# Why hasn't Don Davis, composer of the Matrix trilogy scores, done much since?



## quantum7 (Jun 12, 2015)

I've been curious for many years why Don Davis has been so quite since the Matrix trilogy was completed. Since then I believe he has only done 2 movies. Personally, I thought his scores for all three Matrix movies were fantastic.


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## pkm (Jun 13, 2015)

http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-50105


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## Dean (Jun 13, 2015)

case closed!


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## quantum7 (Jun 13, 2015)

pkm @ Sat Jun 13 said:


> http://www.wsj.com/articles/BL-SEB-50105



Thanks for that link. :D


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## Waywyn (Jun 13, 2015)

I thought he may have been sued by John Adams until the rest of his life! Just kiddin'


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## rgames (Jun 13, 2015)

I think his score for The Matrix was good but not great. However, I applaud what he was doing - building on Harmonielehre to try to move film music in a (slightly) different direction. I think he succeeded in that regard but, let's be honest, there probably aren't that many people knocking on his door looking for that kind of forward thinking in the film music world.

So opera was a logical choice.

rgames


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## RiffWraith (Jun 13, 2015)

rgames @ Sat Jun 13 said:


> there probably aren't that many people knocking on his door looking for (that kind of) forward thinking in the film music world.



How sad that is.


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## SimonCharlesHanna (Jun 13, 2015)

rgames @ Sun 14 Jun said:


> I think his score for The Matrix was good but not great. However, I applaud what he was doing - building on Harmonielehre to try to move film music in a (slightly) different direction. I think he succeeded in that regard but, let's be honest, there probably aren't that many people knocking on his door looking for that kind of forward thinking in the film music world.
> 
> So opera was a logical choice.
> 
> rgames



Could you link a track of his that sounds like Harmonielehre. I am familiar with both John Adams music and The Matrix and I cant seem to make the connection at all.


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## Mahlon (Jun 13, 2015)

His Jurassic Park 3 score is brilliant and a perfect pedigree of John Williams'.

Mahlon


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## jaeroe (Jun 13, 2015)

SimonCharlesHanna @ Sat Jun 13 said:


> rgames @ Sun 14 Jun said:
> 
> 
> > I think his score for The Matrix was good but not great. However, I applaud what he was doing - building on Harmonielehre to try to move film music in a (slightly) different direction. I think he succeeded in that regard but, let's be honest, there probably aren't that many people knocking on his door looking for that kind of forward thinking in the film music world.
> ...



I enjoy a good sense of humor


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## SimonCharlesHanna (Jun 13, 2015)

jaeroe @ Sun 14 Jun said:


> SimonCharlesHanna @ Sat Jun 13 said:
> 
> 
> > rgames @ Sun 14 Jun said:
> ...



Well im not a HUGE fan of Adams but I spent an hour last night listening to him to see if I could hear "Matrix", yet nothing sounded familiar...Unless you count brass swells.


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## Uncle Peter (Jun 19, 2015)

I had to pick apart sections of this score by ear and recreate elements of it with samples for a dance group that couldn't get the rights to the original recordings. 

I even laid down my own 'tenor' voice (multitracked) as part of a chant I had to recreate... then the publisher who asked me to do it subtracted the costs of their own soprano from my (small) fee! I couln't let it go out with the word builder/symphonic choirs thing - it didn't sound good.

Somewhere this thing gets blasted out on a nightly basis... I shudder to think :lol:


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## Prockamanisc (Jul 15, 2015)

I saw Harmonielehre 2 years ago and instantly thought of The Matrix. 
Compare 2:35 of this: 
With the opening bars of this: 
Also their use of staccato trumpets: 3:30 of the Adams and 2:50 of Davis. 
That's just what I found in 5 minutes. There's a lot more overlap between the two pieces stylistically, emotionally, and orchestrationally.


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