Music

[Mme Erzulie]

[quote name='Red Sun' post='1611013' date='Dec 6 2008, 14.36']:love: Jan Gabarek & The Hilliard Exemple. Thank you for pointing this out to me.

I would really love to see more movies or TV shows that use period music, maybe a little adapted like the example with the saxophone. I would also like that they use music sparsely, not every scene needs music.[/quote]

Good to see another sane voice in here :P

[ashepherd]

First post EVER on this forum...just discovered it yesterday...what a gem!

Has anyone considered [b]Greg Edmonson [/b]as music composer for the series. He did great work on the Firefly series and managed to blend western/oriental and space opera music into something that really sounded great but simple. I feel that he could accomplish the same task in this series.

[Caliban]

Is there any truth to these Dave Grohl as executive score producer rumors?

[Rexor]

I wish Basil Poledouris was still alive...

=(

[Black Wizard]

Dave Grohl? I have nothing against the guy (his band is ok) but that's a hell of an odd choice (if it's true) for a fantasy series.

[El-ahrairah]

My two groats worth-

I highly agree with two ideas suggested here.

1) Use only medieval style music.

2) Use such music sparingly, if at all, unless it is being played onscreen as part of the plot. (There is quite a lot of this. Rains of Castermere, Bear and the Maiden Fair, etc. )

The absence of a conventional soundtrack will set the series apart from nearly all other films and shows. When John Doe first sets eyes and ears upon the pilot he should think "this is something different".

[rollith]

Not sure if anyone else made this connection, but Arcade Fire's "Intervention" just about encapsulates ASoIF with its sound and lyrics. From the opening line "The King's taken back the throne" to my favorite Lannister connection "I know no matter what you say, theres some debts you'll never pay"

To me, it touches on multiple characters - from Lancel, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Robert, Jon, etc.

It also has an appropriate organ/cathedral grandiose sound.

I love it. Not sure if it is for the series, but it certainly takes me to Westeros.

[Fate's Bitch]

[quote name='rollith' post='1621557' date='Dec 16 2008, 22.03']Not sure if anyone else made this connection, but Arcade Fire's "Intervention" just about encapsulates ASoIF with its sound and lyrics. From the opening line "The King's taken back the throne" to my favorite Lannister connection "I know no matter what you say, theres some debts you'll never pay"

To me, it touches on multiple characters - from Lancel, Arya, Sansa, Tyrion, Robert, Jon, etc.

It also has an appropriate organ/cathedral grandiose sound.

I love it. Not sure if it is for the series, but it certainly takes me to Westeros.[/quote]
Westeros is also technically a place where no cars go. :P

I never connected "Intervention" with ASOIAF before but thinking about, it does fit really well. Not all that surprising considering the books and song both deal with similar issues of war and the human cost.

[i]*Looks at Intervention with a whole new eye*[/i]

[WightMeWorry]

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuRv9I8_A1Q"]End Credits?[/url]







[size=1]This reminds me, I gotta hit up the casting threads to typecast some actors as Thoros and Karstark.[/size]

[WightMeWorry]

[quote name='"arizonahotrock"']I wish Basil Poledouris was still alive...

=([/quote]
Indeed. "Wifeing" is my personal Rhaegar/Lyanna theme. That or "Dracula/Mina" from Wojciech Kilar depending on my current interpretation of the backstory :). He'd be another good one.

[Bronn /Sword of Midnight]

definately should enter with some pantera...fill middle with slayer and 5 finger Death Punch...then close the show with a ac/dc zack wydle collaboration

[Shukun]

I'll second, or rather, eighth, the suggestion for Bear McCreary. Just when you think you've heard his best work, he'll surprise you the next time.

[LordNedsHead]

Instead of what type of music (orchestral, medieval, ect), I'd like to talk about themes. Someone above mentioned the idea, but what I'd like to see is each major house (and the Black Bros) have a theme. For instance the Starks could have something with chimes to reflect the cold of the north, the Baratheons could use hunting horns to keep with their stag mascot, Greyjoys could have a fife playing some kind of nautical theme ect.
Depending on how the scenes work out perhaps they could use the themes to reflect the house of the scene's predominant character. This could be sort of a nod to Martin's Pov mechanism in the books without actually having to throw out a clumsy looking name in subscript.
What do you all think?

[palaeologos]

Metal? Ugh. Talk about cheese. And it's even more anachronistic than the standard symphonic orchestral score.

Medieval-ish stuff, perhaps. I'm not sure that battles are going to look very impressive raging to the accompaniment of a cittern and a rebec. And frankly, folks, most neofolk groups don't have either the instrumental or compositional chops to come up with something that will work as a score.

I suspect what we're likely to get is something similar to Shore's work on LOTR. That's a decent enough score; he used leitmotifs fairly well, and did some nice things with folk instruments that prevented it from becoming too Strauss/Wagnerian. Unfortunately, he has no ear for counterpoint, but I'm sure there are plenty other composers who could manage it.

[Fate's Bitch]

They could always go the Ladyhawke route and go crazy with the synthesizers. It's not even dated - the 80s [i]are[/i] in again, after all. :P

[quote name='paleologos']Medieval-ish stuff, perhaps. I'm not sure that battles are going to look very impressive raging to the accompaniment of a cittern and a rebec. And frankly, folks, most neofolk groups don't have either the instrumental or compositional chops to come up with something that will work as a score.[/quote]
[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzKJzuVhMnE&feature=related"]Joanna Newsom[/url] would probably have chops enough. Of course, half the audience would turn off the sound as soon as she starts singing

[palaeologos]

[quote name='Fate's Bitch' post='1629145' date='Dec 23 2008, 13.33']They could always go the Ladyhawke route and go crazy with the synthesizers. It's not even dated - the 80s [i]are[/i] in again, after all. :P[/quote]

I'm dying here. :stunned:

[quote][url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzKJzuVhMnE&feature=related"]Joanna Newsom[/url] would probably have chops enough. Of course, half the audience would turn out the as soon as she starts singing[/quote]

She just sounds a bit too indie-rock/hipster for me. I like her records, but wouldn't want her music used as the soundtrack to an epic narrative.

[TheEvilKing]

Motley Crue should do the score. "Kickstart My Heart" should be Ned's theme tune.

[Mme Erzulie]

I think Pet Shop Boys and Cindy Lauper should do all the music for the series.

[LordNedsHead]

Maybe the drummer from Def Leppard could do a theme for Quorin Half-Hand when he enteres the story :ack:

[Ser Mataos Schwann]

What this series needs more than anything in its music is [i]variety[/i]. There are so many diverse people, places, and factions in the books that you can hardly choose just one style of music for the whole thing. Like some people have said, this can be done partially by giving certain places and people individual themes that recur when they are the focus of the story. However, this needs more than just different melodies in a stock style (any composer worth 2 cents can do that...even if you don't realize it). This series needs a vast arsenal of styles and sounds.

Let's start simple: The songs in the book (especially Rains of Castamere and Bear and the Maiden Fair) need to be put to music. Given the setting of the series, this should be renaissance-esque in nature ("medieval"). The background music for the seven kingdoms (however much or little there may be) can also use renaissance type music, but I think it'd be cool if this music used modern orchestrations. If done well this could be very effective - the composer could even use themes from the minstrel music, hidden (or not-so-hidden) in the orchestral scores, to remind listeners of the songs. To get an idea of what this orchestral renaissance music could sound like, go [url="http://www.purevolume.com/josiahd"]here[/url].

The other areas of Martin's world should have completely different feels. The grandiose orchestral music that many are opposed to could work well beyond the wall...but this should probably be a darker, more sinister sound. Think "A Night in the Dark" from LotR or the beginning of "The Black Pearl" from Pirates. There could also be more folksy music for the wildlings, but of a different sort from the seven kingdoms. (Perhaps this is a place where some modern techniques/instruments could be used a bit).

The Free Cities should definitely be more exotic (speaking as a member of the Western world)...and more varied than any other part of the world. Depending on where you are, this could be oriental in nature, or African tribal beats, or a cappella music like mbube ([url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=628B6dSannM"]Ladysmith Black Mambazo[/url]). Again, some or all of this could be used as the native music being played/sung by people in the story.

When it comes to battles, I envision something like the music from the game [url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mSWaVzsZet4"]The Mark of Kri[/url] - mostly drum beats to get the rhythm of the battle in your blood, with some warhorns and perhaps some deep accents once in a while.

If I had to pick one composer, I'd probably say Bear McCreary, like so many before me. Another possible choice is Klaus Badelt, he does very well with themes and setting the mood...as long as he doesn't go overboard. However, I would probably suggest having a team of two (or more) composers...e.g. one that specializes in ethnomusicology and one that specializes in arranging.

Sorry for the length, I had a lot to say. :)