Wojciech Kilar

[shnurgle]

Eastern Block, my brothers, straight Eastern Block. I love this guy. He's lyric as they come and can be very subtle. What do you think? And how do pronouce his name? Is it "woo-jesh?" "woo-check"? Either way he's a star in my book. A superstar.

[dcoscina]

He's great!!! I heard he was slated to score Lord of the Rings. I think he would have done a wonderful job. I have Bram Stoker's Dracula, Death and the Maiden, The sixth Gate, Portait of a Lady, various concert works. He's definitely got a very melodic, theme driven style and a good command of the orchestra. the love theme from Dracula is one of the most beautiful, angst-ridden themes I've heard. Sad and beautiful at once.

Cannot say enough good things about Kilar.

[Lee Ophelius]

Kilar's Dracula score is my favorite score of all time. Stunning.
The delicate 'lucy's party' is just spine tingling, 'the storm' is breath taking.
The music is subtle but very dramatic and his use of the string section is awsome.
The sweeping themes in love ascention are second to none.
Pure gothic darkness!!!!!

[gungnir]

the love theme from Dracula is one of the most beautiful, angst-ridden themes I've heard. Sad and beautiful at once.

Yes I agree with you. This is an exceptional example of 'narrative in music', poignantly depicting the impossible nature of the relationship involved (as per 'not even death can keep them apart').

This was a gothic love story and Coppola was wise to avoid the Hollywood composers, who on the most part, could never evoke this level of lyricism.

[dcoscina]

I applaud Coppola for going with a European composer for this score. Originally he wanted Witold Lutaslowski but he'd either refused or I think he may have died shortlty before the film was at the scoring stage. Oh no, wait that was his dear old dad, Carmine.

[TheVamp]

I'd read an interview with Basil Poledouris in which he said that when he heard that Coppola was doing a new version of Dracula he sat down at the piano and banged out a theme for the Count on pencil and paper that day.
Though I also think Kilar was an inspired choice for the film, I would love to hear a recording of Poledouris' theme!

[Ranietz]

I have the Dracula soundtrack too, and I think it's great. It's nice to hear some non Hollywood soundtracks once in a while... :)

I've also heard some of the "Ninth Gate" soundtrack (it's the ninth not the sixth, dcoscina ;) ). Also good... :)

-Ranietz-

[Sequent]

Oh, you mean the dude who jams with David Gilmour? :)

Wojciech Kilar

The W is actually pronounced like an English/American V

The oj is pronouned like the oy in boy

The ci is prounced like chee in cheetah

The ech is prounced with the e as in bet and the ch like a soft h (as in hell?)

W - oj - ci - e - ch

v - oy - chee - e - hhh

(practice it so that it all flows smoothly together. start really slow until you get it smooth, then speed it up) (the chee - e - h) is probably where most people will stumble. The accents and music of it are as if you were saying something like "boy jack". Say "boy jack" only using the proper sounds and you should get it.



The last name is easier.

Kilar

Ki is pronounced just like key

Lar is as if you were saying the name Lars.

It's like saying "key largo" except without the g and the o at the end. Oh, yeah... almost forgot... for god's sake, don't forget to roll the "r" too. It doesn't have to be an extremely pronounced roll, but it's a little higher and rounder than it would be in English.

Okay, either that helped or I totally suck! ;)

[shnurgle]

LOL Best reply ever. Oh man that was awesome! Thanks, I've been trying to fugure out how to procounce his name for about a decade now.

Glad to get poistive feedback on this guy. That love theme from dracula is one of my favorite film cues ever.

[sinkd]

"shnurgle"

Ok, so the initial "sh..." kind of try to wrap your tongue around a sort of thing that's like the end of "posh nosh" but extend it more. Imagine you're starring in an obscure BBC sitcom or something and you've got kidney pie or some such atrocity stuck in your bridgework. Got it? Good.

Then the vowel. Very "old school." It's really all about that (now deceased) Paper Chase dude who used to do the Smith Barney commercials: You gotta make "shnurg..." rhyme with "We earn it." You know what I mean. You were there.

And the last consonants are really just a matter of owning it my friends. It's all at once. For all it's worth. Just swallow that mother and push out the glottals:

"gle"

It's really hard to describe. Try not to spit on anyone who doesn't want you to spit on them. You know what I'm sayin'?

Hope that helps.

DS

[shnurgle]

LOL nice. the glottals

[PPH]

I heard only a few things by him, but I thought he was great. "Bram Stoker's Dracula" and Andrzej Wajda (maybe there are some spelling mistakes in the name) "Pan Tadeusz" are excellent.

[ToddK]

I really like the main theme from the 70's Dracula movie, that starred Frank Langella.:p :p

[PPH]

I really like the main theme from the 70's Dracula movie, that starred Frank Langella.:p :p

Well, it's no wonder. That soundtrack was composed by John Williams :D