: youtu.be/EmSxW2ExVKs
Judith Bernanke, "Howard Shore's Ring Cycle: The Film Score and Its Operatic Strategy" (From: Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings) New York: Manchester University Press, 2008.
#LordoftheRings #HowardShoreThe Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Builds TensionListening In2020-03-29 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Through his scores for 'The Lord of the Rings' trilogy, Howard Shore has shown that he is a master at manipulating tension. He perfectly crafts the music to fit vast cinematic sequences, building and releasing tension with ease, but also develops the tension inherent in his thematic material over long stretches of time. This is demonstrated best by looking at the music for the two kingdoms of Men - Rohan and Gondor. Shore makes subtle changes to their themes, altering the orchestration, harmony and melodic lines such that tension is gradually built and sustained. In this essay, I look at how he builds tension in Rohan and Gondor’s music and then how, during the battle for Minas Tirith, this tension is finally released.
VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Uses Voices: youtu.be/T0xD7buOO20 The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Makes Us Care: youtu.be/Azd7lyJ4918
Judith Bernanke, "Howard Shore's Ring Cycle: The Film Score and Its Operatic Strategy" (From: Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings) New York: Manchester University Press, 2008.
#LordoftheRings #HowardShoreThe Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Uses VoicesListening In2020-03-22 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Howard's Shore scores for 'The Lord of the Rings' films are full of voices. They are used to accompany the cultures of Elves, Dwarves, Hobbits and Men and are the primary way we as listeners hear, and engage with, J.R.R. Tolkien's language and poetry. But this vocal music is as much associated with darkness as it is light. In this first of three videos looking at Howard's Shore music for 'The Lord of the Rings', I consider how Shore uses voices, and choral music, to accompany the One Ring's journey, from the Shire, all the way to the fires of Mount Doom.
VIDEOS IN THIS SERIES The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Builds Tension: youtu.be/EmSxW2ExVKs The Lord of the Rings - How Howard Shore Makes Us Care: youtu.be/Azd7lyJ4918
Judith Bernanke, "Howard Shore's Ring Cycle: The Film Score and Its Operatic Strategy" (From: Studying the Event Film: The Lord of the Rings) New York: Manchester University Press, 2008.
#LordoftheRings #HowardShoreWhat Does Music Mean to the Joker?Listening In2020-02-16 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Hildur Guðnadóttir’s Oscar-winning score for Joker (2019) is full of texture and dark colours. But it does more than just create atmosphere - her music acts as another version of the Joker’s character, heard in the form of a solo cello or a Halldorophone, an electro-acoustic version of a cello with a set of resonating strings. This is particularly true in the haunting bathroom dance. In this scene, Todd Philipp’s direction, Joaquin Phoenix’s acting and Guðnadóttir’s score all come together seamlessly to create a sequence that perfectly captures the transformation of Arthur into the Joker.
#Guðnadóttir #JokerWas Matisse a Bad Father? The Music LessonListening In2020-02-10 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* From 1916-17, Henri Matisse produced two paintings from exactly the same point of view, both showing his son, Pierre, at the piano. 'The Piano Lesson' and 'The Music Lesson' might share a subject, but they couldn't be more different. In this essay, I look at what we can learn about Matisse and his family from these works, and consider how he thought about and painted music.
MUSIC Claude Debussy - Rêverie Igor Stravinsky - Le Sacre du Printemps, IV. Spring Rounds Claude Debussy - Sonata for Violin and Piano in G Minor, I. Allegro vivo Arvo Pärt - Summa Johann Johannsson - Cambridge, 1963 (The Theory of Everything [OST])
#MatisseThe Music of George Orwells 1984Listening In2020-01-27 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* George Orwell’s dystopian novel 1984 is best known for its most famous ideas - Newspeak, Big Brother and Room 101 to name a few. But little has been written about the musical imagery and metaphor that permeates the novel. In this essay, I explore how IngSoc, the ruling party in Oceania, uses music to control and oppress the people and, as a result, how freedom of expression in music, and singing in particular, becomes the embodiment of an idealistic future for Winston. ‘The birds sang, the proles sang. The Party did not sing.’
* At the climax of the Noah Baumbach’s ‘Marriage Story’, Nicole and Charlie, played by Scarlett Johansson and Adam Driver, both perform songs from Stephen Sondheim’s 1970 musical ‘Company’. In this essay I look at how these songs capture the emotional essence of the film, and how they articulate something that can’t be expressed in words.
#MarriageStory #StephenSondheimRadiohead: Pyramid Song - AnalysisListening In2019-11-01 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* ‘Pyramid Song’, written by Thom Yorke with contributions from Jonny Greenwood and Philip Selway, is one of Radiohead's most enduringly popular songs. In this essay, I analyse the harmony, rhythm and form of the song and suggest that the hypnotic feeling you get whilst listening to it comes about as a result of the music’s complex substructure. A lot of the content and inspiration for this essay comes from Brad Osborn's fantastic book 'Everything in its Right Place: Analyzing Radiohead'. If you're interesting in diving into the complex theory behind Radiohead's songs, then I thoroughly recommend you purchase this book (link below).
EXPLANATION OF MOTIF NAMES - Intro: First motif to be heard in the song - Pyramid: Most used motif in the song - Radix: When the notes of the major/minor thirds in each the chords of this motif are plotted against time (number of beats), the sequence looks like a square root sign (√), called a 'Radix' (Radix comes from the Latin for 'root') - BACH: The major/minor thirds in the chords in this motif are, in order, A♮, G#, B, A#. If you transpose this sequence up a semitone (half-step), you get B♭, A, C, B♮. This is known as the 'BACH' motif - in German musical nomenclature, 'B' signifies a B♭ and 'H' signifies a B♮.
#radiohead #pyramidsongHow Van Gogh Painted Symphonies in ColourListening In2019-10-13 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Vincent Van Gogh's paintings are some of the most recognisable in the history of art. They have, naturally, been analysed extensively but very few people have mentioned how his work relates to music. This is particularly surprising given how much he references music in his letters. He talks about symphonies in colour, compares his work to composers and regularly mentions the music of Richard Wagner, a composer who had reached celebrity status as a modernist and visionary in the 19th century. In this essay, I look at the ways music influenced Van Gogh's work and life, and how we can think about his paintings differently by looking through the lens of music.
* Disney Pixar's 'Up' has been widely praised for its sensitive, and accurate, depiction of old age. It follows the life of Carl, who, having lost his wife Ellie, decides to go on the adventure they had always been planning. In this essay, I look at how the music in the film, written by composer Michael Giacchino, acts as an expression of Carl's emotional state, and how the film follows Carl's internal conflict between his integrity versus his despair. This conflict was suggested, by psychoanalyst Erik Erikson (1902-1994), as the key part of the last stage of his psychosocial theory of human development, where a person asks of themselves - 'Is it okay to have been me?'. Through the music in 'Up', I believe we find the answer to this question.
FURTHER READING/RESEARCH Erik Erikson - Eight Ages of Man (Childhood and Society): http://local.psy.miami.edu/faculty/dmessinger/c_c/rsrcs/rdgs/attach/8agesofman.pdf
* Stravinsky’s ballet ‘Petrushka’ almost never came into existence. In 1911, Serge Diaghilev, the director of the Ballet Russe, visited Stravinsky to check on the progress of their latest commission, ‘The Rite of Spring’, but Stravinsky hadn’t written a single note of the piece. Instead, he had been working on an orchestral piece about a puppet who comes to life. When Diaghilev heard what Stravinsky had written, he put aside plans for ‘The Rite’ and instead convinced Stravinsky to turn this orchestral piece into a ballet of its own. ‘Petrushka’ was the result. Stravinsky’s score for ‘Petrushka’ contains some of the most enduringly popular music he ever wrote, and shows Stravinsky’s almost unparalleled ability to tell a story.
Stravinsky and the Octatonic - A Reconsideration: https://dmitri.mycpanel.princeton.edu/files/publications/stravinsky.pdf
#Stravinsky #PetrushkaShutter Island - Whats the Music of Dreams?Listening In2019-08-30 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* Shutter Island, according to director Martin Scorsese, is constructed around many 'different levels of reality'. In this latest episode of 'Listening in', I analyse how the score for the film, made up a number of pieces from classical, modern and contemporary composers like György Ligeti, John Cage and Max Richter, gives us clues throughout about the true nature of what we are seeing on screen. In particular, I focus on the use, and function, of Ingram Marshall's 'Fog tropes, Krzysztof Penderecki's 'Passacaglia' from his third symphony and Gustav's Mahler's 'Quartet for Piano and Strings in A minor'.
#ShutterIsland #MartinScorseseWhats the Sound of Colour? Kandinsky and MusicListening In2019-08-19 | Pre-order my new book! UK: https://shorturl.at/enn27 US: https://shorturl.at/4LIAP More info: barnabymartin.com/the-quiet
* In this latest episode of ‘Listening in’, I look at the work of Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky and how his paintings were influenced by music. Kandinsky had synesthesia, which meant that when he heard sounds, he saw colour and when he saw colour, he heard music. In this essay, I consider how he thought about colour and form (including what he thought some colours sounded like), as well as considering how his push towards abstraction was to achieve the freedom of expression he felt music had already attained. In particularly, I focus on his 10 ‘Compositions’, which seem to be the pinnacle of his abstract work, and possibly the closest he ever got to music in art.