Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 10:20 am

{Image http://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4343/img0013dk.jpg{Image http://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7481/img0014eq.jpghttp://img109.imageshack.us/img109/4343/img0013dk.jpghttp://img686.imageshack.us/img686/7481/img0014eq.jpgAbove are the top and bottom halves of my own hand-copied version of the beginningof the Main Title meant for personal research study. You can see that Smith used a prettyconventional orchestra. Herrmann, on the other hand, would predictably use a fairlyunconventional orchestra in terms of augmented instrumentation of certain instrumentalchoirs. Herrmann would certainly use more than one harp, unlike Smith. He would alsouse instrumentation that would signify (to him) a liquid sensibility to the score, and ofcourse "deepness" especially when the Nautilus is very deep underwater. I think he wouldhave augmented the brass section for sure. He would've come up with an instrument(s)that would have a special significance for the nature of the film (just as he did with theSerpent woodwind for JTTCOTE). His probable score would also not be as light orcomical as Smith's score, de-emphasizing the Whale of a Tale melody! Of course MaxSteiner would ,like Smith, emphasize it up to the mast!Time for bed._______________________________________________talkingherrmann mailing list***********************12-29-09:Talking Herrmann: 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea: Was Herrmann Considered byDisney?Reply by: Bill Wrobel ()______________________________________________________________________It's not all that risky to intelligently predict what an established composer would'vedone. After all, much of what a composer does in his busy career is habitual, and itshows in his scores if you are fortunate enough to be able to study most of them (as in thecase of Herrmann). First you get to know the general approach of a composer. In MaxSteiner's case, we all know his approach: leitmotifs for the major characters, "mickeymousing"actions, and so forth. I had already discussed Herrmann's approach in myonline essay on the matter. You cannot of course always specify the precise details ofhow Herrmann would implement his generalized style/ The theme can be expressed inany of many details in terms of choices of instruments, for instance, but one can makeeducated guesses if one studies Herrmann's scores long enough so that you get into thesubjective "feel" or world view of his approach. A composer may creatively change astandard approach for the sake of the film's subject matter. Jerry Goldsmith, for example,184