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Elmer Bernstein: "We're not synthesizer people.''

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Author	Topic: Elmer Bernstein: "We're not synthesizer people.''

jonathan_little Oscar® Winner	I noticed this article today, which has a blurb about Elmer Bernstein's "50th anniversary of tuning pix." quote: Elmer Bernstein: ``Kids are great, `` he noted, but lamented, ``you don't get much of a chance to write melodic themes any more. John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith and I still write music the old way. We're not synthesizer people.'' So, since when is Jerry Goldsmith not a synthesizer guy? (OK, maybe Jerry isn't a synth guy like Hans Zimmer... but he does seem to love his Yamaha!)
posted 02-20-2001 11:14 AM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	He uses it to accent his music. He uses it with class!! That's the plain and simple difference. Accent and class. Moo! Jeron
posted 02-20-2001 12:15 PM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	Lol, good one Jeron, mooo. Lol. I remember reading that Jerry uses the synth like another instrumnet, while the Zimmers use it to replace the instruments. Scott
posted 02-20-2001 12:24 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Oscar® Winner	I think I wouldn't call Goldsmith a "synthesizer guy", either. Jeron, I must have missed something. I'm sure the reason for your recent bovine behaviour can be found in another thread? NP: Dances with Wolves (John Barry, Gold version) [Message edited by Marian Schedenig on 02-20-2001]
posted 02-20-2001 12:47 PM PT (US)

dgoldwas Oscar® Winner	Uh, I don't think Bernstein meant that he (and the others he mentions) don't use synthesizers in their film scores. He meant (and I'm sure of this based on my conversations with him) that he doesn't sit at a synthesizer and write film scores by playing them out. He's of the "old school" approach where he sits down at his sofa with a score pad and pencil, and just writes music. Dan
posted 02-20-2001 01:09 PM PT (US)

Marian Schedenig Oscar® Winner	But doesn't Goldsmith compose his music on synths? Tony Thomas book Film Score shows a picture of Goldsmith sitting in the middle several synthesizers. I thought Bernstein was referring to not using the synthesizer as "base" for the music. NP: Dances with Wolves (John Barry, Gold version)
posted 02-20-2001 01:13 PM PT (US)

PeterK FishChip	LOL, Bernstein might sit at his sofa, but Goldsmith doesn't. He's not THAT old... Hey, Little, Goldsmith likes motorcycles?? What's all this about YAMAHAs? I thought he would go after a Ducati or something....
posted 02-20-2001 01:24 PM PT (US)

jonathan_little Oscar® Winner	quote: Originally posted by Marian Schedenig: I thought Bernstein was referring to not using the synthesizer as "base" for the music. Well, that's what I thought he meant, too... Dan, I posted this just for fun -- so don't go too ballistic on me about this topic. PeterK -- I thought that old man with a long white ponytail was a biker! Damn! I must have been wrong!
posted 02-20-2001 01:33 PM PT (US)

Nicolai P. Zwar Oscar® Winner	I'm sure Mr. Bernstein did not mean to say that Mr. Williams, Mr. Goldsmith, or he himself don't use sythesizers, they all obviously have. It looks to me the emphasis here is on the fact that they actually write music, instead or merely sampling it.
posted 02-20-2001 01:59 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Oscar® Winner	I love EB but who knows what he meant--after all he uses the Ondes Martinot in just about everything he scores these days. I'm just going to take his comments as a veiled jab at Media Ventures types.
posted 02-20-2001 07:50 PM PT (US)

Lancelot Oscar® Winner	BINGO.
posted 02-20-2001 08:11 PM PT (US)

Search Feature Oscar® Nominee	I assure you, Mr Bernstein has no business deciding who is a "synthesizer person." or indeed, who is a synthesized person for that matter....
posted 02-21-2001 12:44 AM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Oscar® Winner	Read the article that started this post. It reminded me that Fred Astaire has a record label which he named after his daughter Ava and which issued EB soundtracks to The Caretakers, The Carpetbaggers, and others. I think EB probably means that he and the old fogeys still write for an orchestra rather than rely on all synths to score films.
posted 02-21-2001 03:53 AM PT (US)

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