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  4. Evangelos Papathanassiou.

  • Evangelos Papathanassiou.

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    a.k.a. Vangelis, as he was known internationally, died a couple of days ago, aged 79.

    I thought I'd pay scant tribute here on this forum to that Composer, that Artist, that Innovator!

    It's not just Chariots of Fire, that masterpiece Blade Runner, and 1492 (where the main theme of Gladiator is virtually copied-pasted from - probably due to temp-tracking) but what came long before (Heaven and Hell, Mask etc.), and after (Direct, Bitter Moon etc.) that completes a catalogue of extraordinary breadth and invention in a field he pretty much invented and owned.

    May he rest in peace.
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    Thanks Errikos for this sad news.

    Firstly I didnt know that Vangelis had a Greek last name. It is sad that I didnt hear the news anywhere.

    Chariots of Fire was such a remarkable score and illustrates to me that a highly effective film score need not necessarily have anything to do with gigantic orchestral arrangements (despite me being a big fan of the latter). Blade runner was also truly amazing and a pioneering score, to one of my favorite movies.

    It shows me that genuine creativity and originality does not depend on the tools used, which could be an old synth or the bongo drum, or the VSL or the LSO. Any of these could sound great (or horrible) in the right (wrong) hands.

    Lets drink one to the memory of Vangelis!

    Anand
  • Cyril BlancC
    Cyril BlancC
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    Such a sad new !😢

    I am a Vangelis Fan since many many years

    We lost the Master because of Covid

    PROTECT YOURSELF ; THERE ARE STILL HUNDREDS OF DEATH EVERYDAY
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    Thank you for commiserating guys!
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    He created really powerful music - I still remember the intense resonant sound of the analog synthesizers he used on Blade Runner which I saw and heard in the theater when it first came out -  it had such timbral complexity and a "fat" immense sound that fit the huge visuals by Douglas Trumble brilliantly.  I would await each of his CD releases as an "event" because they were so vivid and beautiful.  He doesn't fit into the old style of great composers but is actually a new kind of greatness.  

    One thing that is interesting - the original Blade Runner was composed and played entirely with analog synthesizers, and then - afterward - various orchestras tried to duplicate it.  But they didn't.  They couldn't match that sound.  That is a total turnaround from what used to be assumed about analog synthesizers.  It showed that they are a timbre and sound unto themselves.      
  • Dewdman42D
    Dewdman42D
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    @William said:

    He created really powerful music - I still remember the intense resonant sound of the analog synthesizers he used on Blade Runner which I saw and heard in the theater when it first came out -  it had such timbral complexity and a "fat" immense sound that fit the huge visuals by Douglas Trumble brilliantly.  I would await each of his CD releases as an "event" because they were so vivid and beautiful.  He doesn't fit into the old style of great composers but is actually a new kind of greatness.  

    One thing that is interesting - the original Blade Runner was composed and played entirely with analog synthesizers, and then - afterward - various orchestras tried to duplicate it.  But they didn't.  They couldn't match that sound.  That is a total turnaround from what used to be assumed about analog synthesizers.  It showed that they are a timbre and sound unto themselves.      

    +1
  • MackerM
    MackerM

    At what I now know must have been about the time of the passing of Evangelos, I felt and followed an impulsive urge to play certain scenes from the original Blade Runner film. I probably caught peripheral sight of Vangelis' name somewhere while I was browsing the web but wasn't consciously aware of it. I just acted on a strong impulse to revisit certain extraordinarily atmospheric scenes from Blade Runner that have always had a cherished place in my memory. A few days later I was surprised and saddened to discover news of the passing of Evangelos.

    The originality of Vangelis' music and sound design has always been unquestionable. For example, how many soft synths don't include various factory patches that attempt to emulate certain sounds that Vangelis designed and used in the original Blade Runner film?

    His music has universal accessibility and potential appeal. Vangelis clearly was not interested in signalling any sort of exclusivity in his music, nor in aiming at any particular demographic sector. His music was made for anyone and everyone. He will be missed.
  • PaulP Paul moved this topic from Orchestration & Composition on