Ralph Vaughan Williams: 49th Parallel Prelude Context Unlike in America, the British film industry in the 1930-40s did not specifically employ specialist film composers to write scores for films. Instead, popular concert composers were asked, as was the case for the 1941 war drama 49th Parallel. In 1940, conductor Muir Read more…
Nino Rota: The Godfather Waltz Context Nino Rota is fondly remembered for his film soundtracks, with The Godfather being at the top of that list. The 1972 film, directed byFrancis Ford Coppola, homes some of Rota’s most memorable music. Rota’s score was initially nominated for an Academy Award, however that Read more…
Alan Menken: Overture from Beauty and the Beast Context When originally released in 1991, Alan Menken’s score for Beauty and the Beast was regarded as one of his best. The Oscar-winning score, with lyrics by Howard Ashman, was then recreated in the 2017 live-action version of the film. This new Read more…
Alan Menken: Main Titles from The Little Mermaid Context Alan Menken teamed up with Howard Ashman to work on the score for the 1989 Disney film, The Little Mermaid. It remains one of the most decorated albums in Menken’s wheelhouse, with it receiving multi-platinum sales and two Grammys, two Academy Read more…
Alan Menken: The Bell Tower Context Shortly after completing Pocahontas together, Alan Menken and Stephen Schwartz were offered the chance to work on the music for the 1996 Disney film The Hunchback of Notre Dame. The soundtrack to the film, like many other Disney films, mixes a selection of songs Read more…
Alan Menken: Farewell from Pocahontas Context After some great musical successes in the 1980s, Walt Disney Studios hired Alan Menken to write the music for the 1989 film The Little Mermaid. The film signalled a renaissance for Disney animated films, and Menken played a big role in that. Menken has Read more…
Howard Shore: The Shire Context Composed for the first instalment of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Shire is a piece of orchestral underscore that showcases the beautiful landscape that the hobbits reside in. Howard Shore composed over 150 leitmotifs throughout the three LOTR films (even more if you Read more…
Leonard Bernstein: Symphonic Dances from West Side Story Context Leonard Bernstein was born in Lawrence, Massachusetts on August 25th, 1918. The son of Ukrainian Jewish parents, Bernstein’s interest in music education was initially opposed by his father, who was a businessman in the area. His father’s attitude began to change Read more…
John Williams: Welcome to Jurassic Park Context Composed for the 1993 Steven Spielberg film Jurassic Park, the theme to the film has remained one of John Williams’ most iconic works. The soundtrack was conducted a month after its composition, with Williams conducting a large proportion of the recording. However, after Read more…
Rachel Portman: Theme from Emma Context Rachel Portman wrote the score for the 1996 film Emma and was released in July of the same year by Hollywood Records. Portman commented on the style of the score saying that it was: “A purely classical score. It is an orchestral piece, Read more…