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Salvo Scores
In his article Salvo Scores subtitled "Apprenticeship of Film Composers" John Caps identifies those film scores which mark a significant transition in the career of film composers, the film title that publicly jump-starts their careers even though they may have been scoring films for some time beforehand. More...
Haydn: Symphony No.88 in G major
Joseph Haydn has 104 numbered symphonies to his name. The Symphony No.88 in G major falls between his "Paris" Symphonies and "London" ones, and one of his better known. Here is the first movement in different formats, full orchestral score and parts, mp3 file or midi file:
- Symphony No.88 (1st movement) - Score & Parts
- Symphony No.88 (1st movement) - MP3 file
- Symphony No.88 (1st movement) - MIDI file
Ocean's 8 by Daniel Pemberton
Following an 11 year gap, the ocean franchise continues with Ocean's 8 featuring an all female gang and a daring heist. Composer Daniel Pemberton provides the good-humoured and engaging music in a jazz lounge style, chillout but with a propulsive energy! More...
Doctor Who Series 9 by Murray Gold
After a long and very successful period with the show, Murray Gold has left the world of Doctor Who Music. But his long delayed Series 9 boxset is now available. This comes on 4 discs in total, with disc 3 devoted to Gold's astonishing music for the Hugo-nominated episode "Heaven Sent"! More...
Liszt's Liebestraum No.3 for Piano
Franz Liszt is best known as a pianist and composer of piano music, but he was very influential as a composer and musician. Among his solo piano works is a set of 3 Liebestraum of which No.3 is the best known and available here in 2 versions (each including sheet music, midi, mp3 & video):
Bach: Some shorter works
Here are some shorter, less well-known works by Bach. From his Lute Suite in E minor BWV996, the Bourrée is very adaptable and can be played on Piano, Guitar or as a Duet. His Little Prelude in C minor BWV999 is not one of his 48 Preludes & Fugues but similar in concept, and well suited to either Piano or Guitar. Each of these versions has sheet music, midi & mp3 files available:
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Piano
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Guitar
- Bourrée from Lute Suite in E minor - Duet (with alternative parts for different instruments)
- Little Prelude in C minor - Piano
- Little Prelude in C minor - Guitar
Isle of Dogs by Alexandre Desplat
Isle of Dogs is an unconventional stop-motion animation by Wes Anderson, and the director turns again to Alexandre Desplat for an equally eccentric score. As with Fantastic Mr. Fox, Desplat's music delights in quirky instrumentation, in this case including taiko drums reflecting the Japanese setting. More...
Ready Player One by Alan Silvestri
Alan Silvestri is the perfect composer for Spielberg's Ready Player One. His score effortlessly takes us back to the 80s with sly touches of Back to Future and other genre movies, but the score's sense of period homage is carefully balanced to allow its own identity to shine. More...
Black Panther by Ludwig Göransson
There's no denying the huge cultural impact of Black Panther, but it is also one of the best MCU films to date. Sonically there are the songs of Kendrick Lamar but the movie's soul is owned by its score. Composer Ludwig Göransson spent a month in Senegal absorbing the culture and musical colours, and the result is an exotic and diverse soundscape which does the movie justice. More...
Chopin's Nocturne: with Arrangements
Frederic Chopin is credited with 21 Nocturnes for piano, and many of these are ripe for arranging to suit different instruments and combinations. Here is his famous Nocturne in E-flat Op.9 No.2, the original for piano and two different arrangements (with parts):
- Nocturne in E-flat - piano solo
- Nocturne in E-flat - guitar (arranged Tárrega)
- Nocturne in E-flat - for violin and piano
Doyle: Murder on the Orient Express
Patrick Doyle has worked with Kenneth Branagh many times since 1989. Murder on the Orient Express is their latest collaboration, and Doyle's score works well in the film with ethnic touches, action music, jazz cues, a strong lyrical element and a song performed by Michelle Pfeiffer. More...
Humans Series 2 & 3 by Sarah Warne
Taking over from "Cristo" who scored Series 1 and created the theme music, composer Sarah Warne has continued to provide incidental music for the TV drama Humans Series 2 & 3 in the same genre, with electronic music being the perfect way to accompany android "synths" with very human emotions. More...
Philippe Sarde, the Enigma
French composer Philippe Sarde will receive a Lifetime Achievement Award this month at Film Fest Gent. The event has prompted author John Caps to investigate his approach to orchestration in the article Philippe Sarde: the Enigma. More...
Incredibles 2 by Michael Giacchino
We've waited 14 years for a sequel to Pixar animation The Incredibles, and its engaging film score from composer Michael Giacchino. Now that Incredibles 2 is on general release, how does its music compare with the original movie? More...
Polaris Duo: Illuminate
The Polaris Duo have been performing since 2011, playing the unusual combination of Saxophone and Harp. Now they have released their first album Illuminate to showcase their talents with a wide repertoire covering CPE Bach to contemporary composers such as Andy Scott. A unique sound and highly recommended. More...
Interview with Rachel Portman
John Caps interviews Rachel Portman covering her music both for the Stage and the Screen. The wide-ranging discussion touches on the composer's experiences with a range of projects such as "The Human Stain", "Oliver Twist" for Roman Polanski, and the Opera "The Little Prince". More...
Red Sparrow by James Newton Howard
James Newton Howard has already shown his versatility, but Red Sparrow is an usual score even by his standards. Half the score is dark and suspenseful, very Russian sounding and Herrmannesque in places. The rest of the score seems rooted in dance, with ballet music and a substantial dark waltz. But these all blend together well to make an excellent score. More...
Sergei Rachmaninoff - Preludes for Piano
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 are two of his most famous preludes, available as sheet music, midi or mp3 files:
Phantom Thread by Jonny Greenwood
Phantom Thread is up for several Oscars including Best Original Score for composer Jonny Greenwood, working again with director Paul Thomas Anderson and chameoleonic actor Daniel Day Lewis. Greenwood's music is frequently sublime and gets to the heart of the characters and their story arc. More...
Beethoven: Sonatas and Arrangements
In total Beethoven composed 32 Piano Sonatas and 10 Violin Sonatas. However his most famous works are often converted into music for other instruments. Here are some famous piano sonatas, some arranged for different instruments, and also a sample from his first violin sonata. You can see the sheet music score and download the parts:
- Moonlight Sonata (1st movement) - piano original
- Moonlight Sonata - for guitar (Tárrega)
- Moonlight Sonata - for clarinet and piano
- Pathétique Sonata (2nd movement) - piano original
- Pathétique Sonata - for viola and piano
- Pathétique Sonata - for clarinet and piano
- 1st Violin Sonata (1st movement) - violin and piano
The Shape of Water - Alexandre Desplat
Despite the apparently simple story The Shape of Water is a complex movie with many facets and layers. Alexandre Desplat's music is instrumentally diverse, narratively appropriate, romantic, terrifying, exciting and otherwordly, serving the movie well and also standing on its own as a rich listening experience. More...
