Why are musical scores like Soundtracks not held at the same heights as other orchestral pieces?

Question

Like Mozart, Wagner, Vivaldi, etc...

I realize these people were musical geniuses, but i almost feel like a movie score doesn't get as much respect just because its name is atattched to a less-inspiring movie.
Is this just what I'm seeing or can the star wars theme be considered as great a score as "Die Walküre"?

Answer 1

It's just a matter of time. Mozart, Vivaldi, Wagner - they're dead. John Williams, Philip Glass, Kitaro - they aren't.



That's the difference.



Arthur Honegger (Swiss composer, member of Les Six) quotes:



“There is no doubt that the first requirement for a composer is to be dead”



“The public doesn't want new music: the main thing it demands of a composer is that he be dead.”

Answer 2

Eventually, given time, they will be.



In the classical age, what was written was all people had access too. So they lasted through the ages.



But now, with the internet and CDs and all sorts of media, people have access to any and every type of music available. So classic pieces, such as soundtracks, tend to get lost in the "pop culture" that is widely advertised. People go looking for the movie, not the music.



Sadly, music is being lost in society. I consider any piece of music a great work, whether it is John William's Star Wars or Die Walkure. No matter what, it's still an amazing piece of music.

Answer 3

It's a difficult question. Symfonic filmscores can sound great. I love music by John Williams and Howard Shore. As I stated in another question. (https://answersrip.com/question/index?qid=20070510190001AAWSuSB&r=w#IpNVCHbCVHq80KZkh51o ) it can build bridges. But it's first purpose to underline the movie. As such it doesn't have that much independency as Wagners Ring. Wagner made a gesamtkunstwerk, he tried to make all the arts equally important. But no doubt. His music whas the best part.



Filmmusic composers follow trends and listen carefully to, mostly dead composers. Wagner, Debussy, Richard Strauss, Strawinsky, Ravel, Shostakovich. All are great examples to Filmcomposers. They lent a style and sometimes make great music in that style. But it isn't nearly as authentic as the originals where. Some people might consider it to be 'Kitsj'



No doubt there is great filmmusic and a lot of it deserves to be played by orchestras. Howard Shore even made a Symphony from his Lord of the Rings score. He played it with an Orchestra and Choruses almost as big as these in Mahlers eight Symphony for thousends of people. Mostly people that normally would never visit a concert.



So I think a lot of film music deserves more than just the film they wher once written for.

Answer 4

My sought after unique musical scores, in non-musical movie: one million. Lawrence of Arabia 2. The Untouchables 3. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance toddler 4. Patton 5. international huge in eighty Days 6. Dr. Zhivago 7. the element 8. Stagecoach 9. Chariots of hearth 10. Goldfinger

Answer 5

The star wars theme can't be considered as great a score as "Die Walküre" simply because it isn't.



At least that's my opinion of it.



And musical scores are held the same height as other orchestral pieces. Just think of the music prokofiev wrote for Eisenstein's films

Answer 6

Big names generate quriosity > people are eager > journalists want to cover their piece of work > they're sent to the pedastal.



What about the less known, or remote, but highly talented composer? Ain't have much money > no one knows who you are > journalists would give a second though over your work.



It all works pretty weird in the presen world. It seems, at times, you need o know the right people, to get your 'right' work in direction of the 'right' audience.

Answer 7

John Williams is very well thought of as genius for his movie scores.

Answer 8

soundtracks are made to enhance the visual and emotional content of a film therefore they are not usually compose to take away (become the focal point) that is the reason the majority of soundtracks cannot stand on their own