This Composer Pens Blockbuster Films and Classical Concertos (ft. James Newton Howard, 3 of 3)

[@ericleiter6179]

The sextet was a lot of fun...sort of like neo-classical Stravinsky meets somebody like Reich...but it sure stays in your head either way!!! It must make you feel good Saad to know you have the respect and even admiration of all these composers-from the various avenues of our craft-that you are able to interview for your channel...I mean, more often than not, they are asking about your process!!!

[@saadhaddadmusic]

I’m glad you liked his sextet - very unexpected! Well I’m very lucky to be doing things besides composing music. I’ve known JNH for a long time and he was very generous to say all those things when it was in fact his music I wanted to investigate more 😅

[@albertodipriolo]

The sextet sounds great, and what a humble and nice man he is! Thanks for this interview!

[@saadhaddadmusic]

really tightly knit, reminds me of his Hilary Hahn encore piece he did for her a few years ago which we didn't get to -- glad you enjoyed it!

[@mattg6262]

Thanks for the score based audio quotes spliced in. It adds SO MUCH to your interviews

[@saadhaddadmusic]

Absolutely most of the shows in the last 6 months I’ve been doing that way :)

[@mattg6262]

This kind of interview makes me want to work on my own stuff.

[@saadhaddadmusic]

Do it :)

[@EFlexMusic]

Great Interview! I'm wondering, is his score for "I would plant a tree" available anywhere to study?

[@saadhaddadmusic]

From what I understand I don’t believe it is published but I could be wrong? Thank you for your kind words about the show!

[@soundtreks]

BTW- that Janacek Sinfonietta was cribbed by Keith Emerson on "Knife Edge" on the ELP debut album.

[@TomStrahle]

Great interview Saad. I would love to work with James someday. Subscribed. And I'm starting to work my way through your music as well. Stunning so far.

[@saadhaddadmusic]

I’m hoping to do more of these, I’m glad you liked it! Are you a USC alum by the way?? It looks like you are from your videos - fight on!

[@TomStrahle]

@@saadhaddadmusic No our second son got his Masters in Mechanical Engineering there, he chose a real career. Haha. I did teach a clinic there once on of all things contemporary worship leading, I was asked by Dean Cutietta to create a Master's Degree there in it. But it wasn't to be. I work with a lot of composers on films and games. And write music myself. You are very talented.

[@TomStrahle]

@@saadhaddadmusic Maybe see if you can interview JAC Redford at some point I think you two would really hit it off.

[@soundtreks]

Excellent interview. JN Howard is one of the most intellectual composers working. HIs Falling Down can probably called one of the most accurate post modern scores anyone has written.

[@saadhaddadmusic]

Thanks so much. Wow, I didn't know that score? Although to be very honest, he has so many great interviews for his film scores, I wanted to give this "interview" a different angle featuring his concert music scores. I wonder how much Falling Down reflects his concert music. I should have heard it so I could have asked!

[@soundtreks]

@@saadhaddadmusic he uses some terrific modern effects like clusters, quarter tone gliss in the horns, but marries them to aspects of pop music (distorted guitar, congas). I do think the impact of Elliot Goldenthal on film music in the 90s that informed or inspired contemporaries cannot be understated. Things like Demolition Man definitely did.

[@saadhaddadmusic]

@@soundtreks you are a lot more informed on film music than I am -- a lot of gems I didn't know (!) -- In Goldenthal's "Frida" there is a moment where I heard an overtone chord with the slightly flatted 7th partial and I nearly lost my mind. I love when those worlds cross over.

[@soundtreks]

@@saadhaddadmusic Goldenthal was a student of Corigliano (like yourself) and he brought a lot of East coast concert world sensibilities the the film score world in the 90s. Titus, Alien3, HEAT, just to name a few real gems.

[@saadhaddadmusic]

@@soundtreks not sure if you can see this link but if not Google Patrick O Malley goldenthal. You’ll find his dissertation on Goldenthal’s polystylism if you’re into that sort of thing: static1.squarespace.com/static/58543f42d1758ecc8926e7c5/t/63e07a1d8bf792078c783137/1675655712925/The+Use+of+Polystylism+and+Recontextualisation+in+the+Music+of+Elliot+Goldenthal.pdf