While I enjoy Clemmensen's writing ability...a certain facet of this review has severely shaken my confidence in his competence as a reviewer. I was liking this review for its fairness until the part about the three themes...I was expecting him to say the third theme was the Cure theme, which obviously it should be...but what do I read instead?

All the other reviews I've read of this score were quick to point out that the Barry-like string writing in "The Funeral" and the beginning of the final cue are a clever adaption of the title theme. Did Clemmensen not even realize this?

That said, I'm very thankful he was fair to Powell...

> While I enjoy Clemmensen's writing ability...a certain facet of this
> review has severely shaken my confidence in his competence as a reviewer.
> I was liking this review for its fairness until the part about the three
> themes...I was expecting him to say the third theme was the Cure theme,
> which obviously it should be...but what do I read instead?

> All the other reviews I've read of this score were quick to point out that
> the Barry-like string writing in "The Funeral" and the beginning
> of the final cue are a clever adaption of the title theme. Did Clemmensen
> not even realize this?

I've read three reviews that missed this. Including Broxton.

It speaks to the complexity of the score.

You have to really dig into this score to hear everything.

Actually Mike brennan wrote:

"One of the best uses of the theme, however, is not in its triumphant form, but its restrained form in "The Funeral"."

> Actually Mike brennan wrote:

> "One of the best uses of the theme, however, is not in its triumphant
> form, but its restrained form in "The Funeral"."

Where's the analysis about the 'cure' theme that they're talking about?

Godwasser would be disappointed in you.

> Where's the analysis about the 'cure' theme that they're talking about?

> Godwasser would be disappointed in you.

I wasn't so much referring to the lack of discussion of the cure theme. Just that he missed the fact that what he calls two separate themes are in fact variations on the same theme. I expected more from such a high-profile reviewer who obviously is quite intelligent.

As for the cure theme, while its nice, its really once of the least interesting things about X3...

> I've read three reviews that missed this. Including Broxton.
> It speaks to the complexity of the score.

It's hardly an error. It's six notes, played extremely fast in the main title, extremely slow in 'The Funeral', surrounded by all manner of string ostinatos in the main title, playing on just strings and with a brief bridge in 'The Funeral'. The six notes ARE the same, but are played so differently as to make them virtually separate entities. I think it's more a case of one being an extrapolation of the other rather than them being the same theme played differently.

> It's hardly an error. It's six notes, played extremely fast in the main
> title, extremely slow in 'The Funeral', surrounded by all manner of string
> ostinatos in the main title, playing on just strings and with a brief
> bridge in 'The Funeral'. The six notes ARE the same, but are played so
> differently as to make them virtually separate entities. I think it's more
> a case of one being an extrapolation of the other rather than them being
> the same theme played differently.

Uhm, sorry? This bull[bleep!] (sorry...)
The dramatic string theme IS the same theme as the militaristic main title theme, this is the whole point of leitmotivic theme writing. There are far more subtle applications of this out there, but int this score it's right in your face... I can understand missing it at first, but to defend this position seems very strange to me... no offense, but if you consider THIS two different themes, then Star Wars doesn not have just one force theme, but more like 10 or 20...

Chris

> While I enjoy Clemmensen's writing ability...a certain facet of this
> review has severely shaken my confidence in his competence as a reviewer.
> I was liking this review for its fairness until the part about the three
> themes...I was expecting him to say the third theme was the Cure theme,
> which obviously it should be...but what do I read instead?

> All the other reviews I've read of this score were quick to point out that
> the Barry-like string writing in "The Funeral" and the beginning
> of the final cue are a clever adaption of the title theme. Did Clemmensen
> not even realize this?

> That said, I'm very thankful he was fair to Powell...

yeah, i just read the review and was just about to post the same thing about his so called 'three themes'. i was going to point out the 'angel' theme as the third though, since i don't remember the 'cure' theme. but yeah, the main theme is clearly used as both the action theme and in the dramatic music. i thought that was weird they he didn't mention that.

> yeah, i just read the review and was just about to post the same thing
> about his so called 'three themes'. i was going to point out the 'angel'
> theme as the third though, since i don't remember the 'cure' theme. but
> yeah, the main theme is clearly used as both the action theme and in the
> dramatic music. i thought that was weird they he didn't mention that.

you are absolutely right, he has done this before, while he was "reviewing" the pirates of the Caribbean score, he completely missed the fact that the Tribal war piece from Black hawk down has been orchestrated and played the exact same note for note in POC, i think this happens mostly with him bec. he concentrates more and more on what he thinks is good and bad and to tell us how to Feel towards the music, which should not be told to any one, its ur own experience, he simply gave it a 4 bec. it is his type of score, fully orchestral, loud till headaches and brassy. other than this, every other score to him is a failure, specially if its from zimmer or his collaborators, im sick of this guy and his reviews.

> you are absolutely right, he has done this before, while he was
> "reviewing" the pirates of the Caribbean score, he completely
> missed the fact that the Tribal war piece from Black hawk down has been
> orchestrated and played the exact same note for note in POC, i think this
> happens mostly with him bec. he concentrates more and more on what he
> thinks is good and bad and to tell us how to Feel towards the music, which
> should not be told to any one, its ur own experience, he simply gave it a
> 4 bec. it is his type of score, fully orchestral, loud till headaches and
> brassy. other than this, every other score to him is a failure, specially
> if its from zimmer or his collaborators, im sick of this guy and his
> reviews.

How do you think one can properly review something without giving a personal experience or sharing a personal preference? It's not like he's simply going to reiterate what the music sounded like in technical terms, he's also going to share what he feels about the music. I enjoy his (sometimes frank) writing style and have purchased several scores just from reading his reviews, and have enjoyed them greatly. Your comment about him giving every other score a "fail" rating because it is not fully orchestral isn't justified. I do agree he does lean toward orchestrally created music, but that's his personal preference (and mine), which he does, rightfully, incorporate into his reviews.

I'm not sure where you come across saying all orchestral scores are loud and brassy, I can think of plently of scores that are much more subdued and fully orchestral (The Village and A Beautiful Mind to name a few).

I don't think it's fair to critize someone for a review that they wrote because it isn't what you enjoy. It's a review, or basically, an opinion...and I completely agree with him on this one, this score is excellent.