Jherek Bischoff recently co-curated the Bang on a Can marathon here in Seattle. Part of this epic, six-hour new music extravaganza included a collaboration between Jherek and the local string ensemble Scrape, who stopped by our studios for a video session of some awesome original tunes!
As award season comes to a close, film composers tend to fall out of the limelight—they collect their sparkling Oscars and, presumably, they return to their studios to begin work on their next major motion picture film scores. But what do these famous composers do on their days off from the movie set? What music do they write after the credits stop rolling?
Renowned concert pianist Gloria Cheng asked just that.
Cheng invited six of today’s most prominent film composers to create new music for a relatively unfamiliar medium—solo piano. In doing so, she stripped away the glamorous movie stars, the booming studio orchestra, and all the Hollywood movie magic to reveal who these composers are deep down as their most honest and intimate selves.
Her new album, titled “Montage: Great Film Composers and the Piano” is a collection of solo piano works by esteemed film composers John Williams, Randy Newman, Bruce Broughton, Alexandre Desplat, Michael Giacchino, and Don Davis. Collectively, the composers have amassed 72 Oscar nominations and nine wins (so far).
“All of these composers are so well-known for writing film music, but I knew there was an inner composer inside of all of them that just was dying to write music for the sake of writing music,” said Cheng. “That’s what I was curious about—what’s inside of them?”
The result is an album of piano music with subtle cinematic hints and a whole lot of heart.
The album begins with Bruce Broughton’s “Five Pieces for Piano,” a set of short character pieces each with its own distinct personality. At the center of the composition is a set of charming (and sometimes jazzy) variations on a catchy pentatonic theme. The surrounding pieces experiment with dense musical textures, punchy rhythms, energetic runs, and at times, tender lyrical melodies. Needless to say, it shows quite a different musical side of Broughton than you may have heard in his adventurous, wild Western-tinged “Silverado” score.
The second piece is Michael Giacchino’s “Composition 430.” Perhaps best known for his work in movies like “Star Trek” (the 2009 version), “Up,” “Ratatouille,” and a slew of other Pixar films, Giacchino’s solo piano piece captures a similar element of enchanting adventure and whimsical childhood nostalgia.
As one might expect, “The Matrix” film composer Don Davis’s contribution to the album is somewhat more mathematical (and perhaps even metaphysical) in nature. His piece, titled “Surface Tension,” uses a carefully calculated formula as a starting point from which he explores a narrative arc of increasing and decreasing tempo, dynamic, and pitch range.
French composer Alexandre Desplat’s “L’Étreinte” (from his “Trois Études”) shows unmistakable Impressionist influences, with its artfully blended harmonies immersing the listener in a beautiful, dreamlike wash of sound that flows sweetly from beginning to end. It should come as no surprise that Desplat is the composer behind charming, whimsical films like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button,” “The Grand Budapest Hotel,” and “Moonrise Kingdom.”
What is perhaps more unexpected is John Williams’s contribution to the album, “Conversations.” With a dizzying number of Oscar nominations (and wins) for movies like “Jaws,” “Star Wars,” “E.T.,” and the first three “Harry Potter” films, most listeners would probably expect Williams to spin out some type of catchy, theatrical theme. Instead, the four-movement piano work is something of a concept piece exploring a series of imagined conversations between various historical figures from different eras. The result is every bit as dramatic and idiosyncratic as the film music Williams is known for—but just a little bit jazzier.
The album comes to a close with Randy Newman’s soulful and sincere “Family Album: Homage to Alfred, Emil and Lionel Newman,” a five-movement work written in memory of his famous film composer uncles. Each movement is a short anecdote, a small glimpse into the sparkling glamour and sweet nostalgia of old Hollywood. The pieces match Newman’s trademark style: simple, sweet, and charmingly poignant (and certainly reminiscent of his work in “Toy Story,” “Monsters, Inc.,” and other Pixar films).
And of course, Cheng performs each piece with exceptional imagination and artistry, bringing each character to life with sincerity and technical prowess—and proving that the music of these famous film composers is not just for the movie theatre.
What a treat! Ashley Bathgate from the Bang on a Can All-Stars stopped by our studios before the epic Bang on a Can Marathon at The Moore.
Michael Gordon’s “Light is Calling” was originally written for violinist Todd Reynolds. It juxtaposes an acoustic sound against an electronic track with pulses that are actually being warped backwards. This piece is a response to what happened on September 11, 2001.
Of Jacob Cooper’s “Arches,” Ashley says this is almost like a modern-day prelude to a Bach suite. It’s very pure and simple in its form – a lot of arpeggios and oscillations between the strings. It could be played as an acoustic work, but Jacob designed a max patch that Ashley’s sound goes through, so it’s actually going through an interface into her computer. There’s a gradient delay effect that happens and the piece itself is many small arches within one large arch. It’s a beautiful work and one of her favorite pieces to play.
Photo Credit: Laura Watilo Blake
The harp may be among the oldest musical instruments—dating back to at least as early as 3500 BCE in Ancient Mesopotamia—but that doesn’t mean an old instrument can’t learn new tricks.
Renowned classical harpist Yolanda Kondonassis recently joined forces with Grammy Award-winning classical guitarist Jason Vieaux to record an album of new music which pushes beyond the limits of simply classical. The album, titled “Together,” explores the vivid colors and rich textures of contemporary repertoire for harp and guitar by showcasing works by five composers from diverse musical backgrounds.
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The result is a vibrant program of music which travels seamlessly from lush melodies to simple folk dances to Argentine tango and even the modal tonalities of traditional Asian music. Some of the pieces even use unique harp effects such as pedal glisses, whistles, harmonics, “washboard” strumming, and percussive knocking on the soundboard.
“Contemporary effects are becoming far more common in today’s harp writing as composers try, I think, to search for new ways of expressing the harp idiom,” Kondonassis said. “In my opinion, the best harp writing occurs when the effects enhance the musical ideas and seem natural. It’s also up to me to make the effects sound seamless in the context of the music.”
The duo’s distinctive instrumentation allows their sound to blend and contrast, creating a wide variety of musical textures and timbres.
“I think a well-written piece by a composer who understands the two instruments will create great blend, contrast, dialogue, color—everything that makes chamber music work,” Vieaux said. “It’s really there in the compositions—we just have to bring it out.”
The pieces also provided a unique opportunity for each musician to explore new colors within their own instrument. Kondonassis even got the chance to add some pizzazz to an otherwise angelic pizzicato instrument.
“As a harpist, I’ve always been obsessed with trying to make my sound as warm as possible. It’s so refreshing for me to play off Jason’s warmth sometimes and be the spice, the acidic texture in the mix for a change,” Kondonassis said. “Sound-wise, I really opened up on this recording in ways I’m not sure I have before.”
The album begins with a performance of Argentine composer Máximo Diego Pujol’s four-movement “Suite Mágica,” a charming and romantic piece which takes much of its style, rhythms, and musical forms from the Argentine dance tradition. A guitarist himself, Pujol’s piece fuses elements of the classical idiom with vibrant Latin influences, transitioning flawlessly from gentle, lyrical melodic lines to vivacious rhythmic patterns.
The piece is followed by a beautifully contrasting work: Spanish composer Xavier Montsalvatge’s “Fantasia.” Amazingly diverse in its rhythmic and melodic content, the piece creates a dynamic and strikingly poetic conversation between the two instruments. The three contrasting movements illustrate an eclectic exploration of whimsicality and drama, occasionally even venturing outside of traditional tonal harmony to keep the listener hanging on every note.
The duo switches gears for Alan Hovhaness’ Sonata for Harp and Guitar (“Spirit of Trees”), an ethereal five-movement work which explores themes of nature, mysticism, and meditation. The piece’s frequent use of modal tonalities reflects the composer’s interest in traditional Asian music and philosophy, an influence which gives his music a tranquil, calming quality.
The album also includes two world premiere recordings of works commissioned by Kondonassis and Vieaux: Gary Schocker’s “Hypnotized” and Keith Fitch’s “Knock on Wood.” Schocker, a harpist himself, was inspired by the diverse musical textures made possible by pairing a string instrument capable of using vibrato with one that is not. His five-movement suite explores the vast possibilities of this unique instrumentation, ranging from lively, enchanting motifs to long, lush, and lyrical melodies.
Fitch’s “Knock on Wood” is probably the least traditional composition on the album. As the title suggests, the piece incorporates a wide range of percussive and rhythmic effects, making it a fascinating and fully captivating exploration of the sonic diversity of guitar and harp.
The composition is the perfect ending to a truly innovative album, offering a dazzling glimpse into the vast musical possibilities of this instrumental combination as Kondonassis and Vieaux continue their collaboration.