Born on 14 August 1953 in Los Angeles, California, James Horner was an American composer, conductor, and film score orchestrator. He was born to Jewish immigrants. His father was born in Holíč, immigrating to the United States in 1935 to work as a set designer and art director. His mother was born to a distinguished Canadian family. Horner began playing piano at the age of five. He studied at the Royal College of Music. When he returned to the United States in the early 1970s, he attended Verde Valley School in Arizona. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Southern California. He earned both his master’s and doctorate degrees from UCLA.
Horner began scoring student films for the American Film Institute
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This track was released in 2009 as part of the soundtrack for the film Avatar. This piece was recorded by the Hollywood Studio Symphony under the direction of James Horner. Overall, this piece is written in two parts, both parts conveying the overall feel of wonder for the listener as they watch the scene. The first part features woodwind soloists, with the strings at a mostly piano dynamic. The second part features the percussion ensemble with occasional choral elements in a forte dynamic. The piece opens with a held D from the upper strings at a mezzo piano dynamic. The solo clarinet then comes in, creating the first four bar musical theme (could you call it a motif?) At the end of the first theme, a tin whistle is heard playing an alternating 16th note triplet figure. A piano to mezzo piano cymbal roll takes the piece into the piano countermelody under the main melody as the tin whistle continues at varying intervals. The initial melody is harmonized and toward the end of the theme (Major 6ths eventually alternating between perfect fifths), then the strings come up to a mezzo forte dynamic, leading the line towards the new themes in the oboe solo and eventually flute solo. In terms of balance in this section, the strings almost always stay below the solo winds (unless they’re in unison with a repeating theme), and the tin whistle soars above the entire ensemble for the majority of the first section. The strings then lead the ensemble into the next section, shifting gears to a percussion feature. Then, there is a crescendo to a forte with the full string section, vocals, and percussion. There is then an ensemble decrescendo starting with percussion, next vocals, then strings, until all that is left is a bass-range sustained harp, piano, piano strings, and a viola solo. A high-range percussion and choral section with choir then decrescendos to
The opening theme consists of a sinister sounding, descending organ phrase made from the notes A,
Anderson had a very strong musical education. At age eleven he began piano lessons and music studies at the New England Conservatory of Music in Cambridge. At his high school graduation from the Cambridge High and Latin School, Anderson composed, orchestrated, and conducted his class song. In 1925 he entered Harvard College. While at Harvard he studied musical harmony with Walter Spalding, counterpoint with Edward Ballantine, canon and fugue with William C. Heilman, and orchestration with Edward B. Hill and Walter Piston. Between 1926 and 1929 he played trombone for the Harvard University Band. He eventually became the director of the Harvard University Band for four years. In 1929 Anderson received a B.A. magna cum laude in Music from Harvard. The magna cum laude is the next-to-highest of three special honors for grades above the average. He was also elected into Phi Beta Kappa. Anderson continued into graduate school at Harvard. In 1930, he earned an M.A. with a major in music. He began studying composition with Walter Piston and Georges Enesco; organ with Henry Gideon and double bass with Gaston Dufresne of the Boston Symphony Orchestra. As well as his studies in music, he continued for his PhD in German and Scandinavian languages. He ultimately mastered Danish, Norwegian, Icel...
Book Review of Night and Dawn "Never shall I forget that night, the first night in the camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live.
The Dying of the Light is an article by Dr. Craig Bowron that captures the controversy surrounding the role of medication in prolonging life. The author describes that many medical advancements have become a burden to particularly elderly patients who in most instances are ready to embrace the reality of death. Dr. Bowron believes that dying in these modern times has become a tiring and unnatural process. “Everyone wants to grow old and die in his or her sleep, but the truth is most of us will die in pieces,” Bowron notes (Bowron). The article does not advocate for euthanasia or the management of health care costs due to terminal or chronic illness. Bowron faults humanity for not embracing life and death with dignity as it was in the past. He blames the emergence of modern medical advances and democracy as the sole reason why everyone is pursuing immortality or prolonging of life rather than embracing the natural course of things. The article is very articulate and comes out rather persuasive to its target audience that happens to be health-conscious. Craig Bowron uses effective rhetorical strategies such as logos, ethos, and pathos to pass on his message. The article’s credibility is impeccable due to the author’s authority in health matters as he is a hospital-based internist. A better placed individual to dissect this issue by analyzing his experiences in the healthcare profession. The article incorporates a passionate delivery that appeals to the readers’ hopes, opinions, and imagination.
...e when they join in since it is the first time in the whole symphony to hear something like that. The chorus ascends against single notes played by the harp. Upper woodwinds come back as the chorus fades but comes back again and stays until the very end of the piece.
Andris Nelsons continues with a couple more pieces from him and the symphony. The piece titled “The Pines of the Villa Borghese” was performed. The melody brought images of the wizard like sounds from the magical Harry Potter. The piano and clarinet players had a lot of attention on them from the cameras. The two instruments put together a very sophisticated texture and form.
...se on both the tenor and alto flute, one an octave higher than the other. While the return of the verse and the flute’s soothing sound give this ending a vague happy feeling, the contrast between the flutes’ pitches and timbres cannot help but leave the listener with a feeling of tension and apprehension over what will ensue.
The piano plays the main themes, and it was absent from playing before. The piano plays two octaves in the treble register. There is a viola in the background playing a counter melody, which slows towards
The first movement is in sonata form - Allegro ma non troppo, un poco maestoso. Strings and horns appear from the distance as if they had been already playing out of earshot. The music gradually intensifies in volume until the final explosion into the first subject. Then this whole process is repeated. The first movement shows a contrast of emotion that seems to return in the recapitulation befor...
It has a very nice combination of the woodwind and violin. The music goes slow for first three minutes and suddenly it goes fast with the sound of violin and slows down again with the melodious sound of the flute and violin and repeats again giving the feeling of nature and after eleven minutes it is in very high notes. And again, from the 14 minutes, begins the second movement with the melodious sound of violin followed by other instruments. This part is very sad and attractive part of the orchestra too. It feels tragedy and sad music. The music is slow and in low notes. The flute in the fourteen minute is so attaching and alluring. I felt like listening to it again and again. The third movement then begins from twenty-three minute which also feels sad music. It reminds me of the good old childhood days. After the thirty minutes comes the most powerful and weighty part that is the fourth movement. It ends comfortably in F major. Among the four symphonies by Johannes Brahms, I liked the Symphony no.3. And I would like to thank Mr. Madere for giving us with such assignments which help us relax and get free from our
Also, even those music that are performed by the orchestra, it is more in atonal and really has very little harmonic and melodic effects. By creating music like this, it somehow creates the mystery feelings and that fits the whole concept since finding the Ark is a very mystery journey and everything is unpredictable and I think the music really captures
...re was very interesting transitions between the variation, for example, string section plays the variation from low to high, when they reach the highest note, the brass family takes over and continue with the scale and make it more higher. Tremolo style was used in this piece, which is a quick ups and downs stroke mode. The music were very soothing and attracted the audience. Lastly, they end the piece with the same variations that was played at the beginning.
The brass plays an ascending sequence, followed by pizzicato notes played by the strings, and an ascending and descending scale on the harp. Strings and oboe play the rhythmic melody, whilst the trumpet plays fanfares in syncopation. The oboe is then replaced by the flute. There is an ascending scale played by the strings, then the brass section repeats the string and oboe melody with cymbal crashes at cadence points. The orchestra then plays a loud melody with cymbal crashes and drum rolls. There is an interrupted cadence, followed by crescendo with cymbal crashes and a brass ostinato. The piece ends with a perfect cadence.
...chestral introduction with an imperfect cadence. A strong rhythmic ¾ allegro passage, with sequences and descending scales is played by the orchestra, with timpani and cymbals. The music modulates, and a short, quiet woodwind passage is then alternated with an orchestral passage with dotted rhythms, creating a `terraced dynamics' effect. Part B begins with a major clarinet melody accompanied by pizzicato strings. A minor flute sequence follows, and is followed by a repetition of the oboe melody. A string sequence is then played, imitated by the oboe. There is a crescendo, then the rhythmic orchestral melody returns, alternated with a short flute passage. There are suspensions, descending scales and a crescendo, followed by a strong rhythmic passage with the timpani playing on the beat. Imperfect cadences are played, before the piece finishes with a perfect cadence.
... then plays allegro passages of semi quavers, accompanied by timpani and descending scales in the woodwind. The clarinet, takes over the main melody whilst the cello accompanies with sequences. The French horn takes over the melody, accompanied by the strings. The flute briefly plays the melody before the cello plays octaves, accompanying the woodwind as they play a reprise of the DSCH theme and the timpani crashes. Repeating the themes in the first movement, the cello plays the DSCH motif followed by the "tate ta, tate ta" rhythm in the strings. The horn then plays the theme in augmentation, whilst the cello plays passages of ascending and descending scales, and the theme is heard again in the strings. The movement builds up with the motif appearing increasingly often in the woodwind and strings and climaxes with octaves by the soloist and a boom from the timpani.