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The Best Music in Film
Klive Humberstone
(Part of Sheffield based band 'In The Nursery'. Started the 'Optical Music Series' to compose scores to silent movies)
- S&S: What is your favourite film soundtrack music and why do you like it so much?
- "When asked this question, my mind always goes back to my first viewing of Wim Wenders Wings of Desire (1987). The images and the music merged effortlessly - both complimenting each other. The music in the film is by Jürgen Kneiper - I don't know any other works that he has done - but the music in Wings of Desire beautifully evokes the spirit and mood of the tortured mortals and sombre angels within the films storyline."
- S&S: In what ways does music best enhance a film?
- "The film experience should imitate in some way the dimensions of subjective reality: the symbolic, the real and the imaginary. The method by which this is done involves very heavily the use of film music. The best test of a good soundtrack is when you are unaware of the music and what it is doing to your senses. When we watch a film and music cascades from the speaker, it remains, largely, unnoticed in the way that a "normal" musical experience, such as might be had in a concert, is noticed and enjoyed. In a very necessary way, the film music becomes submerged, producing a field of effects, not the least of which is our enjoyable immersion in the movie. That in essence is good soundtrack composition."
- S&S: Which film either has music that you wished you'd written or is one you would like to rescore and why?
- "There is still scope to bring something new and exciting to Fritz Lang's Metropolis (1926). Obviously the film has had numerous soundtracks written over the years - and it is hard to mention the film without referencing Giorgio Moroder's rock pastiche soundtrack that does nothing to enhance the futuristic imagery."