I mentioned the film "Night Tide" on a separate thread before, but it is worth mentioning again since David Raksin does the exact opposite of what has been criticized on this forum. He does not use a huge orchestra smeared over a three staff pianistic score, but instead does precise, intricate writing for a small, chamber-like ensemble. And with this tiny orchestra he creates a romance, a portrait of the sea and a psychological horror story. He doesn't need the "Hollywood Sound."
He has only a few strings, solo horn, a few prominent woodwinds - bassoon, english horn (used a lot in the low range), piccolo playing hornpipe-like motifs, some very ethereal bells (boat bells and some tuned high plate bells). It is a brilliant piece of writing that adds immeasureably to the film and shows how this composer - used to working on big productions - could not only adapt to a low budget, but could make it an advantage.
Maybe other examples of his writing should be mentioned here. I'm only familiar with a few examples and would like to know others.
He has only a few strings, solo horn, a few prominent woodwinds - bassoon, english horn (used a lot in the low range), piccolo playing hornpipe-like motifs, some very ethereal bells (boat bells and some tuned high plate bells). It is a brilliant piece of writing that adds immeasureably to the film and shows how this composer - used to working on big productions - could not only adapt to a low budget, but could make it an advantage.
Maybe other examples of his writing should be mentioned here. I'm only familiar with a few examples and would like to know others.
