MovieChat Forums > The Snowman (1984) Discussion > Beautiful Score

Beautiful Score

posted 17 years ago by sherlock-37
16 replies | jump to latest

This score has been beautifully written, and the tune captures the mood of the film completely. This is a fantastic marriage of sound and images. Great way the composer turns the tune in the minor into the major to lighten the mood. Spooky music even, when they go into the dark forest and find out it's a snowmen's party. At the end when the boy finds the snowman melted, the reduced scoring to just the piano is a stroke of genius. Then the strings come in to warm it up. This is a class act all the way. Beautifully played and sung. Superb.

The composer must have really been inspired by the film. Or did he just grab it out of his filing cabinet from all his other brilliant stuff? Anyone know? Where'd a thing like that come from?

The music also reminds me of the music in an Italian film about a boy who starts out watching movies from the projection booth and then becomes a director as a grows up. Forget the name of the movie but it was a hit about 10 years ago? Great music in that, and similar to the music of this movie. Can't remember the name of the composer, but he's a big gun.

The composer of this score also wrote some of the music to the Avenger series. That has a terrific theme and music. Great series as well.

Doug
Toronto

[–] angelfish81 17 years ago

The music also reminds me of the music in an Italian film about a boy who starts out watching movies from the projection booth and then becomes a director as a grows up. Forget the name of the movie but it was a hit about 10 years ago?

Cinema Paradiso? http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0095765/

[–] sherlock-37 17 years ago

That's it. Cinema Paradiso. Great score also. It came out after Snowman.

Also in the Snowman score, when the boy and snowman are running, ready to take to flight, there are several upward sweeps of the strings that sounds like Stravinsky's Firebird Suite, towards the end, near the big finale. In Snowman the gesture ends with tremolo in the strings which fades as the melody comes in. Great scoring. That's how it's done.

Doug
Toronto

[–] Xcalat3 17 years ago

very nice score indeed

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[–] nickersonpower 17 years ago

Apparently the composer had already composed the music years before he was asked to do the film (since the lyrics of "Walking in the Air" don't have much to do with the story directly).

[–] sherlock-37 17 years ago

Didn't know that. That's interesting. Bet he composed a lot of great music. Still fits very well.

Doug
Toronto

[–] loco_mixer 16 years ago

What are you talking about? Walking in the air was written especially fot this movie.
And the lyrics don`t have much to do with the story? Are we talking about the same song here?

[–] overseer-3 16 years ago

Maybe they think the lyrics should have been "I'm Flying In The Air". lol!

[–] nickersonpower 16 years ago

I have the special edition DVD and there is a documentary on it. Howard Blake said he wrote the tune of "Walking in the Air" on a beach in the 70s. I think he wrote the lyrics for the film. "Walking in the Air" isn't specific to a flying snowman, is it?

[–] Woodyanders 15 years ago

I agree. Howard Blake's lovely and melodic score was indeed superb.

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[–] buxtehude99 15 years ago

Do not play the score while driving! It makes it difficult to see through the tears, and other drivers will notice you smiling and crying at the same time.

[–] nerdgurl89 15 years ago

I was listening to a CD of mine by the Chicago Symphony, and one of the pieces on there sounds exactly like the piece played when the snowmen are dancing at the north pole. It's the Concerto No. 3 in E Flat major for Horn & Orchestra, K. 447 - III. Allegro by Mozart.
Well maybe I'm exaggerating, but the main theme sounds like it. It's the first thing I think about when I hear it.
If there's anyone out there with this same CD (The Chicago Principal), I'd appreciate it if I could know I'm not crazy for thinking this!

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[–] sherlock-37 14 years ago

Is that the famous horn concerto? Did he write more than one? I seem to remember a slow movement and maybe that's where the resemblance is.

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[–] 14 years ago

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[–] TheLittleSongbird 13 years ago

I agree. The music to this treasure is gorgeous. I agree with what you've said, and also I love the tarantella-like music playing during the motorcycle ride.

"Life after death is as improbable as sex after marriage"- Madeline Kahn(CLUE, 1985)

[–] yogi115 9 years ago

George Winston has done a very lovely extended version of "Walking in the Air" makes me cry every time I listen to it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=KNGZTKPnJDw

[–] 9 years ago

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