And, Speaking of Film Scores

You know you're a composer nerd when you read more articles about the film scores than reviews of the actual films. How did this happen? I don't know how this started. I may have first read a review of "Inception" in the New Yorker, in which David Denvy states: "[Christopher] Nolan gives us dreams within dreams (people dream that they’re dreaming); he also stages action within different levels of dreaming—deep, deeper, and deepest, with matching physical movements played out at each level—all of it cut together with trombone-heavy music by Hans Zimmer, which pounds us into near-deafness, if not quite submission."

Ha! Of course, you think, it's Hans Zimmer, for crying out loud. But, see, this time around he does something clever with those trombones.

Inception soundtrack created entirely from Edith Pilaf Song
Summer movie review: Inception
Hans Zimmer Extracts the Secrets of 'Inception' Score

Oh, and here's the YouTube video that showcases the sampling. You may not recognize the sampling process, but that's because Hans Zimmer likes his trombones, and when he adds his trombones, the score may sound like any other Hans Zimmer score. Granted, I wouldn't know because I stopped listening years ago.

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A week ago I thought I'd see something other than a summer blockbuster and turned to the pretentious art-house foreign drama genre. This would be a change of pace, I thought, for the only actor's name I recognized was Tilda Swinton's. It wasn't until my love pointed out that one of my composition professors was at the same showing of "Io sono l'amore"* that I realized in horror that I picked this film because (gasp!) selections of John Adams's music were used throughout the film.

John Adams lends his music to 'I Am Love,' starring Tilda Swinton
You'll Love This

I should clarify: John Adams's "The Chairman Dances (Foxtrot for Orchestra)" was used throughout the film. So, while I was watching this:



All I could think of was this:



And, what's with the blaring brass music at the end? I have a feeling I need to be Italian to understand this film.

Anyway, if you need another John Adams fix, click here.

[*The reason why I chose to use the official Italian title for this film is because the English translation, for lack of a better word, is stupid. As my love pointed out, the words "I am" rarely work in a title, unless you are authoring a book entitled, I Am America (And So Can You!).]