A ‘Fiddler’ Goes To Hollywood

As this communication reaches you today I will be in the midst of a music scoring session for a brilliant film entitled, ‘All The Kings Men,’ starring Sean Penn and an incredible supporting cast. It looks to be an outstanding piece of work.

The music accompanying the live action will be equally memorable.

Composed by James Horner – ‘Titanic’, ‘A Beautiful Mind’, ‘Brave heart’ – the score features haunting themes, sumptuous orchestrations, and…here’s the part that should really pack the theatres…gorgeous violin solos.

Now, for this picture, I had advanced notice of the solos. Often I do not and am expected to just read whatever is set in front of me.

In any case, a couple days before the first day of scoring I received a package with some simple looking, 16 bar melodies enclosed. The instructions with the music said, ‘Appalachian style, very free.’ Being the kind of diligent preparer, I am I immediately went to our local alternative CD shop and purchased a couple discs. You know, the ’50 Years of Mountain Music Classics’ type thing.

Big mistake. What I heard was the most horrendously out of tune, whiney kind playing you could imagine. Our 4 year old did enjoy one ‘hammer dulcimer’ ballad, but then insisted on hearing it over and over and over again. But other than that, my effort at preparation was largely a bust.

Now, don’t get me wrong. I have heard some very good, in tune, blue grass players. And there must be one or two fiddlers with an ear in Appalachia. They just weren’t on my CDs.

So there I was at the first scoring session not having a clue as to what maestro Horner is looking for me to do. In my first reading I added quite a bit of ornamentation but stayed very much in pitch. I then waited for the rest of the piece to be played to hear his reaction.

Well, I got the ‘in tune’ part right. Turns out, he really wanted me to play these solos very purely and simply, like an adolescent singer.

I did add a few portamenti here and there, which he tolerated, but otherwise I just made good use of long, flowing bows, and a singing left hand. The effect is subtle and nostalgic, but without being over the top.

I can heartily recommend this picture to any who appreciate epic tragic dramas. It’s in a class all it’s own.

And speaking of a class, I have a masterclass ‘in a class all it’s own’ coming your way in Jan., ’07. I’ll be sending you some details real soon. In the meantime, build yourself a playing foundation second to none.
You never know what musical adventure awaits ‘round the next page turn.

All the best,
Clayton Haslop

P.S. Anybody see ‘Cars’? The ‘one man band’ movie-short shown before the film had some fiddling of an entirely different sort…the ‘Gypsy Airs’ sort. Had some real fun with those.