# Arabian Fantasy Pieces



## José Herring (Apr 24, 2007)

Three new pieces. This film was a Fantasy type piece with an Arabian Nights type flare. 

The director really wanted an in your face big orchestral raw middle eastern sound. So I listen to a lot of that stuff and the string work was really lose on top of lose rhythm beds. Lot's of parallel motion and stuff. Kind of goes against what we all learned in school. But I just went for it anyway. It's the emotion that counts in the end.

http://www.jherringmusic.com/user/Prologue.mp3 (Prologue)

http://www.jherringmusic.com/User/Finale.mp3 (Finale)

http://www.jherringmusic.com/User/Lament.mp3 (Lament)

http://www.jherringmusic.com/User/Seduction.mp3 (Seduction)


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## SvK (Apr 24, 2007)

Hi Jose,

I think you still need to find a strong Middle Eastern, lead line that stays with you..... and can serve as the basis for most cues.

Think "Khachaturian's Opera Sparticus" also "Maurice Jarre's Lawrence of Arabia." 

Those are really strong, simple String Lines that demonstrate the sweeping horizon of the desert.

I also don't understand the hymn-like use of the choirs, as that is such a staple of "Catholicism".......

ps: also unresolved parallel suspended chords in the pads give a glorious "Desert" sound .

SvK


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## José Herring (Apr 24, 2007)

I didn't score any desert scenes. 

There's a lot of angles in this film. The hymm stuff comes up with the Angeles. It all works really well with the picture.

As far as a strong middle eastern sound. It's a modern sound rather than the older sound. 300 rather than Lawrence of Arabia. The director wanted a more authentic sound. He's middle eastern and that old Hollywood stuff wasn't flying. The real middle eastern music is a lot more subtle and mythical and is wandering and vague. It's not very direct type music with strong themes. It's all in the twisting of the melodic line around a few notes. Belly dance music.

No worries man. I really didn't think the composers on this board would dig it that much. It's totally a different style than what's usually presented. Think mystic, wandering, lost and dream like heaven and hell. Enlightenment and seduction.

best,

Jose


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## SvK (Apr 24, 2007)

I understand.


I still think it needs more of a middle-eastern sound and a stronger line.

SvK


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## José Herring (Apr 24, 2007)

Dude. If this film need that, I would have written that. It didn't work! For christ sake. The temp track was Eric Serra's The Professional. Subtle string melodies.


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## SvK (Apr 24, 2007)

I think once you find ..."that line" and work it into the material above...it will be great.

ps: I just listened to some cues from "300" pretty damn weak......

You can do better than 300.

SvK


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## Ashermusic (Apr 24, 2007)

SvK @ Tue Apr 24 said:


> I understand.
> 
> 
> I still think it needs more of a middle-eastern sound and a stronger line.
> ...



How can you make a judgement on what some film music needs or does not need without seeing the film and how it works with the picture?


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## SvK (Apr 24, 2007)

Asher...that's true.........

However I'm going on "Arabic Fantasy"......to my ears regardless of whether it will be a "Modern" sound, versus a "Classic" sound

....I'm not hearing "Arabic Fantasy" yet.

best,

SvK


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## Ashermusic (Apr 24, 2007)

SvK @ Tue Apr 24 said:


> Asher...that's true.........
> 
> However I'm going on "Arabic Fantasy"......to my ears regardless of whether it will be a "Modern" sound, versus a "Classic" sound
> 
> ...



Respectfully, I think you should withold judgement on that and give Jose' the benfit of the doubt until you see the picture.


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## José Herring (Apr 24, 2007)

Mystical would have been a better description. Dramatic and Mystical and emotional. This was definitely not the Lawrence of Arabia type score.

But thank you for your opinion.


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## SvK (Apr 24, 2007)

fair enough,

Jose...


ASHER,

respectfully, allow me my opinion. The cue has been posted here. Which means criticism is to be expected.........

Jose no offense is meant (if I did not like your work I would not comment at all)

SvK


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## Ashermusic (Apr 24, 2007)

[quote="SvK @ Tue Apr 24, 2007 12:11 pm"

The cue has been posted here. Which means criticism is to be expected.........

SvK[/quote]

You know SvK that is a very good point. 

Jose', you asked for it! :wink:


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## José Herring (Apr 24, 2007)

No offense taken really. I admit I'm a little too close to this work to be biased. It happens to be one of the first films that I've ever done that I really cared about. That being the case I think I'm too close to it.

It needed to be really emotional, minor and dark and the I, iv nature of Arabia didn't work and really authentic Arabic music didn't work so we left the really authentic stuff to a few source pieces and I took care of the orchestral emotional stuff.

Every gig has it's challenges.

Jose


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## Lpp (Apr 25, 2007)

I love the choir-work on Prologue. How´s it done ? Don´t tell me these are samples... o


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## Ashermusic (Apr 26, 2007)

Scott Cairns @ Thu Apr 26 said:


> I had the pleasure of watching Jose play this music up against the picture - he did a great job IMHO. Really scored the drama of what occured from frame to frame very well indeed.
> 
> Not to mention some great orchestration tricks he was kind enough to show me. :wink:



I am not surpsised. There is no substitute for training and experience. Talent alone will not do it.

Jose' also happens to be a really nice guy to boot.


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## Christian Marcussen (Apr 26, 2007)

josejherring @ Tue Apr 24 said:


> Dude. If this film need that, I would have written that. It didn't work! For christ sake. The temp track was Eric Serra's The Professional. Subtle string melodies.



:lol: That made me laugh...

I like the mood of the music, and I can imagine it working nice to the picture. 

I just wish there was a big sweeping string line for the desert scenes! :mrgreen:


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## José Herring (Apr 26, 2007)

Thanks guys.

Yes it was a challenging project. I had to go with the raw emotion and get the most out of the samples. I had to give up what I would consider technical perfection in order to get the raw emotion of it all.

So far the reactions have been mixed. One guy saying it's the best work I've done and then another saying I've done better. Oh well, can't please everybody.


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## José Herring (Apr 26, 2007)

Lpp @ Wed Apr 25 said:


> I love the choir-work on Prologue. How´s it done ? Don´t tell me these are samples... o



Sorry I missed this.

The choir is SOV phrases. I manipulate them to fit the pitch and the timing using audio processing. I think with melodyne more could have been done to make it more my own. Can't wait to get that.

Jose


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## Patrick de Caumette (Apr 26, 2007)

Hi Jose,

I have to agree with Steven here. There are so nice atmospheres in there but it doesn't capture a middle-eastern feel. The closest it gets to it is in Seduction where the solo flute line has that flavor. But then when you play your melody, you go back to a major second, where middle eastern scales generally include a minor second.
I think using a minor 2nd would make a world of a difference throughout.
Middle eastern scales can go 1,b2,b3, 3, 4, 5, b6 , b7 or 1,b2,b3, 3, 4, 5, b6 , 7...etc

I am only commenting about this because you mentioned the director wanted a middle eastern flavor. These cues could work for many different genres though...


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## José Herring (Apr 26, 2007)

I hear what you're saying but the director was Persian and it sounded middle eastern enough for him.

Look, you can't forget that the middle east has been influenced by western music. I dropped the melodic minor feel because it was old style middle eastern. I went with a more natural minor feel. What characterizes the music these days is the kind of noodling around of a pretty indirect melodic line. The feel is more that than anything else.

To solve any argument I'll play the temp track. Just realize that I wasn't going for a belly dance feel.


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## Ashermusic (Apr 26, 2007)

josejherring @ Thu Apr 26 said:


> I hear what you're saying but the director was Persian and it sounded middle eastern enough for him.
> 
> Look, you can't forget that the middle east has been influenced by western music. I dropped the melodic minor feel because it was old style middle eastern. I went with a more natural minor feel. What characterizes the music these days is the kind of noodling around of a pretty indirect melodic line. The feel is more that than anything else.
> 
> To solve any argument I'll play the temp track. Just realize that I wasn't going for a belly dance feel.



Jose' you do not have to prove anything to these guys.The client is happy with it. You are happy with it.

Let them believe what they want to believe.


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## david robinson (Apr 26, 2007)

jose, these are very good, and to be complete, being able to see them again the visuals, is a must.
this is, after all, music for film.
best, david r.


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## Coqui (May 2, 2007)

A basic starting point for those interested in writing in arabian style: http://www.maqamworld.com


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