Lights, Camera, Action!
June 9th, 2024
Music from “How to Train Your Dragon”
How to Train Your Dragon is a 2010 computer-animated film produced by DreamWorks Animation, loosely based on the British book series of the same name by Cressida Cowell. The story takes place in a mythical Viking world where a young Viking teenager named Hiccup aspires to follow his tribe’s tradition of becoming a dragon slayer. After finally capturing his first dragon, and with his chance at last of gaining the tribe’s acceptance, he finds that he no longer wants to kill the dragon and instead befriends it.
This medley includes “This is Berk” and “Coming Back Around”.
Harry’s Wondrous World
The Harry Potter series features a wondrous world of magic that lends itself well to John Williams’ evocative musical imagination, with a story that features wizards flying on broomsticks, mail-delivering owls, and a majestic turreted castle for a school. This short medley features three whimsical themes from the 2001 film Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone: “Quidditch,” “Harry’s Wondrous World,” and “Leaving Hogwarts”.
“Quidditch” is a form of intramural competition that is played on flying broomsticks. The games are conducted every year at the Hogwarts School with great pageantry, featuring colorful flags and cheering crowds. The pomp and ceremony of these Quidditch games is best represented by the blazing brass section, with heraldic trumpets, horns, trombones, euphoniums, and tuba. Throughout “Harry’s Wondrous World,” we hear a triumphant, lushly scored portrait of Harry’s life studying magic at Hogwarts. In “Leaving Hogwarts,” we hear a majestic, nostalgic theme that is first presented softly, then swells to a dramatic conclusion for the full band.
Selections from “Up”
Up is a 2009 computer-animated comedy-adventure film produced by Pixar Animation Studios and released by Walt Disney Pictures. Directed by Pete Docter, the film centers on an elderly widower named Carl Fredricksen and an earnest young boy named Russell. By tying thousands of balloons to his home, Carl sets out to fulfill his dream to see the wilds of South America and complete a promise made to his late wife, Ellie.
This medley from the movie includes “We’re in the Club Now,” “The Spirit of Adventure,” and “Russell Like Fine Whine.”
Selections from “Aladdin”
Aladdin, released in 1992, is an animated classic that set the stage for multiple sequels, a live-action reimagining released in 2019, and even a Broadway musical. The story depicts a kind-hearted street urchin and a power-hungry Grand Vizier vying for a magic lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.
This medley includes “Arabian Nights,” “One Jump Ahead,” “Wedding Announcement,” “A Whole New World,” “Jafar’s Hour,” “Prince Ali,” “On A Dark Night,” “Friend Like Me,” and “Happy Ending”.
James Bond Suite
Monty Norman was a British singer and film composer born in London in 1928. Norman is famous for writing the music to the first James Bond movie, Dr. No, including the “James Bond Theme”, the signature theme of the James Bond franchise. Norman has received royalties since 1962 for the theme, but it was arranged by John Barry after the producers were dissatisfied with Norman’s arrangement. Barry claimed that he actually did write the theme; nevertheless, Norman won two libel actions against publishers for claiming that Barry was the composer.
Four of the most popular numbers from the film franchise are included in this suite arranged by the famous wind band composer Frank Erickson. They include the “James Bond Theme,” “Live and Let Die,” (by Paul McCartney) “For Your Eyes Only,” (by Michael Leeson and Bill Conti) and “Goldfinger” (music by John Barry.)
Marche Diabolique
This short, evocative piece follows a traditional march form, but uses contemporary harmonic language to create a fresh sound.
The composer writes:
“Marche Diabolique makes extensive use of the tritone (it is the first interval in the piece other than unison and is also in the final chord). Surrounding the tritone is an expansive, dark harmonic language. Marked “menacing and deliberate,” the music comes across as direct and almost somewhat invasive. The opening rhythm in the clarinets becomes the foundation of the entire work and remains somewhat constant while material around it continuously evolves.
Loosely following the form of the march, a “trio” section begins midway through the piece, where a new melody is introduced by a flute at a softer dynamic level. Rhythmic elements from the previous section are carried on, but a new rhythmic idea comes to the forefront in the alto saxophone part. What follows is a long, steady build towards the “dogfight” section of the march. This bombastic part of the piece is presented as a simple two-part fugue. This leads into the full ensemble playing the main rhythmic idea of the piece in unison before the intensity subsides—yet the unsettling character of the music remains. A closing melodic statement is presented in the low reeds, sounding almost like a fading growl before one final spark ignites with the last chord.”
Pirates of the Caribbean Symphonic Suite
Starring Johnny Depp, Orlando Bloom and Keira Knightley, the action-packed Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl sets mystery, intrigue, swords, and treasure to its thrilling musical score. Although attributed to Klaus Badelt, the film score was actually the result of a combined effort by nine composers. Hans Zimmer, Klaus Badelt, Ramin Djawadi, James Dooley, Nick Glennie-Smith, Steve Jablonsky, Blake Neely, James McKee Smith, and Geoff Zanelli worked at a frantic pace to complete the music in three weeks’ time. The reason behind the rush was that Alan Silvestri, who was to be the original composer, had a creative disagreement with producer Jerry Bruckheimer, and walked out on the project. There have been charges by critics that the score was plagiarized from other cues from various scores in the Remote Control Productions Library (Hans Zimmer’s group)—in fact, if you listen carefully, you might be able to recognize some of the music as being borrowed from the film Gladiator. Unquestionably different from traditional pirate film scores, the music romps in a minor key that is nevertheless heroic in emotion and intent.
This medley features “The Medallion Calls,” “The Black Pearl,” “To the Pirate’s Cave!”, “One Last Shot,” and “He’s a Pirate.”