Batman Flashcards
Who did Elfman have a long association with?
Tim Burton
What famous programmes/movies has he written for
Edward Scissorhands
The Nightmare before christmas
Sleepy Hollow
The Simpsons
Did Elfman orchestrate his own scores?
No
Describe the prescribed themes
part 1) tossing of infant penguin into river
part 2) main titles
BvsC) Batman defeats penguins circus performers
R&F) preparations to introduce penguin into society
Is it a full symphony orchestra?
Yes, plus: Organ Choir Synthesizer large percussion section
What does the large percussion section feature?
xylophone
marimba
vibraphone
What ‘special additions’ are there?
whistle
accordion
fairground and steam organs
Describe the horns in the batman motif
low register
What interesting timbres are there in part 1?
Tutti orchestra, vocalising choir and organ
Organ solo in contrast with strings
Celesta chords with tremolo strings
Tutti orchestra and choir with sleigh bells
What’s interesting about the timbres in part 2?
Choir, widely spaced strings, harp and celesta broken chords
What interesting timbres are there in BvsC?
Xylophone, temple blocks and low percussive piano line with snare drum
Xylophone, piano bass, timpani, marimba and muted trumpet
What interesting timbres are there in R&F?
High string cluster chords
Accordion, flute and harp
Contrabassoon clarinet with celesta trumpet and string tremolo
How many performance techniques can be observed?
A wide range
Describe the strings
Tremolo
Pizz and arco
Glissandi
Whats interesting about the percussion?
Harp glissandi
tam-tam and cymbal roll
Describe the w.w
Flutter-tongue flute
Oboe extreme vibrato
What’s interesting about the brass?
Muted
Stopped horn notes
Horn glissandi
Trumpet extreme lip trill
Does the choir vocalise in part 1?
Yes
changing from ah to oo
What do textures draw on?
Homophonic layers
Outline some interesting textures in part 1
Drone
chordal
chords are decorated with falling broken-chord figures
passage of octaves
What interesting textures are in part 2?
Layers of ostinati over pedal and drawn out high notes
Mel-dom-hom with pounding triplets supporting statements of the Batman theme
What’s prominent in BvsC?
Percussive elements
Describe the interesting textures in R&F
Single note pizz cello line
High string clusters with widely spaced octaves and dom pedal
accordion with ‘waltz’ accompanying figure and long sustained notes for flute and harp in octaves
Do dynamics span the whole range?
Yes
Particular use is made of the quick-acting crescendo
How are speeds shown?
Metronome marks rather than terminology
How are metres changed?
On occasion
Describe the metre in part 1
Settles into a steady quadruple time after the slow triple time intro
One bar of 3/8
Describe the metre in part 2
4/4
one bar of 5/4
Whats the contrast between BvsC and R&F
BvsC = mostly quadruple time, frequent bar changes reflect zany action R&F = mainly quadruple time with distinctly triple time waltz section
Is the rhythm handled in traditional terms?
yes
part 1 is characterised by ponderous steady crotchets and a brief dance-like theme
How are rhythms more distinctive in part 2?
ostinati composed of running semiquavers
triplets important
How is a strong feeling of propulsion created in he batman theme? in part 2
triplets and heavily accented accompaniment
is there augmentation?
Yes, of the batman theme in part 2
How is high energy created in BvsC?
Near constant quaver movement and bursts of semiquaver-semi-quaver-quaver figure on temple blocks
What does the melody draw on?
Leitmotifs
How is the batman motif distinctive?
Conjunct rising line, outlining the first three notes of the minor scale and the succeeding upward leap of a fourth and semitone fall to dominant note
What does BvsC open with?
Reference to batman motif in bass instruments in Bm
How many penguin motifs are there?
Two
Describe the first penguin motif
four crotchet notes circling around the dominant
Describe the second penguin motif
closely linked to first with prominent stepwise descent
Describe the overall melody in BvsC
fragmentary and sometimes chromatic
What harmony does Elfman draw on?
Functional
Are there inversion chords?
Yes
What key harmonic effects are there in part 1?
Accented passing note Dominant 7th Diminished triad Supertonic 7th Diminished 7th
What key harmonic effects are there in part 2?
Tonic pedal Side-shifting chords Half-diminished chords Augmented triad False relations
What key harmonic effects are there in BvsC?
Added 6th chords
Cluster chords
What key harmonic effects are there in R&F?
‘Neapolitan’ Harmony
Appoggiatura
Whole-tone chords
Outline all the structures
through-composed
What do chords change between in B,O,P pt.2?
Bbm and Gb7
What chords are the falling third in vocals of B.O.P pt 2?
C-Ab
What chord sequence ends B,O,P pt.2?
C sharp, Em, C sharp, Em
Thirds
What’s the harmony a mixture of in BvC?
Em and C sharp
Star Wars context
Rebel blockade
Jon Williams
1977
Star Wars Harmony
functional Tonic pedal in upper strings leaps of 4ths and 7ths Contrary motion add notes e.g Gb add6 quartal harmony regular triads
Star wars key/structure
Bb
ABA
Star Wars melody
leitmotifs
heroic fainfair opening
B more lyrical
Spacy theme high and harp
Star Wars texture/sonority
full symphony orchestra unusual instruments e.g celeste and gong mostly forte strings always tremolo interesting texture e.g high piccolo
Star Wars tempo/metre/rhythm
regular rhythm in melody lots of accents triplets and sextuplets syncopated marching triplet figure closes
Alice in Wonderland
Tim Burton Aices theme wood of bow vocalising dim. 7ths heavy on strings fragmented flute decoration
The dying swan
Tchaichovsky Swan Lake melancholy - minor, arco, ostinato rippling ostinato in piano mel-dom-hom conjunct diatonic slow moving end closes monophony spread chord
Batman context
1992
American film based on comic-book superhero batman
Second instalment of warner bros batman franchise
Business tycoon Max Shreck teams up with Catwoman and Penguin in his plan to takeover Gotham
Directed by Tim Burton and music by Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman context
Born in L.A 1953
no formal music training - vivid film goer
Best known for association with Tim Burton - worked on many films together
Music characterised by dark orchestral scores, often in minor keys
Melodies in middle of texture and often played by brass, w.w or strings in low registers
Elfman composed but studio arrangers did the orchestration
Significance of similar themes
all suffered great trauma
Batman - parents murder
Catwoman - treated with contempt by her boss
Penguin - abandoned
Themes similar in melodic content but differ in orchestration and rhythm
part one key
Fm
Am, Gm, Cm, Dm
part 2 key
Dm
C, Fsharpm, Csharp
BvC key
Bm
Csharp, Em, Cm
R&F key
Cm ending on C major
