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useful articles about film score 5 Things to Consider When Emphasizing Cinematic Drama. 6/29/2011 0 Comments There are thousands of ways in which you (the composer) can emphasize the drama of a scene, and every composer will interpret the scene differently. Below are just a few ideas to consider that are widely utilized by many successful composers all over the world. 1. Orchestration and Genre Clichés It is important to consider exactly what kind of film it is that you are working on so that you can understand what kind of drama is necessary to convey in your music. For example, the drama that may take place in a science fiction thriller like James Cameron's "Aliens" (composer: James Horner), is not going to sound like the drama that you would find in a movie like Rob Marshall's "Memoirs of a Geisha" (composer: John Williams). So your first question is going to be this: what is my orchestra? This will again depend on the style of the film. So let's consider some useful clichés that are found in film scores: Time and Place: Period and regional scores are very effective, and at times absolutely necessary. Consider the ensembles and instruments that are used in those areas or time periods. If you're writing for a film that takes place in medieval Europe, lutes and recorders work nicely but if you can get a hold of someone who plays a hurdy-gurdy or a sackbut then you're using authentic medieval instruments. Keep in mind that no audience will know what these instruments are unless maybe they have a degree in music or a hobby collecting ancient instruments; the important thing is that they sound like medieval Europe and have been used in the past. Likewise, using authentic Chinese or Japanese instruments like the hichiriki or the ever popular shakuhachi can be very effective as well. Scores to analyze: • The Lord of the Rings Trilogy (Howard Shore) • Pirates of the Caribbean (Hans Zimmer) • Jade (James Horner) • Memoirs of a Geisha (John Williams) • Back to the Future Part III (Alan Silvestri) Genre: Every genre of film has its set of musical clichés. Every composer will use the cliché differently, so I will only generalize a couple for the sake of addressing them. Action: Modern action film scores range quite widely in style. One common technique used in today's action films is the use of rock or metal elements such as drum grooves, distorted guitar, and heavy breakdowns. Another technique being used is utilizing loops and electronic sounds. Last on this list (though not even a slight conclusion to the possibilities) is the use of the always-delightful brass minor-second clusters. Scores to analyze: • Batman Begins (Hans Zimmer) • The Bourne Ultimatum (John Powell) • Salt (James Newton Howard) • Tron: Legacy [2010] (Daft Punk) • 300 (Tyler Bates) Horror: Many of the techniques used for action films are used in a similar way in horror films. The differences are found in the style of the horror movie. Psychological thrillers tend to use more 20th century composition based techniques such as wrong-note harmony/melody, prepared instruments, odd instrument registers. Action-based horror films will obviously use more of the techniques I discussed in the action film section. Scores to analyze: • Citizen Kane (Bernard Herrmann) • Drag Me to Hell (Christopher Young) • Psycho (Bernard Herrmann) • Rosemary's Baby (Krysztof Komeda) • Sleepy Hollow (Danny Elfman) Note: It is important not to over-use these clichés, they are only tools – you wouldn't use a single screwdriver to build an entire house, so don't use a single cliché to build entire score! 2. Motivic Manipulation Once your motifs and melodies have been established, you can start thinking of ways to manipulate them so that they can express the various emotions throughout the film (you should actually be keeping this in mind while you are writing your themes). Changing modes and keys, inverting, reversing, shortening, and lengthening are all extremely useful ways of changing your melodies. Changing the harmony behind the melody is also very useful. It doesn't matter which technique you choose, as long as the outcome is a fitting emotion for the scene. Michael Giacchino's score for the movie "Up" has great examples of motivic manipulation. 3. Tempo Slowing a quick melody down or speeding up a slow melody will change the feeling of the melody completely. In some cases, this can reverse the mood of the motif entirely, making a sad theme full of life, and a lively theme more personal and reserved. One technique that I enjoy using is taking a melody or theme and turning it into a background texture for a new other alternative melody. This is very effective for tying different themes together. Another technique that I think is really cool, but can only be used if the director allows, is using a slow tempo without a pulse during a fast paced scene. Obviously this doesn't always work, but it is a cool way to slow the scene down if its not meant to feel like a climax. 4. Using Silence Silence. The word alone is quite powerful. It may seem a little strange to think that silence could be used in a medium like music, which needs to be heard to be experienced. But that's just it, we can hear and experience silence. Silence is an extremely powerful tool for composers! This is especially true when the audience is used to hearing the music. Try to envision this situation in a hypothetical film: a woman comes home to a dark house. She hears something in the bedroom, and walks slowly and quietly as she approaches the room. She opens the door to see her husband having an affair with another woman; she says nothing and the scene ends. Now that is a pretty dramatic situation (not to mention a little awkward), and you could definitely score the scene. In fact it almost demands some mysterious music. But now think of how dramatic and traumatizing the scene would be without music – you hear every foot step, every breath; you feel her uncertainty, and you especially feel her anger. Watch M. Night Shyamalan's "The Village" and listen to how James Newton Howard uses silence to emphasize the drama in his score. 5. Timing This one is kind of obvious, but it is so important that it needs mentioning. Here's the number one rule: don't give away the scene! If you give the audience too much information too soon, you have failed the audience, the director that put his life savings into the film, and obviously yourself because you probably won't work for that director again. So don't do it. But, there is some fun to be had with timing. I'm sure we've all seen a suspenseful movie where the music makes us think the killer is right around the corner and then BAM...nothing. This is really one of the only time you can do this, and its just another tool to use to trick the ears of the audience and keep them on their toes. But like everything above, use it sparingly. http://www.nickdolanmusic.com/blog/5-things-to-consider-when-emphasizing-cinematic-drama
图画展览会配器笔记(1)——Promenade Mussorgsky的钢琴组曲《图画展览会( Pictures At An Exhibition)》可以说是他本人最著名的作品之一,而这一套组曲也因Ravel改编的管弦版而更加闻名于世。作为一名公认的配器大师,Ravel的这一改编曲目同样也成为了我们后人学习配器的标准教材。在这之中我们可以通过两种版本的比较学习Ravel如何将Mussorgsky的钢琴声部安排到各件乐器上,充分发挥它们的特色,安排合理而具有高度的艺术性。 由于笔者本人也仅是出于配器的初学阶段,因此笔者对总谱的见解只是一家之言,仅供参考,欢迎指出纰漏。 部分理论描述均引用自Samuel Adler撰写的《配器法教程(The Study Of Orchestration)》。乐谱的完整部分可以登陆IMSLP进行下载。 图一图二 乐曲开头是小号做主题陈述,原版中这里也是右手单独在小字一组呈示旋律。小号在这个小字一组到小字二组音域往往清晰明亮,是它不错的一个发声区。 在此必须强调一下,当我们在进行多声部音乐的配器中,往往会把各声部分为三类: 前景:最重要的声部,通常是作曲家希望被听众听到的最突出的旋律; 中景:复调旋律或重要的对位材料; 背景:伴奏。可以是和声型或使用复调或旋律型材料。 因此在我们选定某件乐器作为前景前,就要考虑它所处的音域是否有足够的表现力,这样才能突出主题、主要的声部。 1°表示只用一件乐器演奏,因为一个管弦乐队里通常有3只小号。 图三 图四 从第三小节开始,钢琴演奏的柱式和弦变成了铜管乐器组的和弦,正好对应曲目需要的庄重感。仔细对比两个版本,先不看圆号声部,基本上是将钢琴的左手分配给了小号,右手分配给了大号。再看圆号声部,因为用F调圆号记谱所以在阅读时需要降低纯五度。圆号基本重复了除去低音的上方声部,这体现了圆号连接其他铜管乐器的一贯作用。由于几乎每个音上都有不同乐器音色重复,所以使得整个气势比较磅礴。图五 第九小节弦乐组进入,形成强烈的音色对比,这里钢琴的原版是左右手的八度重叠加上一个单音声部作填充,放到弦乐组里就变成了这样:图六(从上到下依次是violin I,violin II,viola,cello和doublebass) 很明显,两把小提琴做旋律的八度陈述,大提琴和倍大提琴作低声部的八度进行,中提琴作中间的填充,很常规的配置手法。图七 这一小节过后如图七所示,右手的声部很快丰富了许多, 又回到前面柱式和弦的织体。因此这里产生一些音色上的对比是比较恰当的,也不能太大。图八(Htb=hautbois=o boe,bons=basson) 先看木管组,双簧管和单簧管(Bb调)都是双音进行,用顺置法的方式按照和弦音的音高分配。个人认为这里之所以用双簧管而非长笛,原因在于长笛在这个音域(小字一组a~小字二组g)声音甜美但传送的能量小,在带来音色对比的能力上不如双簧管具有的特色声音,后者更为突出。 大管重复了左手的八度进行,也是它常用的音域。再结合弦乐组看,中提琴继续作填充,两把小提琴作八度旋律进行,而大提琴和倍大提琴重复大管,不过用的是拨奏,带有一点活泼。图九图十 这之后有一个情绪的递进,图九中的第二小节改编成了如图十所示,最上面是双簧管,双簧管和单簧管都有一个八度重复,下面低音大管加入,八度重叠。最下面是圆号,为之后的铜管音色的出现作渐进式的预热。图十一 一个小高潮,其实钢琴版这里的织体和前面并无变化,但是乐队版加入了一些乐器使得它的能量达到一个小顶峰再降落。 如图是木管组, 长笛下面是短笛,双簧管占据接下来的两行,再往下依次是单簧管、低音单簧管、大管和低音大管。这里都是统一的强奏(力度f),基本上每一件乐器都能在它们最富有表现力的部分演奏。但是长笛、双簧管和单簧管都重复了主旋律,因此使得整个木管声部丰富而有主有次。图十二 再看铜管声部,上面两行是圆号,第三行是小号。圆号基本重复了右手声部,而小号的声音非常突出,整个效果明亮威武,我们可以在曲目中很明显地听辨出来。一般来讲,铜管乐器的选择运用需要非常慎重,因为它的音量整体可以很大,要谨防盖住其他乐器组的声音。图十三图十四 小高潮过后有一个回落,在这个持续回落的过程中又出现了木管与弦乐组之间的音色对比。这个小节的前四拍主要是木管乐器组的陈述,请留意从第一行的长笛开始一直到下面的单簧管都是同音重复,弦乐组只剩下倍大提琴的拨奏孤军作战。最后两个音重复了第3、4拍,这里是弦乐组的半连弓(-)加顿弓(·),两音之间并没有一个实在的连弓。 而长笛在这最后两拍虽然处于最高声部,但是没有重复旋律,而是把钢琴声部中小字二组的c下行二度b的声部往上提了八度(参照图十三)。这样一来有三个好处: 在旋律声部与低音声部之外增加了一个新的声部; 只用长笛演奏这个声部,丰富层次而不抢戏; 长笛提升八度吹奏,是它恰好处于发声不错的音区,又能隐约听见。 随后的部分同理。图十五图十六 这里依旧存在着音色对比,弦乐组和前面变化不大,主要是木管组中第一二行的双簧管独占右手的声部,突出它的音色。后三拍亦有圆号的加入。图十七图十八 全曲的第二个高潮来临,长笛在与双簧管同音重叠后(当然包括单簧管)休止,大管和低音大管都有大跳,最底下的两行圆号吹奏出新的节奏型,这在原曲是没有的。利用管弦乐队的优势增添新的声部又不干扰本身的音乐形象,这正是改编的魅力所在。弦乐声部继续八度旋律叠置,不过这次改成了一提和中提,图就不上了。 图十八的第三小节,长笛加入,向上扩充音域。第二行变成了G调长笛(中音长笛?)。图十九图二十 在曲目的最后,首先铜管基本再现了最初的配置方式,最后以全奏的形式结束。
Sheila Silver-Piano Concerto www.youtube.com/watch?v=LgHymSPAMsM 【对曲目的分析并未结合谱面,尽可能保证有一处准确的地方,仅供参考】 Sheila Silver,美国女作曲家,更多介绍请参见wiki. 第一乐章始终有种絮絮叨叨的感觉,节奏型一直在重复,我其实并不太喜欢,音乐情绪明亮偏少。 第二乐章钢琴大量颤音,一开始非常低沉; 直到后面小号的出现,钢琴在下面如水一般波动,又不同于Ravel,另一种奇妙; 另外不能忘了第二乐章一直间插着快速切换和声调式怪异的乐句,其实就是几个连续的和弦,但是反复出现在各件乐器上; 后面还有钢琴与其他各件乐器的对话(20分40秒左右),第二乐章也回到低沉直至结束。 第三乐章比前面长,也有趣不少。 钢琴先来一个不协和的和弦,高音D用双簧管渐渐显出,单簧管也随之出现; 24分55秒就出现的横跨多个八度的钢琴一直保持着一个流动的织体,随后右手出现了比较旋律化的声部,张力增大,到25分49秒出现的木琴(马林巴?) 倒是有一种意外的惊喜。如果我没记错这里重复了第一乐章的核心节奏型; 26分50多秒长笛率先出现了一个下行的小调音列,随后它在各个乐器上都有所呈现,和粗犷的钢琴伴奏相呼应显得纤细巧妙; 而钢琴直到28分24秒才出现类似的效果,从高到低,逐渐化为无。但其实严格来讲在这之前已经出现了非常明显的下行音列,只是力度很强且被其他声部掩盖。 29分32秒开始的部分开始变得有意思起来。钢琴基本自说自话,弦乐在仿佛很遥远的地方伴奏钢琴陈述着一个很简单的旋律,并且没有什么发展,只是做上行模进; 30分33秒钢琴添加了一个下行音列的声部,音响效果怪异; 31分38秒钢琴突然变得跳跃有力,重复的旋律也开始变得活跃起来; 随着左手音区的不断加重,弦乐组音量的不断提升,到32分40多秒铜管陈述了这个旋律。其实在这前面不久钢琴并没有旋律,基本上就是一个过渡性的陈述,右手稍微重复了一下旋律的某个动机,增加了后面的新鲜感; 再往后钢琴和木琴的跑动和33分50秒的靠小提琴高音区重复动机营造的悬吊空中的感觉都很好,可惜34分出现的另一个调上的主题我觉得始终在配器上不够厚,当然这只是个人之见; 35分10秒主题再现,这里的节奏非常复杂,应当是全曲最别出心裁的部分!——单听的话,首先旋律一开始是小提琴,6/8拍;后来变成了长笛(也有可能是短笛),5/8拍;以单簧管为主一直重复的动机是4/4拍;三角铁一直都是6/8拍; 不同的节拍贴合在了一起又不乱,整体听起来就像走进了一个非常嘈杂喧闹的集市,到处洋溢着喜悦生气; 后面的部分基本上建立在一个下行的音列与两个远关系的和弦上,对前面的很多内容都有回顾; 41分03秒钢琴再次出现了主题,弦乐的伴奏告诉我们是时候该收尾了。不过它最后并没有一个轰轰烈烈的结束,而是执着于第三次再现钢琴在高音区的同音反复; 43分05秒竖琴、钢琴和木琴等共同从高音区如珠玉滚落一样下行,仿佛一场梦迎来了终结。 总的来讲,我觉得这部钢协前面的部分略显啰嗦,真的就像一个妇人在絮絮叨叨一般;而后面则甚为精妙,展现出一幅奇异而多姿的画面,里面尚有许多东西值得玩味。
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