Chapter 7 T H E H a R M O N I C P O W E R O F M U S I C

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Chapter 7 T H E H A R M O N I C P O W E R O F M U S I C

As discussed in other chapters, often what we ‘hear’ is surface level, but what ‘listen to’ is a combination of the sound the notes make and the harmonic context they represent (which we may not be conscious of ‘hearing’ but nevertheless ‘experience’). Our responses and various levels of perception enable us to enjoy the different levels on which music transmits or communicates. We all listen in subtly different ways; the variables are infinite because our emotional reactions are based on individual emotional, psychological, physical, biological and intellectual factors. There are, however, common denominators and common emotional reactions caused by specific musical devices which we can quantify and understand. This is how and why some elements of music communicate in ways we can identify. In short, although the manner in which we all hear and listen varies greatly, there are some musical devices and structures which are so strong, so popular, so ingrained or so utterly communicative that we all respond to them in a way which is similar enough for us to deduce a kind of universal meaning. This is why musical structures, traditions and tolerances are so powerful and is why we are able to identify, rationalise and learn from them. In this chapter I aim to address some of these complex issues by looking at the music to some notable films.

Music analysed: Gladiator (Hans Zimmer) The Day After Tomorrow (Harald Klosser & Thomas Wander) Contact (Alan Silvestri) Aliens (James Horner) King Kong (James Newton Howard) The Long Good Friday (Francis Monkman) Pearl Harbour and Angels & Demons (Hans Zimmer) Chaplin, Out of Africa, Dancing with Wolves (John Barry) Defence of the Realm (Richard Harvey)

GLADIATOR Hans Zimmer

No book on film music would be complete without an analysis of the music for the film Gladiator, composed by Hans Zimmer. Analysing Zimmer’s music means examining specific, successful and identifiable harmonic devices and how they communicate a sense of emotion and even meaning to the audience. The most successful sections of the score are written as emotional commentaries on the story rather than functioning necessarily as explicitly synced ‘music to picture’. Freed often from the need to overtly italicise specific visual elements and respond to hit points all the time (which can sometimes punctuate the emotional impact and longevity of film music) Zimmer’s music provides an emotional musical narrative which is expansive, majestic and imposing. One of the things that make Gladiator a great movie and separate it from being just a film about violence and revenge is Zimmer’s music. Maximus is governed by a commitment that is of greater substance than a desire simply to avenge the deaths of his family, and the sensitivity of some of the music cues italicises this. Below I have transcribed the lead line and chords to ‘Now we are Free’, a piece which runs at the end of Gladiator over the credit roll.

Audio, 01.00 ‘Now we are Free’ – Movie, End Titles 02.22.12 Fig.1

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Contours have been added which show variation in the way the melody and harmony interact; firstly we have contrary motion in bars two-three as the chords move upwards from D to E and the melodic line sung by Lisa Gerrard moves down. The same type of sequence happens in bars six-seven where the chord bass line moves upwards and the melody moves downward. By contrast the melody and chord movement in bars four-five and twelve-thirteen displays close, almost parallel, movement. Contrary motion might be an obvious observation but it underpins one of the main ways music communicates. To put it in more human terms, it could be said that this is one of the ways harmony subtly contracts and expands, or ‘breathes in and out’. This is one of the many aspects that make music something we can experience, respond to and enjoy; something we can listen to, rather than simply hear. In the same excerpt below, this time I have highlighted another important characteristic; the all-powerful and descriptive minor / major 3 rd intervals. Such intervals are profoundly descriptive; they literally colour a chord by determining its harmonic characteristic – e.g. whether it’s major or minor. As listeners we respond to these intervals; we gravitate towards them. They wield disproportionate power within a chord. The crucial area here is in bars four-five and ten-eleven, where the notes and the chords both move down but the intervals they represent remain 3rds. There is a richness to these bars in particular, not least because the emotional 3 rd features in all chords.

Fig.2 A G# F# min3 rd maj3rd maj3rd

A G# F# min3 rd maj3rd maj3rd

In general musical terms the relationship between the musical sound and the intervallic meaning is one of the things that creates the distinctive emotional impact and aesthetic beauty of music. The relationship between what the melody sounds like (the notes) and what they represent as intervals is everything. The difference between the surface-level obvious musical analysis and a deeper contextual perspective is key to understanding what music is. In the figure below we see the musical notes (from the melody line in bars four-five and twelve-thirteen of fig.1 and fig 2) diagonally from top left to bottom right. I have also added an intervallic contour (bottom left to top right right). That these factors happen simultaneously explains the duality of experience enjoyed by the listener. This is a harmonic device which specifically finds its way into film music on a regular basis, as described elsewhere in this book.

Fig.3 A rd rd Maj 3 Maj 3 rd Min 3 G#

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Fig.4

In the three bar excerpt in fig.4 we have another example of the interval being of more interest than the note; firstly, we have a note of C in context of an Am chord. By bar two the C note has become the sus4 of the Gsus4F# chord. Then we have a Bb which represents the minor 3 rd of a Gm chord, which becomes the sus4

of the Fsus4. Note

Interval

Here is the same section in context of a larger excerpt from Gladiator . I have also highlighted the minor and major 3 rd ( ) intervals (which lend the piece a richness of emotion) and the contrary motion at work

Fig.5 Audio, 02.38 ‘The German Battlefront’ Movie - 00.02.37

Section from fig.4

The 3rd intervals come at the beginning of each of the first three bars of fig.5 establishing a sense of warmth and emotion. The extra drama and gravity created by the inverted bass in bar four is also worthy of mention. The chord of C in bar three becomes a chord of F/C in bar four, then back to a chord of C in bar five. Such a simple observation belies the extent to which this dramatizes the moment. The use of inversions softens the extremity and squareness of the movement between chords of C, F and C, offering a common bass line.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

But what inversions also offer is drama. We hear the chord but are aware that something is different; there is a different harmonic weighting, a different distribution.

Other notable tensions are to be found in bars thirteen-fifteen. Bar thirteen offers a Dm chord with an E-to- D downward counterpoint (2 nd to root) in the mid strings (top stave) with a G# to A (#4 th to 5 th ) upward melodic figure in the top strings. Much of what the harmony offers in counter-melodic terms can be considered inferred, implied, or almost ‘shorthand’. The E and G# (over the Dm chord) could also represent the 1 st and maj3 rd of an E chord, which means the chord almost functions as a polychord (containing distinct elements of E and Dm). I say this not because it is some vague theoretical possibility but because the fact that this can have two visual interpretations, or meanings, is one of the characteristics that make it work so well, especially as a brief passing chord.

The final observation from this section is the glide upwards on the 8va strings (bars twelve to fifteen) especially the C# note which ties between its major 3 rd intervallic context in bar fourteen to its ‘destination’ intervallic context of a major 7 th over the Dsus4 chord. This skewing of context offers further reasons as to how and why the piece communicates so well. In fact if you observe the final C# in conjunction with the sus4 G note of the Dm (bar 15) what you actually have is a major 3 rd (C#) and 7 th (G) of an A chord. Again this is subtle polytonality

What makes Zimmer’s music so effective is the difference between, on the one hand, the vast and subtle harmonic complexities and the often inferred and oblique nature of their delivery, and on the other hand, the texturally soft subtlety of his instrumentation, merged with the dense undergrowth of his samples. This is what makes the complex seem effortless; it is what makes the complicated appear simple and it represents perhaps the enduring aesthetic characteristic of his writing and production.

THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW Harald Klosser and Thomas Wander

The transcription below (fig.6) is the introduction title music from the film The Day After Tomorrow by Harald Klosser and Thomas Wander. It works because the slow, deliberate and ponderous nature of the music creates a portentous, threatening and ominous feel, which suits the narrative and underpins the seriousness of the subject and the movie. The music serves the movie narrative well and expertly delivers the context of the film in music to a watching and listening audience. How does it do this? The first small observation would be the way the melody line is initially doubled in the mid-to-low register; normally composers of orchestral music might avoid this as the potential for ‘lumpy’ voicing and sonic ambiguity is greater.

The way Klosser and Wander have crafted this iconic and much used track is impressive. Regarding the use of a low melody, they have avoided any potentially difficult intervals by ensuring the melodic line sticks, in the main, to primary intervals; however, the use of the add2 in bar seven works well to soften the edges of the harmony. The add2 on the lower stave, merged with the chord which accompanies it on the middle stave creates a rich lush cluster chord featuring (from the bottom up) F, C, F, G and A. Instrumentation, orchestration and production are dense at first, with the melody line buried within.

Also in bar two we have the interesting issue of harmony by suggestion rather than action; the low D in the bass does not in itself necessarily suggest the chord of Dm. Although the low cellos and basses playing the D note does sound ominous texturally, the note doesn’t neccasarily suggest Dm; nor does the first A-note melody vocal line. It is the Bb which suggests a Dm feel in the mind of the listener; the note of Bb does not feature in the scale of D major but it does feature in the scale of Dm (melodic). The average guy in the street doesn’t know this and indeed the vast majority of people would never know their harmonic detectors were being manipulated. The composers subtly suggest Dm without actually stating it by using a note found in the scale.

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This is yet another way in which people who have no knowledge of the intricacies of harmonic interaction are nevertheless beneficiaries of its effect, and another example of how beneficial it is for a composer to understand harmony to the degree that allows them to infer chords subtly rather than state them obviously.

Fig.6 Audio - ‘The Day After Tomorrow’ Movie - 00.00.25

The

Later in the same piece the harmonic interaction transcribed below (fig 7) appears, featuring a combination of mid strings, brass and woodwind to articulate a subtle chord exchange. The really effective part is in bars three and four. Examining why the move from Am to F is so effective we again come across the issue of the evolving intervallic context of the lower stave notes.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Fig.7 Audio - The Day After Tomorrow – 2.04

rd th C (3 ) C (5 ) A (root) A (3 rd ) Like shifting sands the change in what the notes of A and C (bass clef) represent A A ‘intervallically’ and the subtle interaction C C this creates is completely key to the Musical reality success of this section. Making 5 something remain physically the same 3 but change its ‘meaning’ (almost like a musical version of an optical illusion) The 3 other manages to be both extremely powerful 1 reality and extremely subtle at the same time .

The way we perceive harmony is crucial to the success of most music. This kind of gentle manipulation is effortless but effective.

The simple chord manoeuvre below (fig.8) is voiced entirely in root position. When people listen to moving chords they hear the sounds and rationalise harmony by virtue of easily recognisable note movement; people don’t perceive, for example, the changing context of the note of C as it evolves from being the root of the Cm chord to becoming the 5 th of the Fm chord. But nevertheless the reason the two chords work together is because they are from the same key centre and share a common note.

Fig.8 Cm Fm Bb Cm One of the fundamental things moving image composers sometimes don’t do is to make wholesale, complete chord changes. Chord shifts they employ are not always complete, absolute, root position-oriented and easily identifiable. By subtly altering voicings we can make simple chord shifts appear slightly more interesting.

But how would you ‘subvert’, abbreviate or lessen the absoluteness of the chord changes above? To see how the chord sequence above could be voiced to extort more potential from the chords, we turn to a track used in the film, and on the album, called ‘Sam’. A reduction is transcribed below.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Fig.9 Audio –‘Sam’ Movie - 00.14.58 (#11) (omit 3/7/9) Cm Fm/C Bb/C Cm Cm Ab/C Ab/C F13 Fm

F The first observation is that the second chord, the Fm, is not root Eb Eb D positioned; it is voiced as an inversion. This allows the C to form Ab more of a bond between the two chords than might otherwise have G G been the case; it isolates and exposes the bottom C because F effectively it becomes the lowest note we can hear of both chords. C

The revoicing of the Fm chord (bar one) might seem like an innocuous point but what it allows for is a smoother transition between the two chords; less movement. We’re still aware the second chord in bar one is a different chord, but the movement between the two chords is more subtle. The high string note in bar three undergoes a similar intervallic transformation; in fact, in reality every note in that bar moves. The G to Ab manoeuvre is an obvious and physical move, but if we examine what happens to the top C and the bottom C and Eb, they move, but less obviously (below, fig.10)

3rd 1st Fig.10

The Eb note as an interval The C note as goes from an interval min 3 rd to 5 th goes from min 1st to maj 3 rd

The level to which harmonies ‘shape-shift’ their intervallic meaning is one of the reasons the following excerpt (‘Cutting the Rope’, from the same film) works so well. This is a highly emotional part of the film in which Frank, one of the characters, falls through a glass roof and dangles on a swinging rope attaching him to the rest of his group. Realising he is jeopardising everyone he selflessly cuts the rope and falls to his death. At this exact moment the excerpt transcribed below is played, capturing the emotion perfectly. The real skill here is in the relative briefness of the excerpt, which although short in length, captures the essence of the moment. Let’s look first at the high cello line which begins on the ‘A’ note at the beginning of bar one. This is quite high for the cello which changes the textural character of the instrument, making it sounded more strained, pained, passionate and exposed. The melodic line runs from the A note through to the F#, the first being a minor 3 rd and the final being a major 3 rd . Starting and beginning on the 3 rd ensures a high emotional impact. The fact that the melody line is embedded in the chords and not a separate line in addition to supporting chords also gives it much more impact because the emotion is condensed into fewer notes.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

The harmonic grouping on beats 3 and 4 of bar two and beats 1 and two of bar three are quite revealing in that they display the staggered, variable and ‘falling’ harmonic movement which can often characterise effective orchestration; the movement of the C# (maj7 of the D chord) down to the B (root of the Bm7 chord) and then the falling top A (7 th of the Bm7 chord) to the G# (6 th of the Bm6 chord) cause tensions which, because they hit at different times, in a cascading manner, create great emotional impact, especially because the intervals represent colourful extensions.

Audio, 00.13 ‘Cutting the Rope’ – Movie, 01.19.55’

Fig.12 F#m (9) Dmaj7 Bm7 Bm6

F# F# F#

CONTACT Alan Silvestri

The following example is from theme the film Contact, with music from the inspired and vivid imagination of composer Alan Silvestri. Factors under the spotlight in this example are far more basic and obvious than issues already discussed but the nature of their function and effect is just as important. Silvestri’s main theme underscores and highlights the main narrative of the film; our incurable search for meaning. Both main characters, Ellie and Joss, are looking for meaning. She seeks proof of extra-terrestrial intelligence, whereas Joss seeks meaning in his spirituality. Contact references God many times in the film. At one stage Ellie asks: What is more likely? That an all-powerful mysterious God created the Universe and then decided not to give any proof of his existence, or that he simply does not exist at all? In order to take the film’s theme away from science fiction and place it squarely in the realms of the frailty of the human condition and the eternal search for meaning, the theme features a romantic piano solo portraying innocence and purity. It is a very un-sci-fi theme and as such drives the movie away from extra-terrestrial intelligence and into matters of belief.

Firstly, the string harmonies on the bottom stave display classic voicing techniques, e.g. root, 5 th and high 3rd (10 th ). These voicings provide a warm, solid sonic bed of sound on which to build the rest of the piece. The chords are, however, all root positioned which means the movement between Eb and Ab is quite obvious. One way round this might be to invert some of the chords to lessen the extremity of the manoeuvres but another way is to provide an effective counterpoint between the piano line (top two staves) and the string chords (bottom stave). The violins line (3 rd stave down) provides an effective bridge between the melody and supporting chords. It possesses its own movement which is slower and more languid than the top piano line. This is a perfect example of how and why effective orchestration can help ease some of the anomalies music structure throws at us. The melodic line and counterpoint evolve at different rates.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Audio – Contact end credits Fig.13

rd rd 3 Piano rd rd 3 th 3 3 th 5 th th 5 st 5 5 st 1 st st 1 1 1 3 5 1

rd Strings 3 rd 3 5th th 5 1st 1st

Piano rd rd 3 3 th th 5 5 st st 1 1

Strings 3rd 3rd 5th 5th 1st 1st

Strings

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ALIENS James Horner

Below I have transcribed a fairly basic chord shift. The chords are all in root position and there has been no attempt to mitigate the abrupt shifts up and down .

Fig.14

Gm A Gb Ab

The first and The third and second chords fourth chords possess no Although there is a commonality between possess no commonalities the C# in the A chord and the Db in the commonalities Gb chord, the actual physical movement sounds square and parallel

How might these work better?

If we insert pedal notes and slash chords the same chord sequence will work better. We still have the same movement of chords, but with the subtleties of craft, voicing and orchestration. Rescoring chords with better structural integrity and more fluid movement isn’t just a good idea; it’s also the harbinger of drama, spectacle and gravitas.

The example below is similar to one of thousands that exist; this chord sequence is from the movie Aliens , composed by James Horner. The revoicing allows for greater consistency and stability

Audio, 00.13 ‘LV426’ – Movie, 00.24.50’ & 00.34.20’

Fig.15 Gm A/G Gb Ab/Gb (Ab/Eb Dm) 3rd becomes 5th

Root Root becomes becomes 7th The inversion in the penultimate chord 7th allows for a better move to the final Dm, with which there is no relation (Eb to D semitone

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KING KONG James Newton Howard

The shifting sands of harmonic accompaniment

I want to turn to one of the main themes from the movie King Kong (below), scored by James Newton Howard, in order to rationalise some interesting harmonic observations.

Fig.16 Audio -‘King Kong Movie, opening titles’

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Just like The Day After Tomorrow , this piece is written low and orchestrated densely. The low, deep melodic Horn line conjures up a sense of premonition and apprehension. This line is copied with bassoons for more depth.

Bar seven features trombones and other brass scored low; the C# (major 3 rd , trombone) is almost at a depth where the 3 rd wouldn’t work or would become crunchy and lumpy. Instead here it produces a crisp, penetrative and deep, portentous menacing sound.

There are some other notable harmonic events in this piece which help it function brilliantly well in the film; the Gm chord stated by violins in bar six is inclusive of its minor 6 th interval (on top of the voicing) to give a tiny whiff of harmonic friction and significant colour. This is aided by the delightful demisemiquaver line on woodwind and violins 2, which periodically comes back to the Eb (min6).

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Audio -‘King Kong 0.42

Fig.17 (omit3) (omit3) (omit3) (omit3) Eventually the piece gives way to a nod toward G E Eb C the classic ‘scary monster’ chords - made so by the chromatic shifts, the low brass, but most of all because of the lack of maj or min 3rds

The opening theme appears again later in the film in (below).

Audio - ‘The Venture Departs’ – Movie, 00.24.15’

Fig.18 Strings Gm A Gm Bbm Gm A Gm A

Strings / Brass

111111111111111

Starting with something obvious; there is great interplay and coherence between the grand opening motif (bars three to six) and the subsequent bar which effectively mimics the phrase at a quicker pace. The initial melody, grand and majestic, benefits from the chord shift underneath, between Gm and A, which creates an uplifting feel. The piece also benefits from the changing context of the note in bars three and five; bar three features a C# (the maj3 rd of the A chord) whereas bar five features the same ‘note’, this time functioning as a Db (min3 rd of the Bbm).

The Empire State , another cue from the same film, is packed full of important nuggets of information which will help us better understand how film music works, how harmony functions and how music communicates

Fig.19 Audio -‘The Empire State Building’

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Consistency in Melodic Contour: looking at the melodic phrasing we can see two distinct rhythmic approaches. Bars four and five mimic bars two and three but at a more hurried pace whereas bars six to seven offer a different rhythmic vehicle for the melody.

Fig.20

Consistency in use of intervals (#4): If we look at bars three and four (fig.21) we can see that the use of the #4 plays a big part in conjuring up the sci-fi-fantasy feeling. The #4 is a regular favourite when trying to inject a sense of wonderment into a piece. As we will see elsewhere in the book, one reason for the success of the #4 is that it subtly alludes to a different key and chord. In the case of bar three of fig.21, the exposed top E on cellos could be said to ‘sound’ like the maj3 of the C chord. Strange extensions sound as they do because of a harmonic interaction between them and the ‘normal’ components of the chord but also because they are gently suggestive of other chords.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Fig.21

8 #4 #4 9 5 5

What defines this phrase harmonically is the expression and colour created by the more extreme intervals which come midway through the sequence. Below is a line expressing the harmonic contour in terms of the expressive power and complexity of the intervals used in the cello line. The more complex and expressive the interval, the higher it appears on the arc. The reason the second #4 appears higher than the first is because in context of the cue the G cello note in bar four is higher and therefore more exposed and therefore more intense.

#4 #4 9

This piece also benefits from the same notes cropping up in different intervallic contexts. It allows the piece to evolve its harmonic complexity whilst retaining familiar melodic phraseology.

Fig.22 G = #4 th G = 9 th 5

maj3 rd rd maj3 min3 rd min3 rd

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If we concentrate on the section from bar eight to eleven just prior to the key change from A to D (bars ten and eleven of the original transcription – fig.19) we can identify the point at which the harmonies create drama, tension and gravity leading up to the key change. I have transcribed an alternate version below (fig.23). It could be called an ‘easy listening’ version, using safe, predictable chords to achieve the key change, in order to distinguish between it and what was actually written.

The way it might have been Fig.24 The way it might have been Fig.23

The version in fig.24 is the ‘subverted’ version which contains two chords prior to the key change which evolve to a dissonant climax (boxed) before the key change. The C#/A chord is extremely dissonant in isolation, but sandwiched briefly as it is between the preceding and successive chords, it works extremely well.

THE LONG GOOD FRIDAY Francis Monkman

Another good example of the effectiveness of ‘harmonic character’ is contained in the following short excerpt from the 1979 movie The Long Good Friday , music by Francis Monkman. By using synths as instruments in their own right, and not simply as a means to cheaply replicate or emulate acoustic instruments, Monkman’s expert and evocative music (along with, for example, Angelo Badalmenti’s score for Twin Peaks ) helped pave the way for electronic music in subsequent TV shows such as The X-Files and 24. I will be covering the iconic main theme from The Long Good Friday in Volume 2, but for now I use the short piece below (00.03.50 into the film) as an example of the communicative power of harmony when using only a few notes.

Fig.25 Movie, 00.03.50’

Eb Eb(#5) Eb Eb+

6 3 maj7 3 8 3 9 3 maj7 3 8 3 9 3 10 3

The richness of the 6 th (C) in bar one gives way to more abstract harmonies in bar two, which offers an Eb(#5) chord underneath a quaver line who’s punctuating alternate intervals are major 7 th , 8th , 9 th and 10 th .

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

The relationship between the Eb(#5) chord and the D of the melody line is crucial here; if you ignore the bottom Eb root note of the chord, the melodic line above is now seen and heard in a different context (see below).

Without the Eb root note of the accompanying chord what we Fig.26 5 +5 7 8 effectively have is a G chord with melody line intervals now being th 5, +5, 7 and the octave. I say this because at first glance on bar two of fig.25 we assume the tension is caused by the B natural (the +5 of the Eb chord), where as in fact the tension is also caused by the Eb root note, which is a red herring in what is otherwise a G chord. This subtle interplay and ‘duality of perception’ is what makes this work; it has two possibilities, not just theoretically, but aurally; actually . This is what causes the slightly abstract qualities .

PEARL HARBOUR Hans Zimmer

I would like to return now to Hans Zimmer and to a big issue this book addresses elsewhere with other musical examples; the issue of how music leads us into the temptation to presume one thing and then confounds our expectation by delivering something else instead. To produce ‘surprise’ musically by confounding or expectations is one of the most effective things we can do as composers. It happens everywhere in music; it is one of the main reasons we enjoy music. As I have alluded to elsewhere, we do not listen objectively; we listen subjectively and with prejudice. This is not a deliberate act, it is simply the way human brains store data, classify information and compartmentalise the world of sound and music. Based on our previous listening experiences we form comparisons, opinions and judgements. This means that everything we listen to is heard in context of a generalised formulaic perception which rounds things up and consolidates information. This doesn’t mean we are not susceptible to music which confounds our expectations; indeed such music excites us. Virtually all the most successful music, to a degree, subverts the listening experience by confounding our presumptions and expectations. It gives us something we didn’t expect, and we usually like it. These subversions are sometimes so subtle as to be undetectable to the untrained ear and eye. This is why people are sometimes left clueless as to why a particular piece of music seems to engage their responses better than others. People are frequently prone to focussing on aspects they presume represent the reason they might like a certain piece of music. Such aspects tend towards simple explanations; things which can be generally understood without advanced musical knowledge. I do not wish to diminish or underplay these responses, merely to expose the way in which composers (deliberately or unknowingly) play with our perceptions to create music which is engaging and successful. None of what follows is particularly radical or profound; they are all subtle, delicate and restrained. The excerpt below entitled Tennessee is the title track from the movie Pearl Harbour .

Audio -‘Tennessee’ – Movie, opening credits Fig.27

1111111111111111

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

When we consider where this sequence might go it’s tempting to presume, with a G (chord V) in bar eight that the piece will revert to the tonic chord (C) and repeat the sequence. But what it actually does is more appealing (see below). Fig.28

This sequence would not have worked so well if the preceding chord of G had implied a return to the tonic chord of C. Therefore how the G chord was perceived by the time the piece got to it is crucial.

Although the key centre is C, by the time the chord of G arrives in bar eight we don’t expect a return to the key centre; we feel comfortable settling on the G chord and using it as a springboard for the move to Dm, which feels completely natural. Why? This is achieved by inserting small harmonic signifiers in the first eight bars which subtly allude to a key centre of G. These are the F# notes in bar two and six. The first F# is mildly unsettling when it appears but only retrospectively so; the following bar (bar three) contains an Fmajor7 – a chord which wouldn’t really work if there was an F# within earshot. The sequence from Em to Fmaj7 works but the F# melody note over the Em does raise the tension of that specific two-bar chord sequence. But the real function of the F# is to prepare us for hearing the G chord in bar eight in a different context, e.g. when the piece starts we think it’s in C but by bar eight we’re acclimatised to the key of G.

Although the chord sequence and melodic line appear to be romantic and ‘song’ oriented, the addition of the F# over an Em prior to an Fmaj7 chord is something you would rarely find in song – this is its filmic element. The melodic line over the Fmaj7 is identical to bar one, which brings familiarity and prevents the F# lingering. Above all, the melodic contour in bars seven and eight pave the way for the line to eventually settle on an F note over a Dm chord. It’s also worth mentioning the contrary harmonic motion at this point, which, typically for Zimmer, is delivered cocooned in lush orchestration . Fig.29

For maximum impact it’s often effective if a descriptive and emotional interval (3 rd ) in a melodic line comes on the second beat of the bar, not the first. If, as in bar one of the excerpt below, it comes on the first beat, all the emotional potential is released in one moment; the 3 rd doesn’t react to anything – it just appears .

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Fig.30

The phrase as used in Hans Zimmer’s theme from Pearl Harbour (right) features the 3rd on the second beat.

In the second bar the emotional energy is delayed, staggered and spread out. There is a brief expectancy on beat one which is fulfilled and answered on beat two.

Defining moments and hit points in music

ANGELS & DEMONS Hans Zimmer

Pieces that start with a minor-to-relative-major chord shift are uplifting but comparatively rare. The opposite way round is very common but ‘minor to relative major’ is hardly ever used at the beginning of a piece. Seemingly unrelated, a chord change between C and G would normally be an unremarkable sequence but preceding it with an Am puts a different complexion on the subsequent C to G; although we interpret the written form of music in a sequential linear way, from left to right, start to finish, beginning to end, the aural effect music has on us is not always the result of a linear listening experience; music communicates cumulatively. The reason that a two-chord sequence might transport aurally, aesthetically and emotionally may be because of the totality of the entire sequence, not just a local, smaller sequence. The reason two chords, halfway through an eight-bar sequence, work, might be because of the chord in bar one or two and the effect it has on the chord in bar four or five. The effect of music is cumulative: the C to G will sound different if preceded by the Am because we will perceive it in a different way.

There are three dynamics at work in the first three chords. Their effect is collective. The longevity of the chords and the specific delivery of the sequence effect our interpretation of it.

But the defining moment of the sequence is the transition between G and Em, using the passing chord of D/F#. Once again Zimmer has started with the presumption of one key centre (Am) only to deviate to Em within a few bars. The manoeuvre to Em is made more natural by the initial manoeuvre from Am to C and then to G; by virtue of the route taken to G, by the time we get there we no longer hear it in context of a chord V. Because the D chord and F# bass notes are outside the original key centre of C, their use lifts the piece. This is typical of Hans Zimmer and a major ingredient of his arsenal of successful harmonic tricks.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

If we look (below) at the opening sequence from the movie Angels and Demons we see how effective the whole piece is. This time it is transcribed in its actual key of B. When trying to rationalise the success of this opening sequence and its tremendous impact on the film, we tend towards a presumption that it is the sound . We tend to rationalise according to what seems probable . Because we listen via sound and not via information, we presume the sound is chiefly responsible. The sounds are important but the harmonies are crucial. If we examine Hans Zimmer’s success, above all it the triumph of harmony.

Fig.31 Audio - God Particle Movie – beginning titles 00.00

Pieces that start with minor to relative major chord shifts are uplifting and rare

The chord change between B and F# would normally be an unremarkable sequence but preceding it with a G#m puts an entirely different complexion on the subsequent B to F#.

I would now like to feature several pieces from the late, great, John Barry. Perhaps his most well-known music is for the James Bond franchise is analysed in Vol.2. In this book four themes which are just as powerful and communicative, if perhaps not as famous, are analysed.

CHAPLIN John Barry

Chaplin is a 1992 biographical film about the life of Charlie Chaplin, directed by Richard Attenborough and structured around flashbacks as an elderly Chaplin reminisces over moments in his life. The film highlights the triumphs and tragedies of Chaplin’s life. The film opens to silence as Chaplin walks into his backstage room, dressed in his trademark attire. As he sits down the wonderfully emotive opening theme begins. Immediately the music transmits romantic and vaguely solemn and somber emotions, communicating and commenting on the tremendous sadness in Chaplin’s life.

The transcription below features the first few bars of the main theme, after which we will scrutinize the complex harmonic patterns, how they communicate and how they are delivered effortlessly through the prism of effective and sympathetic orchestration which allows the theme to breathe.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

Fig.32 Audio – ‘Chaplin’ Movie 00.00.44

How music breathes In the abbreviated transcription (fig.33) we see a classic example Fig.33 of ‘how music breathes in and out’, or how it has a feeling of contraction. The melody line ascends from the F (root) to E th (maj 7 ) while the Cello counterpoint two notes lower moves from C (5 th ) to C# (aug5 th ).

The second chord is a typical John Barry chord and transmits drama, seriousness and apprehension. How does it do this? Firstly it’s a distinctive and odd combination of notes. An Fmaj7 with an augmented 5th is hardly ever heard; it works in this example largely because of what precedes it; the second chord is transitory and reactive. Played alone without having something to react to, it loses its impact. This proves yet again that context is everything. Chords which are distinctive and which provide specific emotional reactions in listeners usually only do so because they are ‘fed’.

How Film & TV Music Communicate – Vol.1 Text © Brian Morrell 2013

The harmonic dynamics present in that second chord are interesting in that, on closer scrutiny, we find that the top three notes (from the top, down - E, A, C#) of a 4-note chord actually represent an A chord; the reason the chord sounds odd is that, essentially, it’s an A chord with an F in the bass. What makes it part of the ‘F chord context’ is that the preceding chord is an F, therefore we rationalise it as a ‘weird kind of F chord’. Barry restates the augmented 5 th in bar two when melody hits the C#. In bar three the piece ‘breathes in’ again.

Looking at the isolated melody (below) we can see another one of John Barry’s traits; the use of excessive intervallic leaps.

Fig.34

nd th Bar four contains a leap of a compound minor 2 (or a flattened 9 ), something rarely seen in such an exposed melody. Barry achieves this partly by the use of ‘cotton wool orchestration’ – instrumentation designed to soften and smooth- out any harmonic tensions. This juxtaposition between harmony and orchestration works beautifully in shrouding what is a difficult interval. Again in bar eight (below, fig.35) he uses another interval, not as severe, but still rarely used in th such an exposed melody; the 9 . John Barry makes these leaps sound plausible, effective and even luscious by clever use of instrumentation and voicing.

Fig.35

Isolating part of the orchestration highlights another one of the aspects of instrumentation which so distinguishes the work of John Barry and others, namely the open-position trombone voicing (below).

Fig.36 The voicing - 1st , 5 th and 3 rd (10 th ) -

3rd highlighted left, is nothing special;

5th in fact it represents basic good practice in terms of effective 1st spacing.

Such open voicing between root, 5 th and high 3 rd (10 th ) gives space and room for the individual voices to be heard. What makes a virtue out of it is the texture and timbre of the trombones and the way Barry draws attention to them. If strings are voiced in this way, which they frequently are, we hear the richness of each element of the section, but when trombones and other low brass play the same voicings the sound is so much more crisp and organic because there are fewer of them. The section below (a continuation of the trombone section from fig.36) again displays the consistent approach in the trombone voicing. Fig.37

Fig.38

The intro to the cue (also found at the beginning of fig.32) has extra richness embedded in the arrangement by virtue of the harp (left) which hits the root, 5 th 9th and high 3 rd (10 th ). The ‘add9’ element helps, with the open string voicing above it, to create a luscious and transporting sound.

A great example of how arranging in film music works is the way his theme for Chaplin is shared by more than one instrument or section. Melody is, more than anything else, a function. We are used to seeing and hearing melody being impaled on one instrument but in film music the function of melody is often shared. If we looked at the initial transcription for Chaplin (fig.32) we would be forgiven for simply seeing the melody on the top line violins. But Barry, realising that a theme is first and foremost a function and secondly a tune, places small snippets of the theme on different instruments. What we might perceive as counterpoint is, in fact, the melody functioning on different instruments. Below is the same piece from fig.32 but abbreviated to highlight how and where the theme is shared between different instruments.

Fig.39 Violins

Violins Violins

Cellos

The final section of the analysis of Chaplin concerns another, more obvious representation of what is sometimes called the ‘John Barry sound’. Look closely at bar three of the transcription below (fig.40) and look even closer at the trombone and low strings. Like all great film score composers Barry is fond of inversions.

Fig.40

Look at the way the Dm chord gives way to the Bb/D by virtue of the movement of just one note (the A to Bb). This subtle shift of one note in a chord completely transforms the intervallic context A Bb of the rest of the notes. F (3)….... F (5) D (1)…… D (3)

A Bb F (3)…… F (5) A Bb D (1)……D (2)

Fig.41 Now look at the transcription to the right (fig.41) in which, in the first bar, we see the sequence seen in bar five of Chaplin (fig.32). I have added the Dm6 to show how easy we go from Chaplin to perhaps the greatest John Barry piece of all.

DANCING WITH WOLVES John Barry

Although the theme from Dancing with Wolves , below, doesn’t have the same odd intervallic leaps in its melody or indeed any of the distinctive chords from Chaplin , if we observe the orchestration and chord voicing we see and hear the same approach to orchestration; namely the open-voiced mid-low strings and trombones, which lends the piece a real richness of texture. In the example below what also adds to the effectiveness of the voicings are the occasional low 3 rd and 7 th (highlighted). This draws out and italicises the richness of the intervals and the instrument textures; they aren’t so low to cause sonic ambiguity and ‘lumpy chords’ but they are low enough to sound rich. Also highlighted are the subtle descending bass lines, similar to the lines in Chaplin .

Fig.42 Audio – Dances with Wolves main theme

rd rd 3rd 3 3 3rd 1st 7th 1st 1st th th 5th 5 5 5th st st 1st 1 1 1st

th rd 3rd 5 3 rd th 5th 3 3rd 5 st th st 1 5 1st 1 1st

rd rd 3 3 th th 5 5 st st 1 1

3rd 1st 5th 3rd 1st 5th st 1

Looking at the strings and trombones in particular it’s interesting to see not only the style of voicing but also the consistencies. In bars one, three, four and five the trombones are voiced with the distinctive warm and descriptive 3 rd on top, ensuring the richness of the chord is heard. The Bb7 is scored effectively with the mild tension of the 7 th and octave a tone apart but with the rich low 3 rd below.

OUT OF AFRICA John Barry

It is worth mentioning again the issue of what the ‘role’ and ‘function’ of the music is. Out of Africa is an adventure film based loosely on Karen Blixen’s famous book. The film is set almost exclusively in Africa and yet the most enduring and endearing music is itself set firmly in context of the European classical romantic tradition. This is because the music is not playing the location or even the historical context; it plays the romance and the drama portrayed in the story and by the lead characters. Two distinctive and iconic themes from Out of Africa are transcribed and again these feature some typical John Barry traits.

Audio - Flying over Africa th th Fig.43 maj6 maj7

Strings & Brass

The tension caused by the use of the maj6th and maj7 th (over the Am chord) is very suggestive of emotions such intrigue, mystery and conspiracy, which is why these chords are used heavily in John Barry’s Bond scores. Why and how does the use of a maj6th and maj7 th cause these feelings?

The intervallic relationship between the A note (root of the Am) and the F# / G# are a maj6 th and maj7 th respectively. These are effective intervals but the main reason the F# and G# penetrate so much is actually because of the relationship between the C note (min 3 rd of the Am chord) and the F# / G# (#4 and #5 respectively). The 3 rd is an extremely colourful interval; a defining interval which literally defines a chord as major or minor. Therefore the way in which extension notes interact with the 3 rd is important. The specific tension created by these harmonic dynamics is responsible for their characteristics.

In order to contextualise this point, look at the two bars transcribed below. Fig.44

With an Am6 there are two points of harmony which colour the chord; firstly, the relationship between the low A and the F#(maj6 th ) but secondly and more importantly the relationship #4 #5 between the C (min3 rd ) and the F#(6 th ), which is itself an maj6th maj7th augmented 4 th . This is more important because the 3 rd is the all-important descriptive interval; any relationship with this note will be more acute.

The same applies in the relationship between the min3 rd and the maj7 th (G#). This chord communicates vividly and dramatically because of the wealth of information and harmonic dynamics available to the listener. The G# is maj 7 th apart from the root but also it lays an augmented 5 th above the chord’s min3 rd . Add to this the usual Barry propensity for open trombone voicing which emphasises the richness of the chords and creates a crisp penetrative sound, and we have the sound John Barry is so famous for. The next section of this track (below) contains some interesting and effective arranging.

Fig.45 Audio - Flying over Africa - 01.48

2nd Violins Tension between the C and the lower B

Tension between the C and the lower B

There are two seemingly innocuous aspects of the first few bars of Flying over Africa which are extremely effective in making this piece sound as striking as it does. The first is the descending 2 nd Violin line which ‘cascades’ due to the downward arc but also due to the off-beat rhythm. If the descending 2 nd violin had been on the beat it would not have been as effective. This phrase is more obvious when it comes again an octave higher in bar nine. Once again, as with many other pieces this book highlights, we see the seemingly small decisions having such a good effect because, very slightly and almost imperceptibly, they alter what we expect and cause momentary surprise. The second ‘event’ is the slight and almost unnoticed tension between the carried over C melody note and the chord underneath (which is an Em, bars two and ten) - i.e. the clash between the B notes and C note). The final piece (below) from Out of Africa is the main theme itself, which once again has John Barry’s fingerprints all over it. Firstly we have the rhythmic interplay created by the off-beat phrases (highlighted *). Secondly the held high octave string note of B creates slight tension in bar five/six and nine/ten when it becomes the 9 th of the Am chord. From bar eleven (over a Gm chord) we hear an effective octave descending line, the fourth note of which (the E) hits the 6 th interval – a distinctive and colourful interval we see in other John Barry pieces, not least, as stated before, his music for James Bond.

Fig.46 Out of Africa main theme – 00.00 5th 9th

* *

* * * * *

maj6…….maj2 maj6…….maj2

What makes the E note (bar twelve) even more effective is how it evolves from the 6 th interval of the Gm chord to the 2 nd of the D chord; the real effectiveness in bars twelve/thirteen and sixteen/seventeen lies in the chord shift and the intervallic shift of the held note.

DEFENCE OF THE REALM Richard Harvey

One landmark 80s film, similar to The Long Good Friday in terms of the distinct musical approach, is Defence of the Realm , scored by Richard Harvey. The film tells the story, set among the political tension of the 1980s Cold War era, of a reporter who stumbles on a story linking a prominent MP to a KGB agent, which in turn leads him to discover a near nuclear disaster at a UK American air base. The tagline of the movie was ‘just how far will a government go to hide the truth?’ and the air of apprehension, fear and paranoia runs through the movie. Just like Monkman’s score to The Long Good Friday Harvey’s edgy score complemented the movie well, using a combination of synths and traditional instrumentation. The transcription below is from 00.00.40 into the movie during the opening credits. The main theme is established via a combination of synths, orchestral instruments and various successful and communicative combinations of broken or incomplete harmonies and extensions. When composers use broken harmonies (by which I mean ordinary chords with one or more important elements missing) they can succeed in creating a slightly uneasy harmonic feel. Taking a 3rd or 5 th out of a chord might seem an ineffective thing to do but even the slightest change to harmony as we know it can create tension.

The addition of extensions (with perhaps one of the primary intervals still missing) can often be unnerving and disturbing. To take an important primary component out of a chord effectively gives you an alternative ‘version’ of that chord. For example, if you think you know what kind of distinctive sound a maj7 chord makes, take the 3 rd out of it. The remaining intervals are still there but their main relationship was with the 3rd ; taking it out changes everything. The notes are still the same and their intervallic relationship with the root note is still, intact, but the effect of the missing 3 rd radiates through the chord.

Fig.47 Cmaj7 (with 3 rd ) Cmaj7 (without 3 rd )

The transcribed section below (fig.48) enters just after we see the title card ‘Defence of the Realm’ on the screen (accompanied by a dissonant chord). The music drifts into bar one of the transcription, which offers an incomplete Eb chord with a 7 th (Db) melody note on the top stave. Although there is no betrayal of whether the chord is major or minor, minor is slightly and obliquely hinted at by virtue of the Db melody note; this would be found in a scale of Eb melodic minor but not in an Eb major scale. Harmony by innuendo and suggestion is a powerful approach. The addition of the note in the melody is gently suggestive of minor via the power of suggestion. The bareness of the supportive harmonies are broken by the comparatively strange and brief F/C woodwind chord (bar seven) which resolves back to the bare 5 th and octave of the Eb (bar eight). Bar ten contains two suspensions, the sus2 (F) and sus4 (Ab).

Right up until bars eleven and twelve the harmony has been a mix of broken harmonies with added extensions and suspensions, offered through the textural prism of distinctive and occasionally slightly ghostly 80s synth sounds. It is this specific combination which creates a distinctly troubling and disconcerting vibe.

Fig.48 Movie: 00.00.40 Audio 00.30 Defence of the Realm Main Title

Haydn horn progression

11 th b10 th

Dissonance

Harvey’s brilliantly ironic nod to ‘Britishness’ via his reference of the ‘Haydn Horn progression’ in bars nineteen and twenty is inspired, as is the quirky, brief and disturbing dissonance which follows in the last two beats of bar twenty, where the Ab melody note (11 th ) and the Gb (flat 10 th ) clashes with the major 3rd (G).

The synth/string harmonies on the middle stave from beat three of bar twenty, right through to the end of the transcription have their own journey, their own emotional contour and sense of drama (transcribed separately below), as the chords pass through an inversion, a diminished chord, a 7 th chord, a slash chord, sus4, major and minor.