Halo

The Halo series is often type-casted as just another videogame series, but I believe videogames can be just as good or bad as any other forms of art. Halo games have great gameplay, graphics, and most importantly, great soundtracks. Martin O' Donnel wrote the scores to the first three Halo games, and all of these selections are by him. He's a fantastic composer, and I believe he should be doing movies. 

1) The Halo Theme is probably the most iconic videogame theme besides Zelda or Mario. A gregorian chant-like piece is not what one would expect from a shooter, but this piece works so well with this game. It's a haunting work that really picks up throughout and becomes a great action piece. It really sets the mood for the sci-fi nature of the first game. 
Halo Theme


2) Unforgotten is featured in Halo 2. Here, O'Donnel delivers a surprisingly emotional piece full of both sadness and strength. It's a stirring work that seems to come out of a movie rather than a videogame. 
Unforgotten


3) The Epilogue piece to Halo 2 is similar in its emotion to Unforgotten, but it has a greater sense of closure. The strings paint a beautiful backdrop to the ending of this game. It's an amazing work. The guitar solo in this piece is amazing as well- I would die for that tone. 
Epilogue

Star Wars

Well since I had a Star Trek day, I have to follow it up with a Star Wars day! It's probably safe to say that John William's score for the Star Wars series is the most iconic film score ever made. It's rousing, unique, and brilliant in every way. 


1) You have to start with the Theme! This is a video of John Williams himself conducting the Boston Pops. The theme is so grandiose and legendary, and along with the giant scrolling yellow title and plot summary, it makes for the most iconic film opening in film history.
Theme


2) The Imperial March is the best villain theme ever invented. It's ominous, powerful, and dark- the perfect sound for a dictatorship (in this case, an empire). Played behind the cold, half-robotic walk of Darth Vader provides the perfect backdrop for such a great villain (well until the end when he turns good...spoiler? No c'mon, everyone's seen Star Wars). 
Imperial March


3) The Force Theme is so powerful, beautiful, and simple (hey, like the force!). That's all that really needs to be said.
Force Theme

Star Trek

Yep. I'm a huge nerd. I love Star Trek. So I thought I'd dedicate today's post about the music from both the original series, 2009 film, and the most recent 2013 film. 

1) Michael Giacchino is one of the coolest new composers out there. He's scored everything from the tv series Lost to the pixar movie Up. His new theme for J.J. Abrams' 2009 film adaption of Star Trek is epic, catchy, and versatile. It's a great theme for a great series reboot. 
New Theme


2) London Calling is a piece from the recent film Into Darkness. In it, Giacchino differs heavily from the musical style of the 2009 film by making this piece piano based- odd for movies of such scale. However, it provided a cool yet dark theme for John Harrison (Spoilers: He's Khan. I mean who didn't see that coming). 
London Calling


3) When I hear the original series theme, I'm flooded with memories. I've watched it all my life with my family, and I still watch it today. It's one of my favorite shows, and it always will be. It's a perfect sci-fi theme. This is a cool rendition by three violins.
Original Series Theme

Beatles Instrumentals

The Beatles are the best- there's really no way around it. These are some of their songs without vocals, and it helps show how brilliant their music is and how inspired George Martin's production was.

1) Eleanor Rigby is noted for its double string quartet, and it was especially revolutionary in that time period for a pop song to feature such an arrangement. The instrumental track shows how simple and powerful the instrumentation is. It makes you appreciate the piece even more.
Eleanor Rigby


2) She's Leaving Home is one of the most underrated and under-appreciated songs ever written. For some reason, no one except big Beatles fans have heard it, and yet it's easily one of their most beautiful songs. It's a sparkling little gem hidden in Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart's Club Band (which I think is the best album ever made). The credit must go to George Martin for knowing just how to arrange these songs. 
She's Leaving Home


3) The ending of Abbey Road is a long rock medley, and its brilliance isn't often understood until heard instrumentally. The modulations, tone changes, and everything else that goes into this musical work are so well done, and it flows seamlessly. The Beatles are the best because no other 'pop' group could ever pull anything like this off. 
Abbey Road Medley

Stand-alone Film Themes

While trilogies and other such series often have the most memorable themes,  there are many stand-alone films that have great themes as well. These motifs really add to these films and are often what make them so memorable.

1) The theme to Forrest Gump is so simple and beautiful. It fits perfectly with the character of Forrest- honest, sincere, and pure. No matter what happens around Forrest, he sticks to his love of God, his momma, and, of course, Jenny. Alan Silvestri's theme is so excellent in conveying all of these things.
Forrest Gump


2) I wish the audio quality on this one was better, but the score for Rudy is so moving that it really doesn't matter how it's heard.  Rudy's dream of playing Notre Dame football is made realized through his hard work and perseverance, and this theme reflects the goodness of his heart. There's such a strong sense of hope and character in this melody.
Rudy


3) Braveheart has a perfect theme. James Horner's theme is incredibly heartbreaking and yet triumphant- two emotions that are inseparably connected but are so difficult to convey simultaneously.  The uilleann bagpipe in particular is so stirring and magnificent. 
Braveheart

Debussy's Best "B-sides"

When people hear the name Debussy, they immediately think of "Claire de lune" or maybe even "Arabesque 1". But Debussy did so much more, and he's often overlooked more than he deserves. Here are some of Debussy's best "B-sides". 

1) The Snow is Dancing is a wonderful musical painting. It perfectly expresses the imagery of falling snow in a snowstorm. I've heard very few songs of this nature communicate an idea so well.
Snowflakes


2) Doctor gradus ad parnassum is a fun song that often gets butchered in its performance because people tend to play it too quickly. Much too quickly. Debussy is a passionate composer, and when people try to fly through this piece, it kills a lot of the emotion. This recording is excellent- not too fast or too slow, it simply moves with the music. 
Doctor


3) It was a tough pick for this last slot, but this performance of Reverie is perfect. While not being an unknown piece, I think it's severely underrated. I think it's one of Debussy's most beautiful compositions. While his ideas are always impressionistic and vague in their identity, there's a strong sense of melody here. It's quite elegant. 
Reverie

Whitacre

Eric Whitacre is one of my favorite choral composers, and his works are often transcribed into instrumentals. His music beautifully strides the line between intellectualism and beauty- a feat where many modern composers fail.  The instrumental versions of his choral works are outstanding, and they give a new and interesting perspective on the pieces. 

1) This version of Lux Aurumque is for concert band. This renedition of the song gives it more strength while retaining its warmth. The swells are particularly well done in this take, and each instrument successfully accents their part of the piece. I may like the instrumental more than the choral...it's too close to call.
Lux Aurumque 


2) This string rendition of Water Night is breathtaking. The strings add so much more emotion and drama to the piece. The swells, stops, rubato- all of these are excellently executed and well-suited for strings. It changes the solemn, dark tone of the piece into a heartbreaking one. 
Water Night


3) Sleep is a favorite among Whitacre's pieces, and this rendition for concert band is so well done. Little additions throughout the piece such as the chiming bells, brief oboe solos, and quiet flutes at the top of the mix really add depth to the piece. The climax beginning at 3:54 is so magnificent and cathartic- it just reaches into the deepest part of you and tugs at your soul.  
Sleep

Strings

Violins, violoas, cellos- these instruments have defined Western music for centuries. They're beautiful, versatile, and amazingly expressive. These selections showcase the best that these instruments have to offer.

1) I was blessed enough to see this performance live by Juli Choi at a recent music recital by my old high school. Her performance of this piece, Julie-O, was fantastic. It's a fun, lively piece that really utilizes all of the cello's tone possibilities. This link is a performance by Juli (thanks to Gavin Smith for the link). 

Julie-O

2) This piece is just cool. Phillip Glass's String Quartet 5 is such an interesting piece. Glass is a minimalist composer who's heavily influenced and changed modern music. This piece has many parts, and it's easy to hear its wide influence. This is only the first movement as well- there are two other additional movements. 

String Quartet 5

3) Yes, I get this is kind of ridiculous. But I'm posting ALL of Beethoven's String Quartets. All of them. They're so...just listen. 

Beethoven's String Quartets

Zelda

The Legend of Zelda videogame series is scored by Koji Kondo. This series features some of the most famous themes in videogame history, and the music is beautiful.

1) The Water Temple theme is one of the most simple themes in the game Ocarina of Time, and it's also one of the most beautiful. This is an orchestrated version of the theme, and it really accents the piece. 
Water Temple 


2) This theme is unique in its departure from the usual Zelda sound. While the other themes feature standard videogame sounds such as synthesized sounds, the Gerudo Valley theme features guitars and other interesting instruments. The piece does an excellent job of creating a tone that fits a new environment (the desert) without having it sound cheesy or forced. 
Gerudo Valley


3) Zelda's Theme is a theme that, like the water temple theme, is beautiful in its simplicity. There is nothing at all intricate or fancy in this piece. The melody is focused only around a few notes, and the key changes are simple and minimalistic. However, the theme manages to communicate so many emotions and feelings. I believe that the true mark of a composer is the greatness of their most simple works. 
Zelda's Theme

John Williams' Best "B-sides"

Everyone knows who John Williams is. It doesn't take a film music enthusiast to recognize his work. However, much of his best work (in my opinion) is lost under the shadows of Star Wars, E.T., Jaws, and other super famous scores. So here are some of his best "b-sides".


1) Schindler's List is by no means an unknown movie. However, no one says "Hey have you heard the soundtrack to Schindler's List?". It's a score often lost behind the movie. The violin driven theme is simply heartbreaking, and it perfectly fits the theme of the horror that was the Holocaust. 
Schindler's List


2) When people think of the Indiana Jones theme, they always think of the classic 'Indy theme' that started in Raiders of the Lost Ark. They often don't remember the brilliant theme from Last Crusade. This piece is the 'holy grail theme' and plays throughout Jones' chase for the grail. It's a beautiful theme that, like the last piece, is versatile in its performance. 
Last Crusade


3) Like the last piece, Williams' most popular theme from this series overshadows this beautiful work. A Window to the Past is a theme from the third Harry Potter film Prisoner of Azkaban. The haunting flute theme is one of Williams best in my opinion. In fact, it's my favorite John Williams piece. 
Window to the Past

Lord of the Rings

I guess I'll do two entries to make up for yesterday's miss! Part 1 of today's post is all about Howard Shore's magical score for Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings films. It's one of my favorite scores, and it definitely deserves its own post. I think it's the best score of our generation.


1) You have to start with this piece. Concerning Hobbits is the piece that defines the Hobbits and sets up the structural base for the entire score and film. It's a beautiful piece with great tin whistle and violin solos.
Hobbits


2) It's tough to pick only three songs form this score, but I chose King of the Golden Hall out of the other possibilities because of its fantastic violin solo. This theme is so strong and powerful, and it's versatile in that it can be played in a soft, dignified manner as well as a grandiose manner.
Rohan


3) This last piece brings back many of the themes from the three films and brings them together in such a wonderful way. Apply named Return of the King. In my opinion, it's the best piece in the trilogy. It plays throughout the ending of the third movie and really ends it well.
Return of the King

Enya

If I could only listen to one artist for the rest of my life, I'd pick Enya. Seriously. Her music is so beautiful and so unique. Not much needs to be said about it- it simply needs to be experienced.


1) Watermark is an amazing album. It's full of so many Enya classics, and it's title track is a gorgeous piano piece. It's put together so simply yet so beautifully. Every note is perfection.
Watermark


2) What makes Enya so unique is that it's New Age music that is at once peaceful but also full of life and movement. The Memory of Trees is the title track of the album of the same name, and it's a great piece that seems to move and breathe.
The Memory of Trees


3) Shepard Moons is yet another great album with a beautiful title track. This song holds a special place in my heart; as a kid, this track would always soothe me to sleep in the long car rides to and from our beach cabin. The piece instantly brings back memories of the misty forest roads and the fun memories had at the beach. Every now and then, I'll listen to it once again to drift off to sleep. It's those moments when memories and music intertwine that I live for.
Shepard Moons

Foreign Sounds in Popular Media

Hearing different culture's music is always really interesting! They have different forms, instruments, tones- everything. While some of these selections aren't exactly foreign, it's also interesting to hear what composers think of different cultures. 

1) Michael Giacchino is an American composer who has worked extensively with both J.J. Abrams and Pixar. His score for Ratatouille captures the feeling of Paris, even featuring a musette accordion.  While still sounding a little American, it's a breezy and passionate theme that accents Ratatouille's foreign feel. 
Ratatouille


2) This is the one truly foreign selection! Nobuo Uematsu is a Japanese composer who writes music for the video game company Square Enix. His theme for Final Fantasy X is a gorgeous piano piece with a very distinguishable Japanese sound. This is one of my favorite video games, and this theme really brings the game to life.
Final Fantasy X


3) I tried. I really tried. But Hans Zimmer keeps getting on this blog! Disney made an interesting choice having a German composer write African music for The Lion King. While many people miscredit Elton John with the score, it was Zimmer who wrote the majority of the score (with John's part obviously being the 'Disney songs'). This song has 2 parts- the first part is when Simba is talking to his deceased father Mufasa in the clouds. It's a passionate piece dually full of heartbreak and hope. The second part is a fast, percussion-heavy African-influenced part as Simba runs to follow Rafiki. This is the part that really comes to life. I remember as a kid watching this part and loving every moment of it. It's a section teeming with life and it feels as if it's being played live. The improv solo is fantastic, and everything is put together incredibly well.
The Lion King

Heroes

Wow barely snuck this one in on time! So today's is about, you guessed it, heroes. Superheroes are extremely popular in today's culture, and all the films and shows created about them have produced some great scores as well.

1) While Man of Steel wasn't quite the Superman film we were all hoping for, Hans Zimmer did a great job as always on the Superman score. The score manages to capture the innocence of Superman while also capturing his heroism. The percussion is especially spectacular here. It honestly saves the movie.
Superman


2) Spiderman was really the first superhero film that started the last decade's obsession with superheroes. Without it, I doubt we'd have as many blockbuster heroes as we do today. While people sometimes bash on these films when comparing them to the newest Spiderman incarnation, I really believe that Spiderman and Spiderman 2 are some of the best superhero movies out there (sorry Spiderman 3). It helps that the Spiderman score was done by Danny Elfman. Elfman was an interesting choice as a composer for this film. Scoring primarily for Tim Burton, his scores are often dark, mysterious, and full of wonder- not exactly what you think of when you think of your friendly neighborhood Spiderman. However, the score is amazing and the theme perfectly fit with Raimi's movies. It really set the standard for what future superhero scores would have to accomplish.
Spiderman


3) Surprise surprise, back to Hans Zimmer. His score to The Dark Knight is just plain cool. An interesting mix of synthesizer sounds, traditional orchestra, and crazy percussion blend into the perfect theme. Christopher Nolan's Batman could not have had a better score. The fact that Zimmer can write music that at once is so simple in its effect and so complicated in its feeling is a true measure of his skill as a composer.
The Dark Knight

A Day for Thomas Newman

Thomas Newman is one of my favorite composers. He's written scores for the films The Shawshank Redemption, Finding Nemo, Skyfall, and many others. His style is very distinctive and heavily features pianos and synthesizers. There's no other music quite like his. 

1) This first selection, Any Other Name, is a song that everyone has heard but few know about. It's from the score of American Beauty. While the entire score is a masterpiece, this song in particular seems to transcend the others...There really isn't a way to describe this piece, so I won't try. It's that perfect.

Any Other Name

2) The only problem with this next selection is how short it is! The Farm is a piece from another Sam Mendes film, Road to Perdition. The piece, like so many others of his, is incredibly simple yet very effective. Every note has a purpose and a place. While often sounding similar to his other works, the slight nuances in the emotions of the song make it feel unique and beautiful in its own light. 

The Farm

3) While the movie Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events never quite took off like the books did, Newman's score is one of my favorites. This piece, The Letter That Never Came, is simply breathtaking. It just goes to show how quickly and effectively music can communicate ideas when done right. I think this quote from the movie describes its emotions the best-

"At times the world can seem an unfriendly and sinister place, but believe us when we say there is much more good in it than bad. All you have to do is look hard enough. And what might seem to be a series of unfortunate events, may, in fact, be the first steps of a journey"

The Letter That Never Came

Aurora, Elizabeth, and Lily

1) My very first pick for this 'instrumental' site is not quite instrumental, so we're off to a great start! Aurora is a choral piece by Hans Zimmer written in memory of those lost in the tragic shooting at the premiere of The Dark Knight Rises in Aurora, Colorado. The piece is a large departure from the epic, bombastic film music Zimmer is known for, and he manages it beautifully. It's so elegant and haunting at the same time...it hits all of the right emotions. 

"And I suddenly realized that my language was music. And I wanted to write a piece of music that would show the people in Aurora that the whole world was there with them. It was the only response I could have, to put beauty against violence, and that we are all alone in this together. I wanted the music to bring everybody together. Because you can only set art against violence. Use your words, not your guns."

- Hans Zimmer

Aurora (Links to the songs will always be under the notes)

2) The second song for today is Elizabeth, a stirring cello piece from the videogame 'Bioshock Infinite'. It's so sad to me that games often get pegged as being silly time wasters. While there are many games that could honestly use that label, I believe that videogames are just like any other art- there's just as much good as there is bad. The scores from games often get overlooked as well, which is also sad. Composers that score for film often score for games as well, and so many games have great scores. This game features a fantastic score from Garry Schyman. 

Elizabeth

3) My last pick for today is Lily's Theme from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. This song absolutely made the movie for me, it's a prefect piece. It's a haunting theme that expresses everything about Lily- from Harry's sadness of never knowing her to Snape's undying commitment to her. I could geek out about Harry Potter for a long time, so I'll just leave it at that! The score is by Alexandre Desplat.

Lily