# Last samurai revisited



## dcoscina (Nov 15, 2005)

Folman's gonna love this one. I actually LIKE this score. I didn't care for it when it first came out but there's a good many cues from this score that are pretty nice. Not overly complex but they don't have to be. I particularly like "A Hard Teacher" as it features some harmonic variations on the "village theme" whilst also quoting the "Red Warrior" theme. 

When Zimmer works in pure electronics or else adds them subtelty to placid cues for atmosphere, he's great at it. The action cues still suffer from too much bombast and from the fact he's paying parts in realtime to a sequencer, something that really diminishes the kinetic edge of the action pieces (that and idiomatically playing in wind, brass or string parts from a keyboard is very difficult).

Anyhow, it's a really good score that works very well (mostly) in the film and outside the film.


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## Evan Gamble (Nov 15, 2005)

yeah ive always enjoyed it, and am lookijng forward to williams "geisha" :D


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## choc0thrax (Nov 15, 2005)

It's Zimmer's best score imo. I like the Last Samurai more than Williams Geisha. Haven't listened to Geisha much though.


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## Waywyn (Nov 16, 2005)

too sad, that the score (or at least the maintheme) is mostly damn pretty similar as the one of "Hero" or "Tiger and Dragon" ...

i can't remember which one, but when i watched the "Last Samurai" i instantly started to shake my head with a soft "oh, come on Hans ..."


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## dcoscina (Nov 16, 2005)

I would say that there are strains of Crouching Tiger or Hero in Memoirs of a Geisha but honestly, not in LAST SAMURAI. Japanese music scales and Chinese music scales are different and I'll give credit to Zimmer in that he avoided stepping into Chinese territory on LAST SAMURAI. 

I'm totally enthralled with Williams' MEMOIRS score mind you. There's some really amazing writing on it.


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## Niah (Nov 16, 2005)

I agree, King Arthur is one of the most epic scores I have heard, and the production goes way beyond than anything out there. PHAT!


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## Herman Witkam (Nov 16, 2005)

dcoscina said:


> I would say that there are strains of Crouching Tiger or Hero in Memoirs of a Geisha but honestly, not in LAST SAMURAI. Japanese music scales and Chinese music scales are different and I'll give credit to Zimmer in that he avoided stepping into Chinese territory on LAST SAMURAI.



True, but in a way it doesn't make sense at all to have a Duduk in Gladiator since it's in ancient Rome, not ancient Armenia. 

The cultural differences aren't that important anyway, since Tan Dun and other Chinese composers use Japanese instruments in Chinese settings all the time.

What Japanese and Chinese music have in common is the use of pentatonic scales and in a lot of cases Japanese instruments are derived from Chinese ones (see Shakuhachi=Xiao in China, Koto=Guzheng in China, Sho=Sheng in China).


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## paoling (Dec 15, 2005)

I agree with you dcoscina... I think the beauty of Last Samurai score is in the way it's played, by the solo instruments, like the fiddle and the cello...


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## nw01 (Dec 16, 2005)

I also have to agree on that. The soundtrack, while generally suttle and more simple, provides a necessary and delicate feel for the film. I still have it in my regular rotation along with Stargate and Kingdom of Heaven.

Nick


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## Ed (Dec 16, 2005)

Herman Witkam said:


> True, but in a way it doesn't make sense at all to have a Duduk in Gladiator since it's in ancient Rome, not ancient Armenia. .



According to an interview in SOS with HGW the Viols used for Kingdom of Heaven isnt historically correct either. He just liked the sound. :D

It was a great interview btw.


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## Herman Witkam (Dec 16, 2005)

Ed said:


> According to an interview in SOS with HGW the Viols used for Kingdom of Heaven isnt historically correct either. He just liked the sound. :D



I haven't read the interview, but viols date back to the 15th century I think. So yeah, that's long after the crusades. If I would be a real purist I would say: ditch all chords & harmonies, use only the rhythmical patterns and church scales of the late middle ages and ditch all Far-Asian instruments and electric instruments/synths 

I like to mix in instruments from lots of different cultures mostly, but once in a while it can be nice to create something that would be in the style of a certain period in history or a culture.


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## Ed (Dec 16, 2005)

Herman Witkam said:


> Ed said:
> 
> 
> > According to an interview in SOS with HGW the Viols used for Kingdom of Heaven isnt historically correct either. He just liked the sound. :D
> ...



heh.  It says he reasoned that technically the orchestra is even more incorrect for the time period, but that if he had used only instruments made back then it would "sound like a big mess on screen" (or something to that effect") :D 

Apparently he had to ship all his gear over to the Uk, hire new assistants to keep it all going, and find a place to stay! :lol:

.


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## Aksx (Mar 25, 2006)

Yeah, you are right man!


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## choc0thrax (Mar 25, 2006)

You see, if I had admin I could just ban this guy. Fools!


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## PaulR (Mar 26, 2006)

choc0thrax @ Sat Mar 25 said:


> You see, if I had admin I could just ban this guy. Fools!



If you had admin - you'd have ban yourself!


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## Herman Witkam (Mar 26, 2006)

choc0thrax @ Sun Mar 26 said:


> You see, if I had admin I could just ban this guy. Fools!



we don't want a hobo runnin' around with permissions. hobos don't know how to deal with power! :roll:


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## fitch (Mar 26, 2006)

paoling @ Thu Dec 15 said:


> I agree with you dcoscina... I think the beauty of Last Samurai score is in the way it's played, by the solo instruments, like the fiddle and the cello...



i have to agree with this too :D

the playing is beautiful .. really gorgeous solos


i love the last samurai score.


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## Remy (May 24, 2006)

choc0thrax @ Wed Nov 16 said:


> It's Zimmer's best score imo.



I disagre, imo his best score is... Black Hawk down !!! :lol: :mrgreen:

no seriously, i think its his best one also, my fav cue is the way of the sword, huge !!


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## PolarBear (May 24, 2006)

Time for Folmann to quote dcoscina a third time and give a full reply to his post again 

Zimmer put a lot of work into this score, that's for sure.


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## Herman Witkam (May 25, 2006)

PolarBear @ Thu May 25 said:


> Zimmer put a lot of work into this score, that's for sure.



Or other people put a lot of their work in his score :wink:


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## pdzl (May 25, 2006)

Folmann @ Wed Nov 16 said:


> You should also try to listen to the teaser trailer for Da Vinci code. Its so simple, but so powerful IMHO.



Where can we see this? Are there any sites with the trailer movie, if not, what about the audio?


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## choc0thrax (May 25, 2006)

Or check out the trailer music for the da vinci code videogame- http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game anyone recognize it?


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## Ed (May 25, 2006)

Folmann @ Wed Nov 16 said:


> You should also try to listen to the teaser trailer for Da Vinci code. Its so simple, but so powerful IMHO.



Are you sure its Zimmer? They did use something from immediate music in some early Da Vinci trailers.

Ed


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## pdzl (May 25, 2006)

choc0thrax @ Thu May 25 said:


> Or check out the trailer music for the da vinci code videogame- http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game anyone recognize it?



Is it the same one?


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## Remy (May 25, 2006)

choc0thrax @ Thu May 25 said:


> Or check out the trailer music for the da vinci code videogame- http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game anyone recognize it?



Its nick phoenix - dragon war, this track was part of the EWQL choir demos.  
What did i win ? :lol:


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## pdzl (May 25, 2006)

LOL. I was going to bring up that it sounded like typical storm drum and ql choir. Not my favorite of Nick's, no offense intended. I do like his qlso regular gold and platinum demos a lot though. But in this case, I thought the choir sounded like like EWQL, but I wasn't sure, and it sounded really synthy except for the faster passages.


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## choc0thrax (May 25, 2006)

Remy @ Thu May 25 said:


> choc0thrax @ Thu May 25 said:
> 
> 
> > Or check out the trailer music for the da vinci code videogame- http://www.gametrailers.com/player.php? ... mv&pl=game anyone recognize it?
> ...



My friendship, the ultimate prize.


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## Remy (May 25, 2006)

hehehe...


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