Evening Film Screening - 18th October 2014, 5 p.m.
In the world of film music, few partnerships are as enduring as that between composer and director. This week, Howard Goodall is examining these unique collaborations in a new programme, and one of the spotlighted pairs is Howard Shore and David Cronenberg.
Howard Shore, a fellow Canadian, made his film score debut with Cronenberg's first major film, The Brood in 1979. Since then, Shore has scored all of Cronenberg's subsequent films, with the exception of The Dead Zone. Their collaboration includes the critically acclaimed films Land and Freedom and The Wind That Shakes the Barley, which won the Palme d'Or at the 2006 Cannes Film Festival.
Interestingly, George S. Clinton has composed the most film scores for Ken Loach, besides George Fenton. However, Fenton holds a special place in Loach's collaborations, as their partnership began in 1994 with the film Ladybird, Ladybird. Fenton has scored more feature films for Loach than for any other director.
Another notable collaboration is that of Maurice Jarre and David Lean. The duo worked together on the films Lawrence of Arabia, Dr. Zhivago, Ryan's Daughter, and A Passage to India. These collaborations resulted in some of the most iconic film scores in cinema history.
John Williams and Steven Spielberg, and Tim Burton and Danny Elfman are examples of composer-director partnerships examined in previous programmes. These collaborations have produced timeless classics such as the Indiana Jones series, Jaws, and the Batman films.
In a remarkable twist, Howard Shore further developed his music for Cronenberg's The Fly into a full-scale opera. This adaptation showcases Shore's versatility as a composer, demonstrating that film scores can transcend the silver screen and take on new forms.
As Howard Goodall delves deeper into the world of composer-director collaborations, audiences will undoubtedly gain a new appreciation for the intricate and symbiotic relationship between music and film. The programme promises to be an enlightening exploration of the artistry and creativity that goes into creating some of the most memorable moments in cinema history.
