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Originally posted by John Morgan:
...when we recorded THE ADVENTURES OF MARK TWAIN for BMG in Germany...

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Some nice pictures and videos on that site. The webmaster needs to learn how to spell "broadband," however.

Thanks Dan.

Disappeared off the racks faster than Milan releases...

When I watch a film and hear a musical score along with it, that performance, the one I hear in the film, usually by a top-notch Hollywood orchestra conducted by the composer him/herself is etched into my mind.

I'm willing to hear re-recordings, even new arrangements, provided they work musically, but in the majority of cases, the performances and arrangements are often weak and lacking in spirit and leave me disappointed. They neither remind me of the music as I've heard it nor work on their own as something to listen to.

I have problems too with some digital recording levels. The quiet passages are practically inaudible and if you turn up the volume to hear them the louder passages when they arrive suddenly destroy your machinery and hearing ability.

I can relate to something John Morgan once said about trying to capture the composer's original intention in the score pages rather than the version that is in the film after music editing and other tweaking. If this means adding passages of score that were cut in the film and the like, then I'm for it even if it deviates from the music as I've encountered it.

Still, treating film music as if it were regular concert music for performance is a mistake. Sure you can put together a concert of film music for the public that works, but to mic film music as if it were Brahms or Bach and record the thing as if the listener were in a seat in the audience is detrimental to the original sound which was designed to come full force out of theater speakers.

Given this situation, I feel that trying to map a re-recording's performance as closely as possible to the one in the film is the one which will get the most out of the orchestra (even if musicians hate to copy performances by others they'll have no room to get sloppy if they have a standard to match) and the best results for the score. This means a by heart familarity with the music as it is in the film, close arrangements, timings, spirit, and extra rehearsals to get it right, maybe even conducting to film clips as in the intial recording sessions. The result should be able to replace the original performance in a re-mix or come pretty damn close.

New versions that some people here seem to love just annoy me for the most part and make me wonder what their advocates are using for ears these days. There are good re-records and even the rare item that improves on the film version, but sticking to the tried and true strikes me as the most worthwhile approach for producing an enjoyable experience that accords with both memory and aesthetics.

As for the Prague Orch., it's obvious that they have done a good job on Kilar's scores and other soundtracks which leads me to believe it's not the orchestra but the team at Silva that is royally botching the recordings they do. I've screamed about Silva so much that Ford e-mailed me personally to read me the riot act, but even that can't alter reality (nor get my wasted money back).

Lou, I understand your point. It is the same one that sparked the "original/authentic instrument" movement especially in regards to Baroque music, and, later on, 18th and 19th century music. Unfortunately, the result when such an approach is taken is often stilted, dry, monotonous music making. Those were the kinds of charges laid at the feet of the first recordings of Bach's, and even Beethoven's music. Granted things have gotten somewhat better, but ultimately it is a matter of personal preference. It got to the point where hearing a performance of a Bach "Brandenburg Concerto" in concert was anathema at an orchestra concert.

Your argument could also lead to support the notion that film music cannot stand alone and would smugly satisfy a number of "art music" snobs. I know that's not your intent, nor do I think you believe that based on your posts elsewhere here.

The most important thing is that the re-record work on its own as good music to listen to and most just don't when the scores themselves are good to begin with--there the problem lies somewhere with the orchestra, conducting, arrangement, etc.

If I propose a certain standard to follow, it's only that I think the best result can come from it. I'm sure there could be an example where someone did follow my plan and loses the spirit they could have had just winging it.