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The Magazine of Motion Picture and Television Music V OLUME 3, NUMBER 3 Experience CINERAMA Today! pg 18 BESTBESTof theYEARYEAR AA ReviewReview RoundupRoundup IncludingIncluding Readers’ Readers’ Picks!Picks! TITANICTITANICTRIBUTETRIBUTE TheThe Film,Film, TheThe Score,Score, TheThe ControversyControversy REMEMBERINGREMEMBERING McRITCHIEMcRITCHIE OrchestratorOrchestrator ExtraordinaireExtraordinaire NEWNEW ExclusiveExclusive ComposerComposer NewsNews inin DOWNBEATDOWNBEAT Ht: 0.816", Wd: 1.4872", Mag: 80% BWR: 1 $3.95 U.S.A • $4.95 Canada CONTENTS M ARCH/APRIL 1998 Special Section Departments 25 The Best of the Year 2 Editor’s Page On the eve of the 70th Academy Awards®, we All Hands on Deck present a special section dedicated to the winners (and losers) of 1997: 4News Mr. Kamen’s Opus; 26 Settling Scores Will success spoil Danny A year of compromises, but there’s hope on Elfman?; and more the horizon 5 Record Label By Andy Dursin Round-up 30 Sound and Fury Incoming CDs March 23 may be Titanic’s night An opinionated Top Ten list—and more 6 Concerts to remember—and we By Jeff Bond Live performances contemplate the reasons why 32 Deadlier Than the Mail around the world page 36 Results of the 1997 Reader’s Poll 8Now Playing By you, the Readers of FSM Movies and CDs in 35 Accentuate the Positive release Four good trends in film music 10 Upcoming Film By Doug Adams Assignments Who’s writing what Features 12 Mail Bag London vs. L.A. 18 Cinerama Rides Again! It’s possible to see one of the great 14 Reader Ads soundtracks of all time in a totally unique format—but you’d better act quickly 36 Downbeat He composed, arranged, By Phil Lehman Our new column of performed—and made pop films in progress and culture history 36 The Ship of Dreams their composers at work page 21 What is it about this oft-told tale that works so well in its latest incarnation? 36 Score By Nick Redman Pocket reviews of Incognito, 38 A Score to Remember? Mrs. Dalloway, The pros and cons of James Horner’s music— Desperate Measures, and the controversy that surrounds it. two by Elmer Bernstein, By Doug Adams the spectacular King Kong, and more Remembrance 48 Retrograde The Pleasure of 21 The Great McRitchie Their Company A tribute to an extraordinary orchestrator The spectacles of Hollywood’s by his friends and composers. Golden Age live on—in Ohio! By Wes Marshall page 18 ABOUT THE COVER: THE LOOKOUTS IN THE CROW’S NEST HARDLY NEED BINOCULARS TO SEE WHAT’S COMING; TITANIC PHOTO COPYRIGHT ©1997 Film Score Monthly (ISSN 1077-4289) is published monthly for $29.95 per year by Lukas Kendall, 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1500, Los PARAMOUNT PICTURES/20TH CENTURY FOX; OSCAR Angeles CA 90036-4201. Application to mail at periodicals postage rate is pending at Los Angeles, CA and at additional mailing offices. STATUETTE © ACADEMY OF MOTION PICTURE ARTS POSTMASTER: Send Address changes to Film Score Monthly, 5455 Wilshire Blvd, Suite 1500, Los Angeles, CA 90036-4201 AND SCIENCES® Film Score Monthly 1 M ARCH/APRIL 1998 EDITORIAL V OLUME 3, NUMBER 3 M ARCH/APRIL 1998 All Hands on Deck! STAFF THE SOUNDTRACK TO TITANIC IS BREAKING EDITOR & PUBLISHER MUSIC SALES RECORDS—BUT WHAT DOES THAT MEAN Lukas Kendall FOR THE BUSINESS (OR JAMES HORNER’S CAREER?) MANAGING EDITOR Jeff Bond DESIGN DIRECTOR ames Horner’s score to Titanic has Titanic will make Horner an even richer Joe Sikoryak become that rare soundtrack that pops man—if he makes anywhere from $1 to CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jup once or twice a generation: an $2 a record, and it sells ten million, think Doug Adams instrumental soundtrack that sells like about it—but ultimately will not make Jon Burlingame gangbusters. Past examples have been Dr. him any bigger of a pop-music footnote Jason Comerford Zhivago (Maurice Jarre), Star Wars (John than Maurice Jarre is today. In fact, it Andy Dursin Williams) and Chariots of Fire (Vangelis); will be amusing to see if Horner’s next Phil Lehman more recent bestselling discs include album is anticipated by the media as Wes Marshall Somewhere in Time, Out of Africa and another Titanic, when it’s a clunker like Nick Redman Dances with Wolves by John Barry, Robin Deep Impact. Hood: Prince of Thieves (Michael Kamen, What is surprising about Titanic is that PUBLISHING CONSULTANT big-hit song by Bryan Adams), The Last of an instrumental score could still penetrate Digital Film & Print, Inc. the Mohicans (Trevor Jones/Randy and sell a half-million units week after week THANKS TO Edelman), The Piano (Michael Nyman), in today’s saturated media environment. B.A. Vimtrup and two scores by Horner himself: Legends When Zhivago was a hit, it was the closest of the Fall and Braveheart. thing to a music-video you could watch, and CONTACT INFO Almost all of these are love stories which its soundtrack the only real souvenir you take place in a past—a past in which tradi- could take home. Even Chariots of Fire EDITORIAL OFFICE tional gender roles are reasserted, and a came before the CD age. 5455 Wilshire Blvd man rescues a woman many times, often Titanic has made people want to go home Suite 1500 with his shirt off. (Star Wars is a separate and listen to an instrumental, programmat- Los Angeles, CA phenomenon, but that too features a ic album and not a performer-based collec- 90036-4201 princess in distress at its heart.) tion of songs, which is essentially what PHONE 213-937-9890 The music, too, excluding Star Wars, has every rock and pop album is. Titanic does FAX 213-937-9277 similarities: a blend of traditional romantic have a killer diva in Celine Dion, but its E-MAIL lukas@ writing, a strong main theme, and an acces- appeal is transcending that one track—no filmscoremonthly.com sible “pop” bent, be it the throbbing syn- small feat. Will it “create” more soundtrack thesizers behind Last of the Mohicans and fans? It will probably inspire people to ADVERTISING & MARKETING OFFICE Chariots of Fire, the way in which “Lara’s search out like albums, but most sound- Digital Film & Print, Inc. Theme” from Zhivago so easily became track buffs cite their “early favorite scores” 5455 Wilshire Blvd mall music, or the dreamy new age quality as Star Wars, Jaws, You Only Live Twice, Suite 1500 of Celtic/Enya in Titanic. These movies also The Magnificent Seven, Ben-Hur, Batman, Los Angeles, CA feature long expanses of silence in which Jurassic Park, etc.—not Dr. Zhivago, Rota’s 90036-4201 the audience, filled as it is with teenage girls Romeo and Juliet or Chariots of Fire. PHONE 213-932-5606 who buy CDs, listen to music while dream- In the short run, Titanic is owning film FAX 213-932-6111 ing of Robert Redford/Daniel Day- music discussion. As is par for that well- Lewis/Mel Gibson/Leonardo DiCaprio. (One worn course, discussion means people THE SOUNDTRACK HANDBOOK of the bestselling score-soundtracks of all thrashing about their own irrational A six-page listing of mail time is literally Romeo and Juliet, the 1968 responses. We’re proud this issue to feature order dealers, books, societies, film with music by Nino Rota.) two excellent essays—Nick Redman on the etc. Free upon request. Some have speculated that Titanic’s film, and Doug Adams on the score and success will propel James Horner to a Horner’s style—which are the best probings OUR WEB SITE John Williams-level of name-recognition yet of the power emanating from this film Is updated five times weekly! among the general public. More than like- and score. We hope you enjoy becoming... Point your browser at: ly, this will not be the case; Williams smarter. WWW.FILMSCOREMONTHLY.COM scored not only Star Wars but Jaws, Close Encounters, Superman, Raiders of the © 1998 Lukas Kendall Lost Ark and E.T. to reach “name” status, and more importantly became the telegenic conductor of the Boston Pops. PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. M ARCH/APRIL 1998 2 Film Score Monthly Need orchestral music for film, tv or CD? Need a demo of orchestral music to procure a film contract? Where do many major film composers produce their demo recordings? TheThe LosLos AngelesAngeles ComposersComposers GuildGuild 310-471-9199 Many major films are using orchestral scores again. The demo recording demonstrates your best work under ideal conditions for a producer or director. The Los Angeles Composers Guild produces composers’ demos for film, tv and CD music recording. Employ the most advanced sound and music recording technol- ogy and skilled studio musicians in the world today. Book a session from 30 minutes to 6 hours with the 60-piece Composers Guild Studio Orchestra Conduct your score or monitor your product from the booth by using the Composers Guild conductor. Showcase your talent and invite producers and directors to your session to demonstrate that you can complement any film with a magical score. Invest in your career rather than in equipment designed to become obsolete as soon as it leaves the shelf. Meet and collaborate with excellent musicians, composers and engineers. Elevate your career by signing up for the next recording session. CALL The Los Angeles Composers Guild 310-471-9199 Gloria Ching Music Supervisor and Conductor Chris Walden Conductor Robert Korda Concert Master EVENTS • CONCERTS RECORD LABEL ROUND-UP UPCOMING ASSIGNMENTS NEWS THE LATEST FILMS FUNDING bers). Call 213-525-2130.... The Film Music MR. KAMEN’S Network has been pre- senting monthly Film OPUS Music Network Nights in Los Angeles. The meet- ings take place on the ichael Kamen’s first Monday of every MMr.