Transcript Danny Elfman: The Dark Composer

By Jessica Bustamante
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Well recognized musician and composer
Best known for film scores with Tim Burton
Tim Burton is a film director
who has almost exclusively
used Danny Elfman for the
music of his films
In Tim’s films, the tone is
the most important thing
that the score can do.
- Danny Elfman
Danny Elfman’s
scores for Tim Burton:
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1985
1988
1989
1990
1992
1993
1996
1999
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2001
2003
2005
2005
2010
2012
2012
2013
Charlie
The
Nightmare
and
Cholcolate
Before
Christmas
Factory
Pee-Wee’s
Edward
Alice
Planet
Batman
Frankenweenie
Dark
Sleepy
Pinocchio
Mars
Corpse
Beetlejuice
inthe
Big
Batman
of
Scissorhands
Wonderland
Big
Shadows
Attacks
Hollow
Fish
Returns
the
Bride
Adventure
???
Apes
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Born in Amarillo, Texas on May 29th, 1953
Raised in Los Angeles, California
Mother: “Blossom” Elfman
Father: Milton Elfman
Brother (older): Richard Elfman
(I) grew up in a multiethnic
neighborhood where I was the
only white Jewish kid.
- Danny Elfman
Who was he influenced by?
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Sergei Prokofiev
Igor Stravinsky
Dmitri Shostakovich
Maurice Ravel
Bela Bartok
Bernard Herrmann –
film score for The Day
the Earth Stood Still
Monsters magazines
Musical Resume
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Self-taught violinist
“Grand Magic Circus” performer
Traveled from West to East Africa
“Mystic Knights of Oingo Boingo”
performer and composer
“Oingo Boingo” singer songwriter
“Boingo” singer songwriter
Retired in 1995 to become a
full time composer (self-taught)
Not Impressed?
He also composed:
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1989
1990
1994
2004
2005
2005
2008
2011
The
Theme
Theme
American
song
song
for
Ballet
for
Cirque
Du
Soleil’s
Seranada Schizoprhenia
Desperate
Tales
Rabbit
The
Weird
from
Simpsons
and
Housewives
Science
theRogue
Crypt
Iris
Point
Pleasant
In 2003, he remarried to American film actress
Bridget Fonda and had a son, Oliver (7)
0:00
2:53
7:15
11:05
The
Brass
There
violins
plays
is only
play
the
silence,
minor
an arch
amelody
beautiful
where
of
they
break
the
theme
that and
lets
injust,
homophony
you
then
know
descend.
at
asong
The
slow
trumpets
will
tempo
now transition
are playing
their
sound
softer,
come
in strong
withand
a single
noteto
before
woodwinds
resolve the song
Cymbals
crash,
creating
the visual
ofascend
contact
and
thenthe
the
music
backs
down,
opening
the
measure
forbut
thethen
violins
to hold
the beat
the brass
buildthe
tension
once more
into a very minor melody that climaxes to a very tense state
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0:12
2:56
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11:16
Violins enter
join
7:40inand
withthe
thetimpani
brass, but
playdo
a beat
so in in
a polyphonic
the background,
manner
and there is a hint of a triangle or some other chime in the background. The tempo is slow and the melody is minor; it feels sad
The
mood
is now very
dark; thefrom
brass10:56
is playing in homophony a very brood melody. The percussion introduces cymbals every quarter note and the timpani holds the beat
The same scenario
is repeated
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0:19
3:18
Xylophone
The
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melody
7:59joins
frominthe
with
beginning,
a high pitched
whichversion
is the movie’s
of the same
theme,
melody
is reintroduced
in a faster by
tempo.
a single
Theviolin
music begins to build in volume, particularly the brass and the violins.
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11:40comes back to the theme of the movie for only a moment, only to trail back into the softer melody of the “Love Theme” and then back to “the Joker’s Poem” that then tapers
The melody
The
brass
begin
pulse
thirds, which really creates dissonance as the song approaches its climax
down

slowly
0:45
3:28
intoto“Up
theinCathedral”
Xylophone
Another
chime
doubles
is introduced
the tempo,
as creating
the music
tension
drifts into
and the
suspense.
“Flowers” portion of the medley, but the theme continues to be intertwined into the still minor melody
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8:15
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11:45
Snare drum
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0:53 begins a march beat with the timpani at this point while the music is building tension and climax. A triangle enters to emphasize an alarming feeling as the climax persists with the
3:49
The
quarter
notes
alone
changing
for timbre
theand
whole
orchestra
pulse
inand
homophony
just
before
thenow
brass
begin
toare
play
a super
majorinand
melody
echoed by the strings
The timpani
addition
height
violins
of ascend
the
ofplay
the
brass
climactic
towards
instruments
build
a little
leads
tension
to ain
crash
thethe
music
of tempo
the as
cymbals
the
the
is high
volume
pitched
ofto
the
and
brass
eerie.
There
the violin
is little
have
dissonance,
doubled
but
isthat
resolved
they
by
the
playing
background
a heroic
single music
note
homophy
chimes
and woodwinds
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1:00
4:19
8:37
In
A
The
new
duple
violins
set
meter,
ofascend
violins
theand
song
ascend
then
changes
indescend
beautiful
tone
the
to
harmony
melody
the style
still
into
ofin
aa marching
dissonance
more romantic
band.
withmood
The
the snare
other
of lost
drum
setlove,
of keeps
violins
perhaps
the beat
Batman
andisthe
remembering
brass are now
hisplaying
parentsthe same minor melody from before only in a faster
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12:09
tempo.
The whole

4:33orchestra plays this melody in homophony as they approach the climactic ending that returns the whole song to the beginning theme song
8:55
The music
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tempo
1:07
now
slows
become
even more
louder
as and
you stronger
can hear as
bythe
theflutes
chimes,
create
which
a pulse
seemthat
to be
is tuning
dramatic
youand
to sleep
moving
and
back
then
towards
the brass
thecomes
themeinofwith
the an
movie
ascending
that is played
urge towith
stay vigor
awake
toas
a more
they lead
escalated
to tension
toneand
Flutes
then
and
timbre
resolve
join
in with a higher pitched version of the same melody, emphasizing the dramatic feel of the music as is ascends and then descends with the brass.
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12:39
The song ends on a single note from the brass
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1:15
4:50
9:22
The brass
tempoend
chimes
returns
play
this
a major
section
to themelody
slowness
on a high
with
of
minor
the violins
beginning
note that
thatfor
leaves
feel
only
hopeful
you
onewanting
measure
and happy,
a resolution
before
but returning
as they
in the
descend
music,
to the duple
at
they
which
make
meter
point
their
of the
way
snare
march
back
drum
which
to that
and
descends
minor
timpani
chord
inbegin
contrast
in homophony
another
to the
marching
melody beat
thus far.
that trails into
silence
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1:22
5:25
Flutes is
There
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join
9:41
only
in again
silence,
playing
a beautiful
a flutter
break
of athat
descending
lets you know
melody
theinsong
the break
will now
of silence
transition
from the brass section which comes in stronger after they have finished. The snare drum has never stopped
playing
The
music
thebegins
beat. a waltz in major melody with all the instruments playing in harmony keeping a simple rhythm we are all familiar with. I believe it is in triple meter because the cymbals
emphasize
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5:29every third beat.
Chimes 1:33
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keep the beat and a woodwind enters with a minor melody in a moderate tempo. This is the “Love Theme,” and feels a little more upbeat than what we have heard before. There is not
After some
tension,
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10:12
justdissonance,
a feeling ofthe
lightness
music and
is resolved
swayingonce the brass, violins and flutes play the in harmony the same melody from the beginning of the song.
The waltz
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5:45
continues, but changes tone and volume to create a more relaxed emotion
Here an2:03
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interesting use of silence and sound is used to create what sounds like someone sneaking around and spying. It has a theatrical sound that is almost humorous
Xylophone
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10:19
can be heard softly in the background as the tension of the music builds and the volume becomes louder building towards another climax
Dissonance
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5:54arises suddenly with a minor note from the trumpets, but is resolved as soon as the waltz continues and the orchestra is playing in harmony once more ending with brass pulse
Tuba enters
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2:18 with a soft note that becomes increasingly dynamic, and once again the use of silence and sound is used on the piano, violins, woodwinds and some odd percussion like a clapper,
A snare 10:38
cymbal
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and
drum
snare
solodrum
leads to
thecreate
musicaback
musical
to avisual
dupleof
meter
sneaking
with the added touch of a high pitched, what sounds like a marimba that is energetically building suspense with the brass emphasizing
the beat
There
is only
by playing
silence,a astrong
beautiful
pulse
break that lets you know the song will now transition
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6:24
Flutes add
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2:28
10:40
in a high pitched flutter as the sneaking continues. No instrument is playing in time together, but all the instruments begin to come in and out of the context of the music
The violins
music tapers
enter with
off into
a minor
just the
pulse
violins
thatand
feelsthen
scary
the
and
brass
then
playing
the brass
in polyphony.
join in to create
The violins
more tension
create awith
different
a minor
timbre
melody
thanasbefore,
the band
creating
introduces
tension
thewith
lastthe
song
vibrations
“The Final
of Confrontation”
their strings while the
rest of
Also
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the
the
6:52
snare
music
drum
is calming
comes down
in every fourth beat creating a sense of preparing for battle
There is silence just before the timpani settles the score with a single note from what sounds like the clarinets and oboes. The trumpets join with a sounding call that feels alarming
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2:45
10:56
Xylophone
The
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percussion
7:04enters
becomes
for onemore
measure
noticeable
resolving
andthe
the
music
woodwinds
as it slows
are down
fluttering
in homophony
in and out of sections. The music is communicative of a battle as the instruments go back and forth between sound
A harp
and
silence
is introduced
from each
and
other.
the violins ascend toward the reentrance of the trumpets. All together they are creating the mystery of “The Joker’s Poem”
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February 10, 2013 from Encyclopedia.com
<<http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1G2-3444300086.html>>
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thejc.com
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<< http://burtonelfman.com/>>
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youtube.com
<< http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZc5EKWYZpY>>
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Retrieved February 10, 2013 from buzzinemusic.com
<< http://www.buzzinemusic.com/article/music-oingo-boingo-05072009>>
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<< http://www.musicvf.com/Oingo+Boingo.art>>
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filmtracks.com
<< http://www.filmtracks.com/composers/elfman.shtml>>
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‘Alice in Wonderland’.” March 9, 2010. Retrieved February 10, 2013 from
buzzinemusic.com
<< http://www.buzzinemusic.com/interviews/music-interview-danny-elfman-alice-in-wonderland-03102010>>
10. “Batman – Theme/Flowers/Love Theme/The Joker’s Poem/Up the Cathedral/Waltz to the
Death/The Final Confrontation” Retrieved February 10, 2013 from rhapsody.com
<< http://www.rhapsody.com/artist/danny-elfman/album/batman-original-motion-picture-score>>