Music today penetrates all spheres of our life. Rather, we can say that there is no such area where the music sounds. Naturally, this fully applies to cinema. Once upon a time, the times when movies were shown only in cinemas and the pianist-illustrator complemented what was happening on the screen with his play.
Silent films were replaced by sound films, then we learned about stereo sound, and then the 3D image became common. And all this time, the music in the films was constantly present, and was a necessary element.
But moviegoers, absorbed in the plot of the film do not always think about the question: and who is doing the creation of film music. And there is an even more interesting question: if there are a lot of films, yesterday, today and tomorrow, then where can you get so much music to cover dramas, tragedies with comedies, and all other films?
About the work of cinema composers
How many movies - so much music, and you can not argue with that. So, the music needs to be composed, performed and recorded in the soundtrack of any film. But before the sound engineer starts recording sound, it’s necessary that someone compose the music. And that's exactly what film composers are doing.
Still, you need to try to determine the types of film music:
- illustrative, emphasizing events, actions, and in fact - the simplest;
- already famous, once sounded, often classic (maybe popular);
- music specially written for a particular film may include illustrative moments, individual instrumental themes and numbers, songs, etc.
But the common feature of all these types is that the music in the films does not occupy the most important place.
And so the cinema composer is forced to "be a servant" of the plot, events, heroes and all that he sees the film (and television) viewer.
These arguments were needed in order to prove and emphasize the difficulty and certain artistic dependence of the cinema composer.
And then it becomes clear the scale of talent, genius of the composer Alfred Schnittkewho managed to declare himself in full voice, first through his work as a cinema composer.
Why did Schnittka need film music?
On the one hand, the answer is simple: in the conservatory and graduate school, the training is completed (1958-61), the teaching work is not yet creativity. Nobody was in a hurry to order and perform the music of the young composer Alfred Schnittke.
Then one thing remains: to write music for films and develop their own language and style. Fortunately the need for film music is always there.
Later, the composer himself will say that starting from the beginning of the 60s he "will be forced to write film music for 20 years." This is the elementary work of the composer for "getting bread", and an excellent opportunity for research and experimentation.
Schnitke is one of the composers who managed to step beyond the framework of the filmmaker and at the same time create not only "applied" music. The reason for this - the genius of the master and a huge performance.
From 1961 to 1998 (the year of death), music was written to more than 80 films and cartoons. The genres of films with Schnittke's music are extremely diverse: from high tragedy to comedy, farce and movies about sports. The style and musical language of Schnittke in film works are extremely diverse and contrasted. Music critics will write that he (A. Schnittke) covers everything that is needed, uses everything that was invented (in music) before him.
So it turns out that Alfred Schnittke's film music is the key to understanding his music, created in serious academic genres.
About the best movies with music Schnittke
Of course, they deserve attention all, but it is difficult to tell about all, therefore - just need to name a few:
- "Commissioner" (dir. A. Askoldov) - for more than 20 years was banned for ideological reasons, but still the audience saw the film;
- "Belarus Station" - specially for the film by B. Okudzhava, a song was composed that sounds like a march (the orchestration and the rest of the music belong to A. Schnittke);
- "Sport, sport, sport" (dir. E.Klimov);
- "Uncle Vanya" (dir. A. Mikhalkov-Konchalovsky);
- "Agony" (dir. E.Klimov) - the main character - G.Rasputin;
- "White ship" - based on the story of Ch.Aitmatov;
- "Tale about how Tsar Peter arap married" (dir. A. Mitta) - based on the works of A. Pushkin about Tsar Peter;
- "Little Tragedies" (directed by M. Schweizer) - based on the works of A. Pushkin;
- "The Tale of Wanderings" (dirned by A. Mitta);
- “Dead Souls” (directed by M. Schweizer) - besides the music for the film, there is also a “Gogol Suite” for the play “Tagliza” in Taganka;
- "The Master and Margarita" (dir. J. Kara) - the fate of the film and the path to the audience were difficult and controversial, but the film version on the web can be found today.
Titles give an idea of the themes and subjects. More astute readers will pay attention to the names of the directors, among them many well-known and significant ones.
And there is also music for cartoons, such as "Glass Harmonica", where, through the children's genre and music by A. Schnittke, director A. Khrzhanovsky begins a conversation about the masterpieces of the visual arts.
But his friends will say the best about film music A. Schnittke: directors, performers, composers.
On the national origin in Schnittke music and polystylistics
This is usually associated with nationality, family traditions, a sense of belonging to a particular spiritual culture.
The German, Jewish and Russian beginnings merged together in Schnittke. It is difficult, it is unusual, it is unusual, but at the same time it is simple and talented, how can this “fuse” together a brilliant creator-musician.
Term poly (poly) - translated as lot. With reference to Schnittke's music, this means that a variety of styles, genres and trends are reflected and shown: classical, avant-garde, ancient chorals and spiritual chants, everyday waltzes, polkas, marches, songs, guitar music, jazz, etc.
The composer used the techniques of polystylistics and collage, as well as a kind of "instrumental theater" (specificity and vividly defined timbres). Accurate sound balance and logical drama gives the target orientation and organizes the development of extremely variegated material, distinguishing between genuine and entourage, and ultimately asserting a high positive ideal.
About the main and important
We formulate ideas:
- through the film-event, the film-allegory, the music of Alfred Schnittke makes one think about the important, the main thing in the life of an individual, society, nation, of all mankind;
- Schnittke once said that music is "overheard cries of time." And it does not matter at all about what is said. It is much more important that the Master understands, explains and translates the "shouts, howls, words and whispers" of his contemporaries into musical sounds. So, contemporaries and descendants will hear what sounded in our souls;
- Schnittke talks to his listener in the language of music about important things. But this language must be learned to understand, only then will the understanding of the thoughts of the composer come;
- Schnittke film music - can help in understanding, because there is a video series, because to listen and watch at the same time is a little bit easier.
And then - a meeting with the music of Alfred Schnittke, the genius of the 2nd half of the 20th century. No one promises that it will be easy, but it is necessary to find a person in yourself in order to understand what should be the main thing in life.
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