Characters having a instrument that represents them?... that reminds me of Mother 3/ Earthbound 2. It's a JRPG and in battle, when a character attacks fiscally a tiny little leitmotif (I guess) plays, for example (minor spoilers ahead) your offensive mage (idk if that's a real thing, but I'll go with it for now), Kumatora, has an electric guitar as her representative instrument and if she successfully hits a fisical attack a little electric guitar tune will play. I'm not very far into the game yet, but from what I've played there isn't a lot of variation between the tunes, but there is some, and it might be related to the changing battle musics (each enemy or groups of enemies [I guess] gets one of a few battle musics that have variations, for example, a broken guitar has an unique theme, that is expanded on... becoming spicy, you could say when it's paired up with a broken drum and so on and on and on...). I could write more, but honestly, I'm especially lazy today, and you should probably go play the game yourself, which is not easy 'cause Mother 3 never made to the west officially, but there's a fan translation if you're ok with that. Bye
One day I was lying in bed, wondering what my leitmotif would sound like if I had one: how it would represent me, developing as I grow and change. Then I realized that I do have one: a song I composed at around age 11 and have been changing and developing ever since to fit my current emotional state. The first version was happy, and the following versions become more and more unhappy. As I am doing a bit better now than I was when I wrote my last version I shall have to re-write it again to reflect that
Like, he's 100% part of a fucked up power structure, but he kind of gets off a little easier than most cause he died a good bit before it got REALLLLY bad.
@@TylerMJennings That or it's "born to early to be a nazi" like Qui-Gon Jin who "died to early to train Anakin" (and thus possibly avoid the entire mess that happened later). Regardless, it's a weird idea, and a weird way to phrase it
Qui Gon died too early to make an impact on Anakin but would've been a part of his life, Wagner died too early to make an impact on the Nazi but would've been a part of the party.
@Foxtrot.Uniform.Charlie.Kilo.Golf It's also pretty inaccurate. Wagner would not have been a Nazi, and this is largely because he was an anarchist, which is the political OPPOSITE of Fascism. Wagner fought on the barricades during the revolution of 1848, frequently associated with the Anarcho-Communist Mikhail Bakunin, and would have LOATHED the Nazis, because their ideology revolved around the state controlling every single aspect of society, for the "good" of the German people. The ending of the Ring cycle, with the burning of Valhalla and the death of the gods, is meant to symbolically represent the end of capitalism and the destruction of the state. Wagner's Jew-hatred was also MILD compared to what the Nazis believed-- Wagner's Jew-hatred was purely religious in nature, and he had no issue with Jews on a racial level, believing that they should assimilate into German society by converting to Christianity-- this is unlike the Nazis, who believed that Jews were subhuman and there was a vast international conspiracy of them planning to take over the world, via the promoting of 'degeneracy' in society, and the simultaneous promotion of capitalism and communism, and that they should be exterminated because of this. The only thing Wagner had in common with the Nazis ideologically was that he was a German nationalist, but not even that, because the Nazis were radical Pan-Germanic ethno-nationalists who wanted a Europe-wide German ethnostate, for the purpose of restoring the historic homeland of the Germanic tribes. This and also that Wagner lived before a unified Germany existed politically, due to the fact that Napoleon had destroyed the Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the century as part of his conquests, and the German nationalism which Wagner and others fought for served the purpose of forming a coherent national identity for German-speaking people who weren't already part of the Austrian Empire. If Wagner had actually lived to see the rise of Nazism, he would probably have seen it as perverse and horrifying, as the German nationalism which he strove for for much of his life was twisted towards totalitarian ends.
Gego/XAREN ゲゴザレン, I was going to say some thing but because I usually put commas after people's names for some reason, and it got a really fancy comma. Compare the comma after your name to the one after "reason".
For those who missed it: "sumer is icumen in" is Middle English for "summer is a-coming in" - and it's a masterpiece, everyone who likes folk music should listen, and you will LOVE
My favorite thing about Sideways, besides the amazing content, is that the titles give little hint in what to expect! It's like anti-clickbait or something.
The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of my favorite films when I was a small kid. My dad recorded it for me on a VHS tape in the early 80's and that music definitely stuck with me. Kids don't just want simple music, I know that much.
I think my favorite Leitmotif is the one from Pink Floyd's "The Wall." People sometimes think I'm a music nerd because I say that sometimes, but all I can think is, "Oh, boy do I wish I knew enough about music to be a music nerd. I'd appreciate music so much more if I did . . ."
It's amazing how often it's repeated and toyed with throughout the album. Different keys, different speeds, hell I wouldn't be surprised if they play it upside-down or backwards a few times.
Hey, I've been watching your videos for a few months and I've really enjoyed your stuff. I've only recently realized something though. You have changed how I watch [or more accurately, listen to] movies. I just saw Blade Runner 2049 for the second time last week and I was able to focus on the score and musical motifs on the second viewing. It brought the plot/story into a brand new light. I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed it without your insights and videos. You have immeasurably enhanced how I enjoy film. Thanks for what you do.
I feel like no matter how much time passes, these videos don’t age; they just have this beautiful timeless to them. So wonderful just to listen and absorb all the information- this is truly a comfort channel.☺️❤
@@DylanRyan8Do you know why he stopped? i always come back to watch these videos they truly are timeless and i’ve been wondering for a while why he stopped uploading
Halo had a lot of great musical moments and themes that connect together. I was super hyped to hear the Covenant Dance drums reappear in later pieces, and the theme itself punctuates the whole soundtrack. I think it was really well done! It's why I revisit the soundtrack so often, listening to it I can hear and feel the moments of the story again.
Especially considering how Wagner's actual politics were Marxist, and he was exiled for fomenting rebellion against the king of Prussia at the time (I think it was Prussia but I can't 100% remember which German state), and thus definitely wouldn't have survived under the Nazis
I genuinely love this channel so much because it's rare that I get to hear someone talk music theory in tandem with pop culture. I know your channel is meant to be accessible for non-musically trained people, but I would absolutely love it if you could make a video or two where you just totally delve into the theory of a soundtrack and get really into all the transformation, cyclic structure, modulations, idee fixe, etc
14:40 Oh! That's also true for Baba Is You soundtrack! The opposite example (repeated battle music) I found in Slay The Spire. But they had a great idea of distorting the soundtrack for Mind Bloom event. Also, the Corrupted Heart gets its own motif, so the repetition may be a way of symbolizing a roguelike - based story element...
Sadness and Sorrow gets played a lot across the Naruto franchise and I'm not going to say it is always successful. However, the clip you showed is my favorite replay of it in the original series. We first hear it during some flashbacks of Naruto's childhood describing him as the lonely outcast. The scene in your video was of Iruka protecting him from a man Naruto thought was a friend and allay, but was really just a manipulator. This is where Iruka apologizes for how he treated Naruto in the past and promises to be there for him in the future. This moment is the first step in their relationship transforming into the brotherly, then fatherly, relationship we all loved by the end of Shippuden. The song is a beautiful contrast to what is going on in the actual scene. Why? It plays while Naruto is struggling with his own insecurities, the betrayal, 10 years of baggage, and deciding whether or not he should trust Iruka. It plays as Naruto remembers the pain of the past, then lets it go because he now knows he is unconditionally loved. This should be a textbook example of when to reuse a piece of music without changing it.
I’ve watched this film a ton of times when I was a kid. The Merrymen’s theme is the most memorable and I’m glad it’s connected to one of the oldest secular songs. So cool!
Before this channel me: Oh yeah, I play an instrument and like music, but I'm not passionate enough to be serious about it. After this channel me: OH MY GOSH WHEN DID MUSIC GET SO COOL?!
This is honestly making me fall back in love with music from an analytical standpoint. I love all of the videos I’ve watched so far and have been throwing them at my friends to watch too! And we’re all having an EXCELLENT time. Keep up the amazing work.
I totally agree with all the stuff you're saying about themes being oversimplified in children's movies. This is why I still count How To Train Your Dragon as one of the most intelligent children's movies out there; the use of leitmotif and different instruments signaling different characters is amazing, particularly for a kid's movie
*sees "Leitmotif"* Please mention The Lord of the Rings, please mention The Lord of the Rings, please mention The Lord of the Rings... edit: aw :( but a great video nonetheless!
That was uncalled for. There’s no need to contradict Sideways and belittle one to praise another. Seeing how Kondo was able to adapt his main theme for Super Mario World to fit any given situation, I’d say it’s pretty damn close to his best work. His work on Mario and Zelda are equally influential. Sideways also talked about Zelda uses leitmotifs, so what’s your excuse for throwing Mario under the bus?
James Royce-Dawson i know the video and this comment are really old but i dont know enough about wagner, quigon jinn, or the the nazi party to get this joke. Mind explaining it to me?
@@forlornendeavor9183 wagner was......very anti-semitic, he wrote a diss piece--cough cough, *book* about judaism in music. He was also notoriously fussy and strict, similar to qui-gon jinn, iirc.
@@selfcompassionate Jinns not really that dogmatic. The movie doesnt convey it super great, but hes supposed to be on the more loose ends compared to most.
- therealchrishansen - Quigon was actually amongst the least dogmatic of the Jedi (literally denied being on the council because he refused to blindly follow orders but instead chose to do what he felt was right, such as train Anakin.) I feel like the joke doesn’t quite understand Quigon’s character, which is why a few people have been left confused.
Oh, man, _Shovel Knight_ has the most amazing soundtrack of anything put out in the last decade. I can literally listen to that theme tune on repeat for hours.
When you played Siegfried's leitmotif in funeral march it reminded me of a point you made in the "what makes a superhero theme" video. After going into how Siegfried's theme served as a basis for brass representing heroism and extrapolating on that to come to Superman's theme, you then went on to talk about how that information connected to Batman, saying that it would have to be a scarred version of the same idea. After hearing the funeral march, I can't help but think that Danny Elfman took the idea one step further and used the theme of the dead hero as the template for his score. It would say a lot narratively about Bruce Wayne in the context of the movie if that were the case.
“No leitmotif in battle music” Firstly, there is. Blood of Villain, Blooming Villain and Regret shares the villain leitmotif. (Spoilers down below) Second, there is. Our beginning combines two leitmotif, one is Yaldabouth, the other is Swear to My Bones. This theme plays directly after Yaldabouth(oppressing), which makes a big contrast(hopefulness), and symbolizes the phantom theives finally being able to overpower Yaldabouth after struggling so hard, and the hopefulness symbolizes that the public believes in the phantom theives instead of being brainwashed by Yaldabouth. Also there are leitmotifs in daily life and palace themes, but I think you've already figured that. Love your work!
Another game with amazing music is Bloodborne. It has unique musical ideas for different characters, bosses, and ideas that come up in different forms as the story progresses. One of my favorite examples is the boss music for the Cleric Beast (the first boss) is built on and given more personality as the boss music for Vicar Amelia, who was also a member of the Healing Church. Then in the DLC, the same theme gets reworked AGAIN for Laurence the First Vicar who founded the Healing Church. His music actually starts off very similar to the Cleric Beast which has made me wonder if Laurence is the Cleric Beast, but outside of the Hunter's Nightmare.
Watching this made me realize that my favorite anime film does have a leitmotif for the main characters. (And other ones for different elements of the story-the Forest, neutral city, the past, the military.) It’s called Origin:spirits of the past(also known as Giniro no kami no agito) and the score in this movie is amazing. I wish I had the knowledge to study it and find all the secrets because it’s just such gorgeous music. The opening theme sung by KOKIA makes me wonder just how many notes in that song I hallucinate while listening. It’s wild.
Thank you for being super into leitmotifs. And also for making me realize that I have been mispronouncing leitmotifs for the past ten years, as I'd only ever run across it in writing.
Leitmotif (with thematic transformation) had been used extensively in film music prior to Korngold by Gottfried Huppertz, who scored Metropolis, The Chronicles of the House of Gray, and (astonishingly) a two-part film version of the Ring des Nibelungen. Worth checking out if you're not familiar with them; all three have been reissued in top-notch stereo recordings.
The overall FF7 theme (mournful) gets transformed into a major theme once you get the airship, which was a nice payoff. "Nerevar Rising" from Elder Scrolls: Morrowind shows up everywhere in Skyrim. I guess it's more of a "Prophecy hero" motif or something like that.
Better example than shovel knight: Hollow Knight. The soundtrack literally tells you a relationship between two characters (specifically one is another's parent) by having you pick up parts of one's leitmotif in the other's bossfight music. It's not just using thematic transformation to say what's happening on screen that moment, it's using it to add to the story in a nuanced and intricate way. I will say, P5 isn't something I'd single out for this because, while some elements are frustratingly static, the music that does change tends to pull and transform elements from other music to convey relationships.
I know this is an old video but The Adventures of Robin Hood has one of my favorite film scores of all time so I was super excited to see you analyzed it.
So glad you used Robin Hood to make your point here - this is one of my FAVOURITE films of all time. Loved it as a child, love it now as an adult. Partly why I love film music as much as I do as well
17:15 this one is so obvious the scene might as well be: Plague knight: What? SHOVEL KNIGHT!? chorus: SHOVEL KNIIIGHT! SHOVEL KNIIIGHT! *SHOVEL KNIIIIGHT!!!* *SHO-*
Until seeing the clips of Adventures of Robin Hood in this, I didn't realize how directly the Disney movie was referencing those character designs. Neat!
I'd love to see your take on the music of the more recent Fire Emblem games, Awakening and Fates, and how they transform between regular and 'battle' versions of the same track dynamically. Awakening in particular uses multiple tracks based on the same leitmotif of the main character, and the tracks are even named accordingly. Thanks for making these excellent videos!
Hell yeah, Shovel Knight! I got this massive grin when you brought it up because it truly has one of the best soundtracks in any game to release in the last decade. It's such a joy for the ears to play a game that really caters that much to the music nerd in me. Loved the video as always, dude. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite channels to see in my subscriptions.
So confusing for me as a German to hear and read "leitmotif". Like, we have the same word, but written different (Leitmotiv). But it's not as confusing as the use of "Ersatz", which in German means (something that can be used as) a replacement, like a spare wheel or a second pair of shoes. Language is fascinating.
This is the best adventure film ever made by hollywood the perfect cast, a perfect script & as you show it has a perfect music score, the music lift your spirits as your watching the film....
This is one of my childhood films! I haven't watching it since...becoming a teenager? It's so cool listening to the music again and hearing it explained. I remember having strong reactions to certain parts as a little one curled up on the couch, watching with my dad.
I would love to see something about Battlestar Glactica from you. Bear McCreary did some spectacular music for that show but I'm not smart enough to pick it all apart like this and I bet he did a lot more with that score than I managed to figure out. I would even be willing to bet that the shows gravitas and profoundness came as much from McCreary as it did from the acting and writing.
Because of this channel I finally understand why jazz and film scores are my favorite genres. Well jazz because it's fun to play, but scores tell a story. I guess good jazz does too, but scores are sometimes more complex than the films that they are made for.
I legitimately think you might love Homestuck. So many amazing musical choices with a lot of the subtleties you talk about on this channel, leitmotif more than any other.
Robin Hood originates in High Medieval English folklore, so it's probably impossible to tell exactly what the original reason for his name is. One suggestion I've heard is that he may originally have been considered a trickster fairy like Puck, who was later turned into a human outlaw, and Robin was a common name for such fairies.
Georgina Hunt That doesn't seem in any way a response to what I said. Where did you get the idea, that I was unsure about the etymology of the name Robin?
Sideways I've just discovered your channel and ... Oh my God I love you sooooo much for talking about this film ! I'm one of the few young adults (21) who are ABSOLUTE fans of this movie, this is one of my favorite child movies, and nobody of my age cares about it. Does another video on youtube exists about this master piece ? Nope. 'Cause 1938 isn't hot topic... So thank you for the attention you gave to The adventures of Robin Hood
Sideways, dude, you're awesome! Your theme and variation in video games made me suddenly remember the arcade game Tron (dating myself here). It level was inspired by a different game from the film and the music was inspired by the score of the film AND used variations of the same musical ideas for different levels.
liked before I watched, I love your channel! makes me, a nerd who only really thought about a career in nuclear physics interested in maybe going into music. . . many thanks!
These videos are so interesting. It makes me appreciate music SO much more. I just starting to learn the guitar recently (so painful but worth it) and these kind of videos make me want to work harder at learning to play better. Thanks for making these pieces of art!
He kind of did. If you haven't seen it in the past 4 years or so (going off when the comment says it was posted today in the year of 2021) please feel free to look it up on the channel now.
I totally agree about Korngold's music in The Seahawk. If I had to choose the film with the best music composed for the screen I would definitely choose The Seahawk.
Holy wow thank you for this video. I love Erich Korngold and I love The Adventures of Robin Hood and I've never heard another person analyze them. Wonderful video!
This is exactly why, in one of my game worlds, I want to have every section of the eight-part world use the same theme, but with different instruments and counter melodies. For example, the water area would use harps and dripping, while the ice area would use crystalline chimes.
Just watched the adventures of Robin Hood a month ago in cinema class and I hadn't even noticed the complexity of the music, I feel like I can appreciate the film more now
Yeah, like no one really did put the music in perspective then it comes to the lore. But that's something entirely different than what sideways does. Still I wonder if he can find a overarching theme or even a Leitmotiv, but it's all separate tracks so probably not :P
That first piece at 0:45 made me think of at least 4 films. The beginning felt like the beginning of the Mission Impossible theme, the glissando was every romantic Disney moment from Cinderella, then we had Star Wars and Superman. Not to mention the timpani roll which starts off all music on award shows to signal people to wrap it up and get the hell off stage.
This comment is off-topic, but does anyone have some female film composers that they would recommend? I've just realized how I love listening to film soundtracks, but I do not really know (m)any female composers. It is not an important request, but I appreciate any recommendations.
Not important?! Awareness is paramount in fixing up this big problem in the film music scene. Check out Debbie Wiseman, Yoko Kanno, Michiru Oshima, Yoko Shimomura, Jane Antonia Cornish, Jessica Curry and Rachel Portman. They are all capable of standing on equal grounds with their male counterparts.
Thank you for the recommendations! I am not familiar with any of them except for Yoko Kanno's beautiful work on the animated series Cowboy Bebop and I actually think I have seen Rachel Portman's name on a rom-com film before. It is always a pleasure to become a little bit more knowledgeable. :)
She isn't a film composer, but I would recommend the works of Michiru Yamane if you enjoy listening to video game soundtracks. Her work in the Castlevania series is legendary, and she also composed some fantastic songs for Skullgirls.
WOW! Every video I watch gives me an entirely new perspective on movies. I find myself re-watching movies and focusing on the music and how it accompanies the narrative as a whole. I'm so glad that I have found your channel to give me this new perspective. Thank you!
So... Have you seen that video by Every Frame a Painting commenting on the Marvel soundtrack and videos reacting to that. I think that shows a good general picture on how motifs are just going down the drainpipe.
True. It's frustrating that Marvel isn't putting much focus into this, because leitmotifs and superheroes suit each other perfectly. I mean, superheroes are, by their very nature, iconic. Many of them have their own symbol plastered onto their chest. So if a composer, or a director or a studio, were to put in the effort, a well-used leitmotif could become as iconic as the hero's symbol. The John Williams Superman theme is a pretty good example. On a brighter note, have you seen the Flash TV show? They're doing a decent job with their motif.
+Tauron Mitronion I really think Marvel is hiring the wrong people at this point. Age of Ultron actually has returning leitmotifs. I remember there's use of both the Avengers theme established in the first Avengers movie and a theme from Iron Man 3 representing Iron Man. But they got Danny Elfman for that movie who is of course a great composer. Now we have the Russo's hiring Henry Jackman who has just thrown everything in the bin.
That was true. AoU, though, was a collab between Danny Elfman, who as you said is a great composer, and Brian Tyler, who in my opinion is not so great. A lot of those leitmotifs (Iron Man's and Thor's, to be specific) were composed by him in the first place, but... I don't know, I'm just not a fan. I feel like Tyler's music tends to be big and bombastic without much heart, if that makes any sense. However, there is hope. The Russos are bringing back Alan Silvestri, who did Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, for Infinity War. Plus, Michael Giacchino did some great work for Doctor Strange and he's doing Spider-Man: Homecoming, so maybe we can get some really good scores in the future.
+Tauron Mitronion The reason why I brought up Danny Elfman is because he was the only composer new to the franchise and had respect for other motifs. There's several motifs coming from different composers in that movie. "The Russos are bringing back Alan Silvestri" I doubt it was their choice but I'm nonetheless happy for it. Although I'd be a lot happier with a different director and writers. I'm actually not a fan of Michael Giacchino. Although he does use motifs it's often like one per movie, which gets somewhat dull. Next to that I actively disliked his dawn of the planet of the apes soundtrack. There might be some personal bias in there though. He has been the main Pixar composer but I just prefer whatever Thomas Newman has done for them by such a distance...
Maybe it comes down to personal preference. I've never heard Planet of the Apes but I really like Giacchino's Pixar work. Ratatouille, in particular, has some great examples of what Sideways described in this video. One thing I'm a bit bummed about is that we haven't gotten a chance to see Patrick Doyle's themes for Thor in any MCU movies since the first one. I prefer Doyle's to Tyler's. Your thoughts on this?
richard lionheart was held captive in austria and I like the thought that they also got an austrian composer to do the score would only be better if the composer would have been living close to where lionheart was held captive or if he was to compose the score in the ruins
this is the same issue i have with starkid's "firebringer" musical. its a great show, but they play bits and pieces from jemilla's lament whenever something sad happens, and its a little confusing. i felt like it should be reserved, since the song is literally titled "jemillas lament", for when jemilla is lamenting, or when something happens that threatens her role as tribe leader in general. in my opinion, it makes the impact of jemilla's lament so much weaker when its just the musical's established "sad set of notes".
Fantastic video as always. With regards to what you said about the music in Naruto though, that is a matter that a lot of anime simply deal with, regardless of the episode count, surprisingly. From a simple writing perspective, most anime composers I've seen tend to create a library of pieces, and then those works are edited in later to fit the scenes at hand. Few shows are directly scored to picture, with some of composer Hideyuki Fukasawa's writing being an exception (I've spent a considerable amount of spare time detailing his efforts, in fact). It might be worth looking into doing a video on how scoring to picture actually works, as well as explaining the use and importance of sound libraries and stock music.
How sick would it be to have a fighting game where each character has a theme and when they fight it combines the themes
it'd be dope
So basically.......Undertale
isn't Bravely Default like this though? An analysis here: ua-cam.com/video/COgzJey4EAc/v-deo.html
A *fighting game*. Reread a little more carefully.
Characters having a instrument that represents them?... that reminds me of Mother 3/ Earthbound 2. It's a JRPG and in battle, when a character attacks fiscally a tiny little leitmotif (I guess) plays, for example
(minor spoilers ahead)
your offensive mage (idk if that's a real thing, but I'll go with it for now), Kumatora, has an electric guitar as her representative instrument and if she successfully hits a fisical attack a little electric guitar tune will play. I'm not very far into the game yet, but from what I've played there isn't a lot of variation between the tunes, but there is some, and it might be related to the changing battle musics (each enemy or groups of enemies [I guess] gets one of a few battle musics that have variations, for example, a broken guitar has an unique theme, that is expanded on... becoming spicy, you could say when it's paired up with a broken drum and so on and on and on...). I could write more, but honestly, I'm especially lazy today, and you should probably go play the game yourself, which is not easy 'cause Mother 3 never made to the west officially, but there's a fan translation if you're ok with that.
Bye
Marvel vs Capcom may be your thing then!
Sideways, the guy that will make you choose the composer branch instead of the rockstar branch in the musical career of The Sims.
This is good and funny comment. I should've thought of it before.
Bloody brilliant
One day I was lying in bed, wondering what my leitmotif would sound like if I had one: how it would represent me, developing as I grow and change. Then I realized that I do have one: a song I composed at around age 11 and have been changing and developing ever since to fit my current emotional state. The first version was happy, and the following versions become more and more unhappy. As I am doing a bit better now than I was when I wrote my last version I shall have to re-write it again to reflect that
NOW I WANT TO HEAR IT
thats so cool!!!!! we need more creative people like you
Do you know the notes to your lite motif?
that´s amazing, and that you´re doing better too :)
"You can kinda think of him like the Qui Gon Jin of the Nazi party" - I can't even wrap my head around that statement
Like, he's 100% part of a fucked up power structure, but he kind of gets off a little easier than most cause he died a good bit before it got REALLLLY bad.
@@TylerMJennings That or it's "born to early to be a nazi" like Qui-Gon Jin who "died to early to train Anakin" (and thus possibly avoid the entire mess that happened later). Regardless, it's a weird idea, and a weird way to phrase it
Qui Gon died too early to make an impact on Anakin but would've been a part of his life, Wagner died too early to make an impact on the Nazi but would've been a part of the party.
Yeah, I'm not sure that analogy really works by itself lol
@Foxtrot.Uniform.Charlie.Kilo.Golf It's also pretty inaccurate. Wagner would not have been a Nazi, and this is largely because he was an anarchist, which is the political OPPOSITE of Fascism. Wagner fought on the barricades during the revolution of 1848, frequently associated with the Anarcho-Communist Mikhail Bakunin, and would have LOATHED the Nazis, because their ideology revolved around the state controlling every single aspect of society, for the "good" of the German people. The ending of the Ring cycle, with the burning of Valhalla and the death of the gods, is meant to symbolically represent the end of capitalism and the destruction of the state. Wagner's Jew-hatred was also MILD compared to what the Nazis believed-- Wagner's Jew-hatred was purely religious in nature, and he had no issue with Jews on a racial level, believing that they should assimilate into German society by converting to Christianity-- this is unlike the Nazis, who believed that Jews were subhuman and there was a vast international conspiracy of them planning to take over the world, via the promoting of 'degeneracy' in society, and the simultaneous promotion of capitalism and communism, and that they should be exterminated because of this.
The only thing Wagner had in common with the Nazis ideologically was that he was a German nationalist, but not even that, because the Nazis were radical Pan-Germanic ethno-nationalists who wanted a Europe-wide German ethnostate, for the purpose of restoring the historic homeland of the Germanic tribes. This and also that Wagner lived before a unified Germany existed politically, due to the fact that Napoleon had destroyed the Holy Roman Empire at the beginning of the century as part of his conquests, and the German nationalism which Wagner and others fought for served the purpose of forming a coherent national identity for German-speaking people who weren't already part of the Austrian Empire.
If Wagner had actually lived to see the rise of Nazism, he would probably have seen it as perverse and horrifying, as the German nationalism which he strove for for much of his life was twisted towards totalitarian ends.
**ODE TO JOY INTENSIFIES**
Gego/XAREN ゲゴザレン, I was going to say some thing but because I usually put commas after people's names for some reason, and it got a really fancy comma. Compare the comma after your name to the one after "reason".
totally not jeff
What?
It looks exactly the same...
Women in choir: *o* 😮
YES!
For those who missed it: "sumer is icumen in" is Middle English for "summer is a-coming in" - and it's a masterpiece, everyone who likes folk music should listen, and you will LOVE
5:12 Come On!!! Spoilers man!!! You just ruined a nearly 3 century old 20 hours long piece that I was totally going to see.
Dude, it's 150 years old. Not 300 lol
He did say nearly.
Johann Sebastian Bach are you Bach from the dead?
@@tortis6342 Kind of hard to not be, so yeah.
Yeah, but the epic it's adapting is far older so 300 years is a bit of an understatement actually.
My favorite thing about Sideways, besides the amazing content, is that the titles give little hint in what to expect! It's like anti-clickbait or something.
Not Right Music Isn't that just... what a title should be doing?
Not Right Music lol how titles were supposed to be before clickbait era
Yeah, it always takes some time for me to click, because I'm not interested in that certain subject. Then when I decide to click anyway, it's awesome!
Or honest clickbait?
In some cases, maybe.
"On March 12th, 1938, the Anschluss took place…"
From a music theory channel, I didn't expect the Nazi inquisition at the very start of this video.
Inquisitions tend to not be expected. Just look at the Spanish Inquisition.
Asummersdaydreamer14 I'm proud of you
I did Nazi that coming!
Asummersdaydreamer14
R/unexpectedmonteypython
@@sirknight4981 congratulations, you created a dad joke that is illegal in some countries, you madlad
Finding your channel is like finding water in the desert, so refreshing and uplifting
A few years late, but do true.
Ikr
The Adventures of Robin Hood was one of my favorite films when I was a small kid. My dad recorded it for me on a VHS tape in the early 80's and that music definitely stuck with me. Kids don't just want simple music, I know that much.
Can I open my eyes now? Or should I keep them closed??
Ehhhhh you can probably open them soon. Best keep them shut for now just in case tho
Desbarbado not yet
Wait... how th did u write this? 😱😱😱
Unsubscribe from me so do you think blind people can’t type or...?
Guys his eyes are closed he can't read our comments
I think my favorite Leitmotif is the one from Pink Floyd's "The Wall."
People sometimes think I'm a music nerd because I say that sometimes, but all I can think is, "Oh, boy do I wish I knew enough about music to be a music nerd. I'd appreciate music so much more if I did . . ."
Words cannot express how wonderfully that whole album flows and how musically complex and smart it is!! 🥰🤩 Legit a masterwork of modern times!
It's amazing how often it's repeated and toyed with throughout the album. Different keys, different speeds, hell I wouldn't be surprised if they play it upside-down or backwards a few times.
Hey,
I've been watching your videos for a few months and I've really enjoyed your stuff. I've only recently realized something though.
You have changed how I watch [or more accurately, listen to] movies. I just saw Blade Runner 2049 for the second time last week and I was able to focus on the score and musical motifs on the second viewing. It brought the plot/story into a brand new light. I'm sure I wouldn't have noticed it without your insights and videos.
You have immeasurably enhanced how I enjoy film.
Thanks for what you do.
How does this channel not have more subscribers?? This is amazing! Keep up the good work!
Because some people don't understand? Thats what i think at least.
because the channel is only a year old
Charlie Skywalker because music nerds are a rare breed
@@lutisgamepaly You got that right and I am outta here.
I feel like no matter how much time passes, these videos don’t age; they just have this beautiful timeless to them. So wonderful just to listen and absorb all the information- this is truly a comfort channel.☺️❤
Exactly! Which is so sad how bad he has been treated which led to him stop uploading. He's actually a genius with making youtube videos!
insomnia fit rn and im rewatching hours of his content. genuinley goated
@@DylanRyan8Do you know why he stopped? i always come back to watch these videos they truly are timeless and i’ve been wondering for a while why he stopped uploading
Can I just say that Shovel Knight is a truly incredible game and has one of the best soundtracks ever?
Hard agree
Halo had a lot of great musical moments and themes that connect together. I was super hyped to hear the Covenant Dance drums reappear in later pieces, and the theme itself punctuates the whole soundtrack. I think it was really well done! It's why I revisit the soundtrack so often, listening to it I can hear and feel the moments of the story again.
I love how shitting on Wagner's politics is a running gag on this channel.
Anti-Semitism isn't a political ideology, it's just bigotry.
@@bored_person good thing Wagner wasn’t anti-Semitic.
Especially considering how Wagner's actual politics were Marxist, and he was exiled for fomenting rebellion against the king of Prussia at the time (I think it was Prussia but I can't 100% remember which German state), and thus definitely wouldn't have survived under the Nazis
@@jonahmurphy3251 WHO CARES? AMERICANS WOULD BE HARD TO UNDERSTNAND THAT, SO LET'S CALL HIM ANTI-SIMETIC. THAT WOULD WORK WAY BETTER
I'm just mad at the implicit association with Qui-Gon Jinn, it's not fair to Qui-Gon
I genuinely love this channel so much because it's rare that I get to hear someone talk music theory in tandem with pop culture. I know your channel is meant to be accessible for non-musically trained people, but I would absolutely love it if you could make a video or two where you just totally delve into the theory of a soundtrack and get really into all the transformation, cyclic structure, modulations, idee fixe, etc
14:40
Oh! That's also true for Baba Is You soundtrack!
The opposite example (repeated battle music) I found in Slay The Spire. But they had a great idea of distorting the soundtrack for Mind Bloom event. Also, the Corrupted Heart gets its own motif, so the repetition may be a way of symbolizing a roguelike - based story element...
Sadness and Sorrow gets played a lot across the Naruto franchise and I'm not going to say it is always successful. However, the clip you showed is my favorite replay of it in the original series. We first hear it during some flashbacks of Naruto's childhood describing him as the lonely outcast. The scene in your video was of Iruka protecting him from a man Naruto thought was a friend and allay, but was really just a manipulator. This is where Iruka apologizes for how he treated Naruto in the past and promises to be there for him in the future. This moment is the first step in their relationship transforming into the brotherly, then fatherly, relationship we all loved by the end of Shippuden. The song is a beautiful contrast to what is going on in the actual scene. Why? It plays while Naruto is struggling with his own insecurities, the betrayal, 10 years of baggage, and deciding whether or not he should trust Iruka. It plays as Naruto remembers the pain of the past, then lets it go because he now knows he is unconditionally loved. This should be a textbook example of when to reuse a piece of music without changing it.
I don't even understand what's going on but yeah.
Music.
Cool.
I’ve watched this film a ton of times when I was a kid. The Merrymen’s theme is the most memorable and I’m glad it’s connected to one of the oldest secular songs. So cool!
as a german i giggled at some of your pronunciations, great video btw! My father came in and flipped because he had seen this so often as a child :)
Say "Squirrel"
@@Jabberwockybird say Donaudampfschiffahrtsgesellschaftskapitän
Before this channel me: Oh yeah, I play an instrument and like music, but I'm not passionate enough to be serious about it.
After this channel me: OH MY GOSH WHEN DID MUSIC GET SO COOL?!
This is honestly making me fall back in love with music from an analytical standpoint. I love all of the videos I’ve watched so far and have been throwing them at my friends to watch too! And we’re all having an EXCELLENT time. Keep up the amazing work.
I totally agree with all the stuff you're saying about themes being oversimplified in children's movies. This is why I still count How To Train Your Dragon as one of the most intelligent children's movies out there; the use of leitmotif and different instruments signaling different characters is amazing, particularly for a kid's movie
1:00 the force is strong with this one
*sees "Leitmotif"*
Please mention The Lord of the Rings, please mention The Lord of the Rings, please mention The Lord of the Rings...
edit: aw :( but a great video nonetheless!
does he have any video that mentions The Lord of the Rings?
@@yvetteortega1695 The UA-cam channel Listening In has a 3-part series on the LotR sound track that's really good.
3:46 Twinkle twinkle little star (Old as shit REEEEEEEEEEMIIIIIIIIIIIIIX)
Super Mario World is by no means Kondo's best work. His work on the Legend of Zelda changed video game music forever.
That was uncalled for. There’s no need to contradict Sideways and belittle one to praise another. Seeing how Kondo was able to adapt his main theme for Super Mario World to fit any given situation, I’d say it’s pretty damn close to his best work. His work on Mario and Zelda are equally influential. Sideways also talked about Zelda uses leitmotifs, so what’s your excuse for throwing Mario under the bus?
"Wagner was the Quigon Jinn of the Nazi Party"
I love it :D
James Royce-Dawson i know the video and this comment are really old but i dont know enough about wagner, quigon jinn, or the the nazi party to get this joke. Mind explaining it to me?
@@forlornendeavor9183 wagner was......very anti-semitic, he wrote a diss piece--cough cough, *book* about judaism in music. He was also notoriously fussy and strict, similar to qui-gon jinn, iirc.
@@selfcompassionate Jinns not really that dogmatic. The movie doesnt convey it super great, but hes supposed to be on the more loose ends compared to most.
@@tequilawhiskey ah, thanks, it's been a while since i've seen the movies
- therealchrishansen - Quigon was actually amongst the least dogmatic of the Jedi (literally denied being on the council because he refused to blindly follow orders but instead chose to do what he felt was right, such as train Anakin.) I feel like the joke doesn’t quite understand Quigon’s character, which is why a few people have been left confused.
this channel makes me feel woke
And damn you are
yessir it does
*vicariously educated.
Thanks are owed to everyone involved in the production of this channel.
Facts
Welcome to being awake that's what adults are too
Oh, man, _Shovel Knight_ has the most amazing soundtrack of anything put out in the last decade. I can literally listen to that theme tune on repeat for hours.
When you played Siegfried's leitmotif in funeral march it reminded me of a point you made in the "what makes a superhero theme" video. After going into how Siegfried's theme served as a basis for brass representing heroism and extrapolating on that to come to Superman's theme, you then went on to talk about how that information connected to Batman, saying that it would have to be a scarred version of the same idea. After hearing the funeral march, I can't help but think that Danny Elfman took the idea one step further and used the theme of the dead hero as the template for his score. It would say a lot narratively about Bruce Wayne in the context of the movie if that were the case.
“No leitmotif in battle music”
Firstly, there is.
Blood of Villain, Blooming Villain and Regret shares the villain leitmotif.
(Spoilers down below)
Second, there is.
Our beginning combines two leitmotif, one is Yaldabouth, the other is Swear to My Bones. This theme plays directly after Yaldabouth(oppressing), which makes a big contrast(hopefulness), and symbolizes the phantom theives finally being able to overpower Yaldabouth after struggling so hard, and the hopefulness symbolizes that the public believes in the phantom theives instead of being brainwashed by Yaldabouth.
Also there are leitmotifs in daily life and palace themes, but I think you've already figured that.
Love your work!
Another game with amazing music is Bloodborne. It has unique musical ideas for different characters, bosses, and ideas that come up in different forms as the story progresses.
One of my favorite examples is the boss music for the Cleric Beast (the first boss) is built on and given more personality as the boss music for Vicar Amelia, who was also a member of the Healing Church. Then in the DLC, the same theme gets reworked AGAIN for Laurence the First Vicar who founded the Healing Church. His music actually starts off very similar to the Cleric Beast which has made me wonder if Laurence is the Cleric Beast, but outside of the Hunter's Nightmare.
Oh no my phone is on 3% battery and Sideways just uploaded. Where's my darn charger when I need it.
It's where you left it last.
TootTootMcbumbersnazzle Yeah, that's not gonna happen with my phone that I've pretty much killed the battery of. "Hey listen a leitmotif!" *runs away*
how are you commenting
Ludwig Van Mozart I obviously found my charger.
Ludwig Van Mozart
You two are still alive?
"I would set my piano on fire to look at the score"😂 Samee this film score is soooo amazing
Watching this made me realize that my favorite anime film does have a leitmotif for the main characters. (And other ones for different elements of the story-the Forest, neutral city, the past, the military.) It’s called Origin:spirits of the past(also known as Giniro no kami no agito) and the score in this movie is amazing. I wish I had the knowledge to study it and find all the secrets because it’s just such gorgeous music. The opening theme sung by KOKIA makes me wonder just how many notes in that song I hallucinate while listening. It’s wild.
I knew the theme was all over in Super Mario Bros, but I never realized the ghost house and castle theme were also just that
Thank you for being super into leitmotifs. And also for making me realize that I have been mispronouncing leitmotifs for the past ten years, as I'd only ever run across it in writing.
Leitmotif (with thematic transformation) had been used extensively in film music prior to Korngold by Gottfried Huppertz, who scored Metropolis, The Chronicles of the House of Gray, and (astonishingly) a two-part film version of the Ring des Nibelungen. Worth checking out if you're not familiar with them; all three have been reissued in top-notch stereo recordings.
The overall FF7 theme (mournful) gets transformed into a major theme once you get the airship, which was a nice payoff.
"Nerevar Rising" from Elder Scrolls: Morrowind shows up everywhere in Skyrim. I guess it's more of a "Prophecy hero" motif or something like that.
Better example than shovel knight: Hollow Knight.
The soundtrack literally tells you a relationship between two characters (specifically one is another's parent) by having you pick up parts of one's leitmotif in the other's bossfight music. It's not just using thematic transformation to say what's happening on screen that moment, it's using it to add to the story in a nuanced and intricate way.
I will say, P5 isn't something I'd single out for this because, while some elements are frustratingly static, the music that does change tends to pull and transform elements from other music to convey relationships.
I know this is an old video but The Adventures of Robin Hood has one of my favorite film scores of all time so I was super excited to see you analyzed it.
Hey Sideways. Your stuff is awesome, wish you'd come back.
I know all of the Internet knows by now that the music of King's Row is Star Wars, but the beginning sounds a lot like Hook (Williams also).
So glad you used Robin Hood to make your point here - this is one of my FAVOURITE films of all time. Loved it as a child, love it now as an adult. Partly why I love film music as much as I do as well
17:15 this one is so obvious the scene might as well be:
Plague knight: What? SHOVEL KNIGHT!?
chorus: SHOVEL KNIIIGHT! SHOVEL KNIIIGHT! *SHOVEL KNIIIIGHT!!!* *SHO-*
Until seeing the clips of Adventures of Robin Hood in this, I didn't realize how directly the Disney movie was referencing those character designs. Neat!
I'd love to see your take on the music of the more recent Fire Emblem games, Awakening and Fates, and how they transform between regular and 'battle' versions of the same track dynamically.
Awakening in particular uses multiple tracks based on the same leitmotif of the main character, and the tracks are even named accordingly.
Thanks for making these excellent videos!
PLEASE COME BACK, you are an incredible force for good
This guy sounds like dipper from gravityfalls but just grown up.
69th like:D
Hell yeah, Shovel Knight! I got this massive grin when you brought it up because it truly has one of the best soundtracks in any game to release in the last decade. It's such a joy for the ears to play a game that really caters that much to the music nerd in me.
Loved the video as always, dude. You're quickly becoming one of my favorite channels to see in my subscriptions.
So did that song inspire John Williams for Star Wars when Luke and Han get their medals at that ceremony?
Jacob S-H it's the first few notes exactly from the main theme (or Luke's theme)
This channel needs to be in the millions
So confusing for me as a German to hear and read "leitmotif". Like, we have the same word, but written different (Leitmotiv).
But it's not as confusing as the use of "Ersatz", which in German means (something that can be used as) a replacement, like a spare wheel or a second pair of shoes. Language is fascinating.
This is the best adventure film ever made by hollywood the perfect cast, a perfect script & as you show it has a perfect music score, the music lift your spirits as your watching the film....
Imagine Dipper is talking
This is one of my childhood films! I haven't watching it since...becoming a teenager? It's so cool listening to the music again and hearing it explained. I remember having strong reactions to certain parts as a little one curled up on the couch, watching with my dad.
I would love to see something about Battlestar Glactica from you. Bear McCreary did some spectacular music for that show but I'm not smart enough to pick it all apart like this and I bet he did a lot more with that score than I managed to figure out. I would even be willing to bet that the shows gravitas and profoundness came as much from McCreary as it did from the acting and writing.
I second this notion 😲
Did a piece from Korngold for one of my college recitals, loved researching him and his work
Sideways, keep up this amazing work! I've watched all your videos and they have inspired me so much. Thank you so much!
Because of this channel I finally understand why jazz and film scores are my favorite genres. Well jazz because it's fun to play, but scores tell a story. I guess good jazz does too, but scores are sometimes more complex than the films that they are made for.
The only question that remains is...
WHY DOESN'T THE BATTLE THEME CHANGE?
I legitimately think you might love Homestuck. So many amazing musical choices with a lot of the subtleties you talk about on this channel, leitmotif more than any other.
Why are Robin Hood named Robin?
Beacuse he is robin the king.
ToonsOff Fun gg
So you're saying a remake with black characters isn't going to happen anytime soon, since robin da hood would hit too close to home?
Robin Hood originates in High Medieval English folklore, so it's probably impossible to tell exactly what the original reason for his name is. One suggestion I've heard is that he may originally have been considered a trickster fairy like Puck, who was later turned into a human outlaw, and Robin was a common name for such fairies.
djaevlenselv Robin is related to Robert and Rupert
Georgina Hunt That doesn't seem in any way a response to what I said. Where did you get the idea, that I was unsure about the etymology of the name Robin?
Sideways I've just discovered your channel and ... Oh my God I love you sooooo much for talking about this film ! I'm one of the few young adults (21) who are ABSOLUTE fans of this movie, this is one of my favorite child movies, and nobody of my age cares about it. Does another video on youtube exists about this master piece ? Nope. 'Cause 1938 isn't hot topic...
So thank you for the attention you gave to The adventures of Robin Hood
Sumer Is Icumen In is my freaking JAM
Sideways, dude, you're awesome! Your theme and variation in video games made me suddenly remember the arcade game Tron (dating myself here). It level was inspired by a different game from the film and the music was inspired by the score of the film AND used variations of the same musical ideas for different levels.
Who else is revisiting all of the sideways videos
I like how you went from talking about Robin Hood to talking about the importance of the film score. I really do
liked before I watched, I love your channel! makes me, a nerd who only really thought about a career in nuclear physics interested in maybe going into music. . . many thanks!
and having finished it, that like stays where it is!
Yeah I get you, I want to do engineering but I love music. Shame I can't do both.. probably
pizza is an international delicacy; excuse you. Sadly I'm English so I can't :'(
pizza is an international delicacy; excuse you. Hahah most of the internet is American I'm used to it and AIGHT MAN WILL DO IT JUST 4 U
These videos are so interesting. It makes me appreciate music SO much more. I just starting to learn the guitar recently (so painful but worth it) and these kind of videos make me want to work harder at learning to play better. Thanks for making these pieces of art!
Would you ever consider doing a video on the music in any of the Studio Ghibli films? That would be awesome!
He kind of did. If you haven't seen it in the past 4 years or so (going off when the comment says it was posted today in the year of 2021) please feel free to look it up on the channel now.
I also really love Korngold's music for "The Sea Hawk." That score is one of my all time favorite film scores.
I totally agree about Korngold's music in The Seahawk. If I had to choose the film with the best music composed for the screen I would definitely choose The Seahawk.
Do you have any thoughts about the music in Cowboy Bebop?
Holy wow thank you for this video. I love Erich Korngold and I love The Adventures of Robin Hood and I've never heard another person analyze them. Wonderful video!
Super Mario World's cave levels also has that musical idea...
Dawson Jacques
14:40
It is useless to bring up a point that was already addressed in the video.
I kept waiting for that very different dunnadunnadunna!!
This is exactly why, in one of my game worlds, I want to have every section of the eight-part world use the same theme, but with different instruments and counter melodies.
For example, the water area would use harps and dripping, while the ice area would use crystalline chimes.
Super cool!
"Undertale" does that quite amazingly too. And it was the first time a score has drawn my attention to a game more than anything else.
The Adventures of Robin Hood to this day is still hands down the best Robin Hood film!
I think shovel knight is the best soundtrack I have ever heard
Holy shit Sideways.
Every video, you open me up to new ways to see music and teach me many things I didn't know.
Your videos are absolutely amazing.
Uhm, I don't know if you noticed, but your Patreon link in the description is just the link to the Patreon home page...
Oh, man now that you point that out, I can't help put notice it.
Sensational he fixed it
Fixed it without even giving thanks to Sensational. Wow - This guy's pretty bigheaded.
hikipikisiki
this guy is not entitled to props.
sideways would've done it sooner or later.
hikipikisiki it's possible he wasn't the first to point it out, it's also possible Sideways fixed it without it being pointed out.
Just watched the adventures of Robin Hood a month ago in cinema class and I hadn't even noticed the complexity of the music, I feel like I can appreciate the film more now
would you consider making an episode on the music and themes in the Pokemon games?
Archana Ravi or Kingdom, Hearts
Or Darksouls :D
Lord Morgon Yes!
Yeah, like no one really did put the music in perspective then it comes to the lore. But that's something entirely different than what sideways does.
Still I wonder if he can find a overarching theme or even a Leitmotiv, but it's all separate tracks so probably not :P
Yes please!
4:26 this conductor is having WAY too much fun, and i love it
DUDE I LOVE YOUR VIDEOS! I GRADUATE TODAY AND I'M HAVING A SHITTY DAY BUT YOUR VIDEO IS MAKING EMAIL FEEL BETTER! 😁😭
That first piece at 0:45 made me think of at least 4 films. The beginning felt like the beginning of the Mission Impossible theme, the glissando was every romantic Disney moment from Cinderella, then we had Star Wars and Superman. Not to mention the timpani roll which starts off all music on award shows to signal people to wrap it up and get the hell off stage.
This comment is off-topic, but does anyone have some female film composers that they would recommend? I've just realized how I love listening to film soundtracks, but I do not really know (m)any female composers. It is not an important request, but I appreciate any recommendations.
Not important?! Awareness is paramount in fixing up this big problem in the film music scene. Check out Debbie Wiseman, Yoko Kanno, Michiru Oshima, Yoko Shimomura, Jane Antonia Cornish, Jessica Curry and Rachel Portman. They are all capable of standing on equal grounds with their male counterparts.
Thank you for the recommendations! I am not familiar with any of them except for Yoko Kanno's beautiful work on the animated series Cowboy Bebop and I actually think I have seen Rachel Portman's name on a rom-com film before. It is always a pleasure to become a little bit more knowledgeable. :)
She isn't a film composer, but I would recommend the works of Michiru Yamane if you enjoy listening to video game soundtracks. Her work in the Castlevania series is legendary, and she also composed some fantastic songs for Skullgirls.
If you like Yoko Kanno, try Yuki Kajiura. She's pretty prolific and recognisable in the anime world. The Madoka Magica ost is a good place to start.
ElectronicSiliviy she did Fate/Zero as well, right?
WOW! Every video I watch gives me an entirely new perspective on movies. I find myself re-watching movies and focusing on the music and how it accompanies the narrative as a whole. I'm so glad that I have found your channel to give me this new perspective.
Thank you!
So... Have you seen that video by Every Frame a Painting commenting on the Marvel soundtrack and videos reacting to that.
I think that shows a good general picture on how motifs are just going down the drainpipe.
True. It's frustrating that Marvel isn't putting much focus into this, because leitmotifs and superheroes suit each other perfectly. I mean, superheroes are, by their very nature, iconic. Many of them have their own symbol plastered onto their chest. So if a composer, or a director or a studio, were to put in the effort, a well-used leitmotif could become as iconic as the hero's symbol. The John Williams Superman theme is a pretty good example.
On a brighter note, have you seen the Flash TV show? They're doing a decent job with their motif.
+Tauron Mitronion
I really think Marvel is hiring the wrong people at this point.
Age of Ultron actually has returning leitmotifs. I remember there's use of both the Avengers theme established in the first Avengers movie and a theme from Iron Man 3 representing Iron Man.
But they got Danny Elfman for that movie who is of course a great composer.
Now we have the Russo's hiring Henry Jackman who has just thrown everything in the bin.
That was true. AoU, though, was a collab between Danny Elfman, who as you said is a great composer, and Brian Tyler, who in my opinion is not so great. A lot of those leitmotifs (Iron Man's and Thor's, to be specific) were composed by him in the first place, but... I don't know, I'm just not a fan. I feel like Tyler's music tends to be big and bombastic without much heart, if that makes any sense.
However, there is hope. The Russos are bringing back Alan Silvestri, who did Captain America: The First Avenger and The Avengers, for Infinity War. Plus, Michael Giacchino did some great work for Doctor Strange and he's doing Spider-Man: Homecoming, so maybe we can get some really good scores in the future.
+Tauron Mitronion
The reason why I brought up Danny Elfman is because he was the only composer new to the franchise and had respect for other motifs. There's several motifs coming from different composers in that movie.
"The Russos are bringing back Alan Silvestri" I doubt it was their choice but I'm nonetheless happy for it. Although I'd be a lot happier with a different director and writers.
I'm actually not a fan of Michael Giacchino. Although he does use motifs it's often like one per movie, which gets somewhat dull. Next to that I actively disliked his dawn of the planet of the apes soundtrack. There might be some personal bias in there though. He has been the main Pixar composer but I just prefer whatever Thomas Newman has done for them by such a distance...
Maybe it comes down to personal preference. I've never heard Planet of the Apes but I really like Giacchino's Pixar work. Ratatouille, in particular, has some great examples of what Sideways described in this video.
One thing I'm a bit bummed about is that we haven't gotten a chance to see Patrick Doyle's themes for Thor in any MCU movies since the first one. I prefer Doyle's to Tyler's. Your thoughts on this?
richard lionheart was held captive in austria and I like the thought that they also got an austrian composer to do the score
would only be better if the composer would have been living close to where lionheart was held captive or if he was to compose the score in the ruins
this is the same issue i have with starkid's "firebringer" musical. its a great show, but they play bits and pieces from jemilla's lament whenever something sad happens, and its a little confusing. i felt like it should be reserved, since the song is literally titled "jemillas lament", for when jemilla is lamenting, or when something happens that threatens her role as tribe leader in general. in my opinion, it makes the impact of jemilla's lament so much weaker when its just the musical's established "sad set of notes".
you're a champion for these videos man. the effort and the analysis is gold standard, thank you
Fantastic video as always. With regards to what you said about the music in Naruto though, that is a matter that a lot of anime simply deal with, regardless of the episode count, surprisingly.
From a simple writing perspective, most anime composers I've seen tend to create a library of pieces, and then those works are edited in later to fit the scenes at hand. Few shows are directly scored to picture, with some of composer Hideyuki Fukasawa's writing being an exception (I've spent a considerable amount of spare time detailing his efforts, in fact).
It might be worth looking into doing a video on how scoring to picture actually works, as well as explaining the use and importance of sound libraries and stock music.
The Korngold violin concerto is my favourite piece of classical music ever!