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The Red Turtle by Laurent Perez del Mar
It's a rare pleasure when one discovers a stunning score from a relatively unknown composer. The Red Turtle is that score, the sort of lushly thematic and orchestrally robust treat that earmarks Laurent Perez Del Mar as a serious talent to watch. This album is highly recommended. More...
Giacchino: War for the Planet of the Apes
It's astonishing to see the status that Michael Giacchino now commands in Hollywood. He is a bastion of robust thematic integrity and powerful melody and orchestration. War for the Planet of the Apes is another tremendous score on that journey, intelligently scored, gritty and emotional in the manner of the old masters. More...
Brian Tyler: The Mummy
Whatever you think of the movie, The Mummy's music score by Brian Tyler really benefits being separated from the noisy aural gloop. As a standalone score this not only displays Tyler's trademark 'big' sound but also that he has a strong handle on musical subtlety, seeing the Dark Universe series off to a fine musical start. More...
Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4
Mozart's 4th Horn Concerto is his most famous, particularly the 3rd movement "Rondo" which will remind listeners that today's orchestral french horn was developed from hunting horns. The main theme uses intervals similar to hunting horns while the tempo and rhythm are reminiscent of a gallop. These links provide the sheet music (with all parts) plus mp3 and midi files for this 3rd movement in two different versions:
- Rondo from Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4 - Original Orchestral version
- Rondo from Mozart's Horn Concerto No.4 - Arranged for E-flat Horn and Piano
Legrand: Piano & Cello Concertos
Like many old school film composers, Michel Legrand also writes concert music and an album of his Piano and Cello Concertos has recently been released. The cellist is Henri Demarquette with the composer himself on the piano. John Caps gives his assessment of the album. More...
A Cure for Wellness by B. Wallfisch
A Cure for Wellness from director Gore Verbinski is a mash-up of every lunatic asylum movie ever made. But composer Benjamin Wallfisch has put a lot of thought into the score, using both melodic and harmonic constructs to engross the listener in a captivating, Gothic soundscape. More...
Elle by Anne Dudley
Given the formidable legacy (from Poledouris to Goldsmith) of strong scores for Paul Verhoeven movies, Anne Dudley's score for Elle has a lot to life up to. Yet her score for Elle is another firm indication that she is one of film music's finest orchestral storytellers. More...
Jackie by Mica Levi
As with her previous film, Mica Levi's score for Jackie truly gets Under the Skin in remarkably effective ways. For unconventional movies like this, Levi is clearly able to think outside of the box and the result is experimental yet bold and fresh. More...
Rogue One by Michael Giacchino
Following production delays it fell to Michael Giacchino to write the first non-John Williams Star Wars feature score in only a month. That he pulled off this formidable task on Rogue One is a sign of his undoubted skill, professionalism and ability to work under fierce studio pressure. More...
La La Land by Justin Hurwitz et al.
La La Land is a full-blooded dramatic experience that interweaves exceptional songs and melodies to fill cinemagoers with a profound happiness. It's that rarest of soundtracks capable of appealing to both cine-literate score fans and casual listeners alike. More...
Nocturnal Animals by Abel Korzeniowki
Director Tom Ford's wickedly devious Nocturnal Animals is the ideal canvas on which composer Abel Korzeniowski can paint. His soundtrack conceals sly nuances that embellish the film's narrative, making it one of 2016's most accomplished and successful film scores. Highly recommended! More...
Fantastic Beasts by James N. Howard
The Harry Potter series has already featured a who's-who of film composers, from John Williams to Patrick Doyle through Nicholas Hooper and Alexandre Desplat. With Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, James Newton Howard honours that legacy but also establishes a charming sense of tonal whimsy and enchantment clad in his own distinct style. More...
New Sheet Music for Guitar
Here's some new sheet music for Guitar including 2 pieces by Francisco Tárrega (1852-1909), often considered to be the "Father of Classical Guitar". The other 2 pieces are by Luis Narváez and "Anonymous" and all the works include midi & mp3 files in addition to PDF Sheet Music:
- Francisco Tárrega: Lagrima
- Francisco Tárrega: Recuerdos de la Alhambra
- Narváez: Diferencias sobre Guardame las Vacas
- Anonymous: Romance Anonimo
Dunkirk by Hans Zimmer
Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk is an overwhelming, extraordinary filmmaking achievement. Hans Zimmer's score works superbly within the movie creating an astonishing wall of noise in conjunction with the sound effects, though as a standalone experience the music hardly makes for a casual listen. More...
Sergei Rachmaninoff - G minor Prelude
Sergei Rachmaninoff was a Russian born composer and pianist who later settled in the US. Among his works for piano solo are a total of 24 preludes one in each major and minor key. Here is the G minor prelude Op.23 No.5 in a variety of formats:
- Prelude in Gm - online sheet music
- Prelude in Gm - download PDF sheet music
- Prelude in Gm - download Midi File
- Prelude in Gm - download MP3 File
Get Out by Michael Abels
Get Out is a complex, demanding film needing an equally complex score, that's both in on the satire and capable of scaring the listener senseless. Michael Abels' score is one of the most varied, unusual and inventive horror soundtracks of recent years, drawing on a host of musical styles and tones and fusing them all together superbly. More...
Michel Legrand at 85
The composer Michel Legrand shows little sign of slowing down, and will give 85 concerts in 2017 to mark his 85th birthday. John Caps touches upon some interesting anecdotes in Legrand's career from his time studying with Nadia Boulanger, through his Jazz influences to some highly distinctive film scores. More...
Oscar Sings: History and Hysteria
Amid all the hysteria about the oscar ceremony, John Caps takes a light-hearted look back at the history of the Best Song Oscar. Its fashions and fads change just as often as the acceptance speeches, politics and jokes, but some aspects have been remarkably consistent over time as The History and Hysteria of Academy Award-winning Songs teases out. More...
With film composer David Amram
Iconic film composer David Amram is an 86 year old power house classical, jazz, and motion picture composer and among the last of a remarkable breed. In this article film historian Steve Vertlieb shares his experience of meeting up with the legendary composer. More...
Class of '67: Film Music 50 years ago
It's easy to say that film music today is no match for the golden age of cinema, so author John Caps takes an analytic approach. As we near 2017, his article Class of '67: Film Music 50 years ago considers how a new year of film music in 2017 might compare to a selection of film scores from 50 years ago in 1967. More...
The Light Between Oceans - A. Desplat
The Light Between Oceans is the story of a married couple whose lives are turned upside down by a single, life-changing decision. Alexandre Desplat's score for the film is beautifully nuanced and intelligently constructed, taking the listener on a clearly defined journey from romance through heartbreak and despair to eventual salvation. More...
Doctor Strange by Michael Giacchino
Doctor Strange is another Marvel origin story featuring a classy cast led by Benedict Cumberbatch and Tilda Swinton, but composer Michael Giacchino's rich instrumentation has plenty of memorable nuances which play to the quirky on-screen mix of Eastern mysticism and Western psychadelics. More...
