Appreciate your critique. I don't share your views, but you bring up some interesting points. Let's see how the Western elite comment on this score. Is there a right way or wrong way to develop a theme or is it just stylistic differences and personal opinions? I personally enjoyed all the embellishments and variations from an aesthetic and compositional standpoint, but I think you're coming more from a thematic architectural perspective.
If you enjoy more of the minimalistic scores, I can see why you would have a problem with this type of score and call it "sappy and overdone", but again, for me personally, I enjoy musical embellishments and very emotional music a lot! Will be interesting to see how all this plays out on screen. --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, Ramesh R <triscod...@...> wrote: > > That's entirely right! If I'm not mistaken it was Elmer Bernstein who said > something along the lines of "the best way to score a comedy is to score the > seriousness" rather than to "mickey-mouse" it. Here's a classic example from > Airplane and another from Pink Panther (Mancini) where, even if there's a bit > of a comedic element with the tuba, there's a sad theme at its heart. > > If you notice the sharks theme, there's a transparent melody in strings (the > harp?) that's consistent with the water connotation (check out U-Boat theme > from Bose for the same kind of orchestration). And even if the music does get > dramatic and serious, it constantly switches to the water theme and back > hinting that it's not something dangerous. > > That being said, the shark's theme is my least-liked track on the score. It's > just way overblown, and that drone at the end is the kind of musical recourse > that I wish composers used very sparingly. > > And while we're on the topic, one of my peeves with CR is that a lot of it is > very sappy and overdone (pulls all the strings). Sure, there's an abundance > of melody that's not so common in comedies today, but I would have liked if > it toned things down. As for the themes, there's very little development with > them. It's not a good habit that he's taking a theme and repeating it over > and over. Take the "Jason & Cynthia suite"... its pretty good for 2 minutes > after which it just repeats with more dramatic renditions of the theme. What > does it mean musically? Thankfully there's a lovely respite in the middle > with more oboe goodness that's leads it to a fine close. Go back to the > Netaji theme from Bose. He introduces a beautiful theme but repeats it with > very little difference in orchestration. I'd like to see some economy with > expression and more of a development with themes and tying them together. > There's definitely a way to use repetitions wisely (think > 'minimalism' and composers like Kilar, Nyman, Glass) but not like this. > > I'm also not fond of his habit of punctuating things with (sometimes > staggered percussion followed by) cymbals before going to a crescendo. Here's > an example. And another. It sounds cliched to me. > > I wish they had better lyrics to Sajna, which sounds cheesy to me. That ARR > and PJ will be performing this in LA, makes it further corny. > > But all said and done, it's a fun score and it's for a rom-com so I'll take > it easy. There's something for everyone. > > > > > > > ________________________________ > From: ichord <purev...@...> > To: arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com > Sent: Wednesday, September 30, 2009 11:15:05 AM > Subject: [arr] Re: Sharks from CR > > The use of serious music in a comedy film is to highlight the "seriousness" > of someone being the butt of a joke..meaning, when you're the butt of a joke, > it's not funny for you, but funny for everyone else. Many American comedies > have used serious music to highlight subtle humor in irony, paradox, and > counterpoint. I thought the music for Sharks was extremely cleverly done, to > heighten suspense for that scene. Most composers use a Jaws like theme to do > this, but ARR thought more creatively and added this unique music....just > brilliant IMO. > > > > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "Jahanzeb" <jahanzebtippu@> wrote: > > > > it is a great track however i felt it is misfit for a comedy soundtrack. it > > didn't gel well with that sharks scene in a video someone posted here. in > > fact the way track starts it seems from some horror, thriller movie. > > similarly a few other tracks i found too serious stuff to be used in a > > comedy movie e.g. Itinerary, Intervention and even Meeting Marcel. > > anyways this is too early to say, lets see how they are used in the film. > > > > - > > Jahanzeb > > > > > > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com, "ichord" <purevibz@> wrote: > > > > > > I don't see people much talking about this track, but I think it's simply > > > one of the most brilliant tracks in CR. Love the dramatic use of > > > instruments in this track in fast motion amidst the raaga based > > > vibrophone interludes followed by a very intense ending with ARR's high > > > pitched, soaring voice and the high sustained strings......simply so > > > haunting! > > > > > >
