A Score To Settle

Welcome to the first episode of the show for 2020! While it's been a difficult year so far, I trust that everyone is currently staying safe, healthy and sheltered in these unfortunately uncertain times. The podcast has been on hiatus for awhile, but I plan to return with more episodes this year, beginning with this one, which carries a more personal focus.
 
Last year, 2019, was the 25th anniversary of my father's passing and to acknowledge how he affected my love of movie music, I wanted to devote time to showcasing the film scores he enjoyed and introduced to me. This includes wonderful classics such as THE BLUE MAX, STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE and PATTON from Jerry Goldsmith, music for the James Bond series, LAWRENCE OF ARABIA by Maurice Jarre and Ron Goodwin's exciting music for WHERE EAGLES DARE and 633 SQUADRON. Along with these selections, I share some anecdotes and memories of my dad. I realize this is an unusually personal focus, but I hope you find it entertaining nonetheless!
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Welcome to the next episode of the podcast! To celebrate the recently released deluxe CD box set from La La Land Records, I am exploring the marvelous music composed for the original PLANET OF THE APES film series - from Jerry Goldsmith's groundbreaking score for the initial entry in 1968 through to Leonard Rosenman's rousing music for the fifth and final film, 1973's BATTLE FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES. This popular and successful series was a forerunner of the serialized, narrative film franchises we see today and showcased its own unique sound world which became a recognizable "sonic stamp" that encompassed five movies, two TV series and several modern reboots.
La La Land Records - https://lalalandrecords.com/
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Hello all, I am back with the next new episode of the podcast! In this installment, I cover a new concert recording and previously unreleased and expanded albums. First, I explore music featured on the new 2-CD "The World of Hans Zimmer: A Symphonic Celebration", a live concert performance recorded in 2018 at the Hollywood In Vienna festival honoring Mr. Zimmer.
 
Next up is previously unreleased TV music from the 1970's on "The Quinn Martin Collection Vol. 1: Cop and Detective Series" (featuring legendary composers such as Jerry Goldsmith, Lalo Schifrin and Dave Grusin) and lastly, I focus on the expanded limited edition of Leonard Rosenman's unique score for ROBOCOP 2 (1990). The latter two albums are available from La La Land Records and Varese Sarabande, respectively.
 
La La Land Records - https://lalalandrecords.com/
Varese Sarabande - https://www.varesesarabande.com/
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Hello and welcome back to the podcast! In this new installment of my "Listening To.." series, I am centered on composer Elliot Goldenthal, one of my favorite film composers of the modern era. You might not immediately recognize his name, but Elliot Goldenthal has contributed music to some of the most notable and popular movies of the last few decades. This includes such diverse titles as ALIEN 3 (1992), INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (1994), HEAT (1995), BATMAN FOREVER (1995), MICHAEL COLLINS (1996) and FRIDA (2002), the latter garnering him the Academy Award for Best Original Score. He showcases an eclectic style and approach ranging from large-scale orchestral music to choral pieces, to jazz, swing and rock, ethnic instrumentation and from very tonal and melodic music to very dissonant and challenging tonalities.
 
Goldenthal has emerged as a major influential voice in the art form since the 1990's, contributing brilliant and powerful music not only to movies but also live theater, stage musicals and the concert world, the latter in the form of operas, symphonies, ballets and oratorios. In fact, he could be considered primarily a concert composer for whom film is just one slice of his musical pie, so to speak. My primary focus in this episode will be on his incredible score for 1999's TITUS, a film adaptation of William Shakespeare's play, as directed by Julie Taymor.
 
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In this episode, I talk with Jeff Bond, the author of great books such as "The World of The Orville" and "The Music of Star Trek", plus soundtrack album producer who has penned liner notes for hundreds of albums and the editor at Geek Magazine. He's also an all-around favorite among fans in the community. I ask him about his personal history as a fan of music for film and television, then we discuss his recent album projects such as THE REINCARNATION OF PETER PROUD (Jerry Goldsmith, 1975) and the multi-disc sets of music from LAND OF THE GIANTS, LOST IN SPACE and the original STAR TREK. In talking Jerry Goldsmith, we cover his evolving musical style over the course of his expansive career, from those dissonant, challenging early scores to the more lush and tonal efforts of his later years. 
 
Find many of the albums mentioned in this episode at:
 
Intrada Records - http://store.intrada.com/
La La Land Records - https://lalalandrecords.com/
Varese Sarabande - https://www.varesesarabande.com/
 
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Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com 

In this episode, I explore the rich, melodic and memorable film music of Hollywood Golden Age composer Franz Waxman. Born in Germany in 1906, Waxman was known by his peers as the consummate musician, having studied music in Berlin while supporting himself by performing and arranging pop music of the day in local cafes. Waxman emigrated from Germany to the United States in the early 1930's, along with many talented artists, and became part of that first generation of brilliant musicians who developed and perfected the art of film scoring, alongside giants such as Max Steiner, Alfred Newman and Erich Wolfgang Korngold. I discuss Waxman's place in the early days of the new art form of music for motion pictures (the famed "Golden Age"), plus its development overall for some context, and his evolving style through the highlights during his career, including REBECCA, SUNSET BOULEVARD, THE SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS and TARAS BULBA.
 
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In this episode of the podcast, I am adding a new, hopefully recurring, segment called "Now Playing", in which I discuss recent soundtrack album releases, whether from a new movie or a classic film. Featured in this installment is Justin Hurwitz's lyrical score for 2018's FIRST MAN, followed by a new 2-CD complete edition of Arthur B. Rubinstein's classic WARGAMES (1983) and finally a stunning new recording by the Basque National Orchestra of Bernard Herrmann's dark and turbulent music for THE BRIDE WORE BLACK, from 1968. The latter two albums are available from Quartet Records at http://www.quartetrecords.com/. 
 
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In this episode, I welcome back to the podcast Neil S. Bulk, soundtrack album producer and editor, as he graciously shares behind-the-scenes details and stories from the major projects he shepherded last year for various record labels, such as La-La Land Records. I inquire about the expanded album editions of the James Bond epics DIE ANOTHER DAY and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH, both with music by David Arnold, in addition to the 3-CD, 30th anniversary release of Michael Kamen's DIE HARD, the expansive set of music from the 1960's sci-fi TV series LAND OF THE GIANTS and the deluxe treatment of Elliot Goldenthal's score for ALIEN 3. Find these albums available at https://lalalandrecords.com/. 
 
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Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com
 

Happy New Year and welcome to first episode of 2019 for the podcast! I am opening up with an installment of my "Listening To..." series, this time diving into the music and career of fan favorite composer, Alan Silvestri. From his days performing drums and guitar and arranging songs for rock bands in the 1970's, to his disco-flavored music for the TV series "CHiPs" and then into his long-time collaboration with director Robert Zemeckis (BACK TO THE FUTURE, WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT, FORREST GUMP), I present samples of his scores that best illustrate his unique style. His music is often melodic, energetic, rhythmic and wears its heart on its sleeve in terms of emotional content. Outside of the Zemeckis film canon, Silvestri composed wonderfully robust scores for action movies such as PREDATOR, comedies, such as SOAPDISH, Westerns (YOUNG GUNS II), animation (THE POLAR EXPRESS) and even showcased all electronic forays like THE DELTA FORCE.  And of course, most recently he's been called into service in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to underscore the adventures of CAPTAIN AMERICA as well as THE AVENGERS.
 
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Welcome to the next new episode of the podcast! To close out the year, I am presenting a special holiday-themed installment, focusing on music from theatrical and TV movies about or set around Christmas. While this will of course represent only a small sampling of the many films found in this genre, my selections here span the years from 1938 all the way to the current century and include such popular titles as A CHRISTMAS CAROL, MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET, SCROOGED, HOME ALONE and ELF. Music composed for these films originate from such notable talents as Franz Waxman, Henry Mancini, Danny Elflman and John Williams and from wonderful scores that could really be enjoyed both during the holiday season and throughout the year. 
 
Connect with the podcast on Facebook and Twitter:
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Email the show at ascoretosettlepodcast@gmail.com