lecture 10

Question 1

Characteristics of music in the 80’s?

Answer 1

• Strongly influenced by John Williams work
• Composers moving back to orchestra/neo-romantic with fused elements of modernism
• main theme often tonal

Question 2

Prominent composers during the 80’s? (3)

Answer 2

• James Horner, Michael Kamen, Alan Silvestri

Question 3

Alan Silvestri birth? Early life?

Answer 3

• 1950-
• New Jersey
• Berklee College of Music
• Composing for film and TV by his 20s

Question 4

Who composed for “CHiPs”? What was it?

Answer 4

Alan Silvestri. California Highway Patrol motorcycle stuff

Question 5

Who did Alan Silvestri often collaborate with? What were some movies (3)

Answer 5

Robert Zemeckis. Forrest Gump (1994), Cast Away

2000) and The Polar Express (2004

Question 6

Back to the Future released? Composer? Director?

Answer 6

1985. Alan Silvestri. Robert Zemeckis

Question 7

What’s notable about the main theme of Back to the Future?

Answer 7

• striking resemblance to John William’s Star Wars theme

Question 8

Describe the scene where the Doctor is waiting and looking at his watch in Back to the Future

Answer 8

Scene is comic because of the juxtaposition between the dialogue/drama and the (serious) acting + action/adventure music

Question 9

Describe the scene where the doc is plugging in the cable on the tower in Back to the Future

Answer 9

Silvestri flips between highly tonal (things are about to work out), to atonal (things aren’t working out)

Question 10

Contact released? Composer? Director?

Answer 10

1997. Alan Silvestri. Robert Zemeckis

Question 11

Contact main theme? Who are some influences?

Answer 11

Influenced by Williams/Aaron Copland and possibly Maurice Ravel (music goes higher and lower smoothly)

You’d expect theme to be big and dramatic, but it’s soft (almost like a romantic movie). It focuses on Ellie and her personal story

Question 12

Describe the ship scene in Contact

Answer 12

Minimalism: Taking very sparse musical materials and developing them into massive walls of sound. Melodies are simple but you layer them up

Question 13

James Horner birth/death? Early life?

Answer 13

1953-2015

• USA
• Grew up in England and went to Royal College of Music (British Julliard)
• Felt film composing wasn’t serious artistic outlet (despite father being AA winning set designer/art director)
• UCLA ~1978
• Friend convinced him to score short movies/films for AFI and he liked it

Question 14

The Lady In Red released? Composer? What type of film?

Answer 14

1979. James Horner. Gangster film

Question 15

Story between James Cameron and Alan Silvestri?

Answer 15

Worked together on Aliens. James Cameron, a perfectionist, overworked Horner. Ended up hating the score, so he cut the music up a lot. They parted ways bitterly.

He later apologized and they worked together on Titanic

Question 16

Titanic released? Composer? Director?

Answer 16

1997. James Horner. James Cameron.

Question 17

Star Trek 2: The Wrath of Khan released? Composer?

Answer 17

1982. James Horner.

Question 18

Some well known movies James Horner?

Answer 18

Aliens (1986), Field of Dreams (1989), Braveheart (1995), Apollo 13 (1996)

Question 19

Did Titanic win any awards? For what?

Answer 19

2 AA (best original score + best original song “My Heart Will Go On”)

Question 20

Characteristics of James Horner

Answer 20

• strong melodic composer, often uses conventional orchestra
• can incorporate electronic and avant-garde sounds (unlike Williams)
• hits the cut
• can also write popular styles (e.g. ‘My Heart Will Go On from’ Titanic)

Question 21

Glory released? Composer?

Answer 21

1989. James Horner

Question 22

Glory plot? Describe the theme and scene shown in class

Answer 22

• Adventures of man, Robert Shaw, in the civil war
• We hear trumpet in title card (military vibes)
• snare drum transitions us to civil war. This is when orchestra and theme start
• lots of scene cuts, and they all have musical emphasis (music has weird timings due trying to match cuts, but still works)
• main theme carried by children’s choir

Question 23

T/F Star Trek popular despite low budget because of big ideas? Name the ideas if true

Answer 23

True.
Helms-man was Japanese (right after WW2)
Navigator is Russian (middle of cold war)
Comms officer african-american woman (civil war)

Question 24

Star Trek 2, Khan’s theme? Kirk’s theme?

Answer 24

Khan: Atonal, modernist theme based on semi-tones

Kirk: gentler and not as heroic or action driven. He’s old

Question 25

Describe the scene where Kirk returns to the Enterprise bridge in Star Trek 2

Answer 25

Music theme doesn’t reach an important high
note (found in Kirk’s theme song) symbolizing
Kirk’s fall from his youthful glory days, but still
gentle at this point in the film

Question 26

Describe the scene where Kirk and Khan meet on the ship and engage in battle in Star Trek 2

Answer 26

• During battle, Khan’s theme slowly overpowers Kirk’s theme. Slows down while Khan demands their surrender
• Kirk’s theme is tinged with sadness when he realizes he’s about to lose the ship

Question 27

Describe the “surrender” scene in Star Trek 2

Answer 27

Kirk agrees to surrender, but music changes to tell viewers he’s not actually surrendering

Kirk’s theme plays in full force inside bridge. Khan’s theme also plays but less power

Kirk’s theme begins to take over as he wins