Have you heard? 09. Avatar Theme Song

Have you heard? is a showcase for the unconventional, unique and inspiring music out there that never seems to get the limelight it deserves.

Avatar Theme Song - James Horner (2008)

The film Avatar was, until earlier this year, the top grossing film of all time, being praised for its visual effects. The song “I See You”, often regarded as the theme song, is well-known and award-winning. But the real theme song, the orchestral one, is much less known and is an intricate dive into the world of Pandora and the land of Avatar. Both songs were written by composer James Horner, who unfortunately passed away in 2015 in a solo aircraft accident.

So how does the orchestral theme song to the (second) most successful film ever made constitute an unconventional, unique or inspiring piece of music?

In my very humble opinion, it captures the whole essence of Avatar and Pandora perfectly. This alien world of mystery and wonder lies home to a civilisation of creatures known as the Na’vi. There are many great things to discover and explore, and there is an immense amount of culture to immerse in.

The music opens with as if with a call or summons on the horn. As we enter this world we are cautious, but inquisitive. Then, we stumble upon the Na’vi. With their beating drums and singing they welcome us in their native language. It’s a well-crafted section that moves forward intrepidly, but pauses to admire the unfamiliarity posed by the choir. The strings provide warmth as the music begins to explore the curiosities of the Na’vi and their world. There are no special embellishments in the music at this point, only simple string chords and lethargic changes. But it gives the feeling of welcomeness and safety, very much a reflection of the film’s storyline.

When the choir returns it is as if the Na’vi are leading to you to a place of great wonder. It sings in harmonics with the orchestra as it heads toward its first climax. As you marvel upon the world around you the trumpets come cascading in triumph. This is probably my favourite part, and no matter how many times I listen to it I can never figure out how it was crafted. It has so much style and contrast, there must be at least three, maybe four trumpets and each note would have had to have been carefully imagined and selected to avoid standout intervals or dissonance. Quite simply, it’s just fantastic use of the trumpet.

Then, after a brief transition, we move into the second half of the music. Much like the second half of the movie it is more hectic and confrontational. The pace is more defined and each note is succinct. The brass, again, adding tension in the background. Despite a break to more melodic music, respite does not come. As the music nears its end it swells into an orchestra and choir mix, driven forward by the percussion. There is never-ending conflict and contrast between instruments, especially as triplets begin to present themselves against the normal rhythm. It’s as if the Na’vi are fleeing.

Suddenly it all ends. No flourish, no release of tension. Just a sudden bang and done. But it is fitting for the tone and the theme. It fits the movie and it’s story. Yes, it has a “happy ending”, but not necessarily a wholesome. Besides, we can’t let the music spoil everything.

Overall, I find the music be a very crafty blend of instruments, including effective use of the choir in an invented language and imagined world. It has captured the essence of the film in its entirely and I find it a very thrilling piece of music. I highly commend Horner for the score he wrote and wish he could only still be with us for more.

This piece has absolutely influenced my music. I have forever tried to decipher the way the brass score has been crafted. Asides from that I find the fullness and simpleness of the melodic strings very refreshing and of course there’s no ignoring the choir.

Happy listening and enjoy!

Composing Spotlight: One World

Hello!

This month’s composing spotlight looks at the serene wind and strings piece One World, written as a standalone piece in 2015.

This piece of music was conceived entirely at my own fingertips during a casual free-play session on the piano. Initially a piano piece, it ended up with wind and strings as well. I stopped short of brass out of a desire to write something a bit different to the grandiose pieces I had been producing at the time.

The music is only 2:46 and has two simple themes in a A|B|A+B structure. I didn’t want it to be anything more than what it needed to be; a tender and pleasant piece of music. Not too heavy, not too light. I wanted it to bring hope and unity. Its name signifying the peacefulness and joy that one world and one people can bring.

In D-Major, the music starts with a soft and simple harp introduction. It sets the general pace and feel for the music. The beat is 6/8 and the rhythm offers no nasty surprises to this. Then, the strings enter to bring atmosphere before breaking into a very, very sweet violin solo. Backed only by the harp, the first theme appears. It is not cluttered or exotic, but long and gentle. The solo violin in this part came out far better than I would have ever expected. The strings again rejoin, only softly, to emphasise the violin. After a swell, a flourish and a very tenderly played violin, the 16 bar solo ends.

Opening four bars, and melody, of the violin solo.

Opening four bars, and melody, of the violin solo.

The theme then repeats with only slight variation. However, this time it is played as a solo by the english horn. This is then backed up by the harp and a countermelody from the solo violin. In a sense it could be seen as a duet. This is the only time I’ve used an english horn in my music and it was a fun experience to do something different - sorry oboe players for leaving you out! The latter half of the repetition ventures off into a higher pitch than previous and adds some finality with its swell and flourish. The countermelody from the violin is a simple arpeggiated chord, yet comes out so nicely!

The theme was crafted with the idea of only having small and gentle changes between bars. The main sustained notes only step by one or two tones between bars. The lead-in notes themselves can wildly vary, but their intention is to add flavour and direct the music to the next chord. The melody itself was created naturally. I didn't really sit down and decide to make a melody it just happened. The descending bass, mixed with the established feel of the piece, lended itself to something simple, yet adaptable.

English horn solo, clearly showing the small changes in the sustained notes.

English horn solo, clearly showing the small changes in the sustained notes.

Then we get to the second theme. The strings stop and the flute arrives. This theme is even simpler than the last, with half of it being a sustained note. Yet the whole purpose is to build atmosphere by developing chords within the harmony. So, the section actually starts as a duet with the flute and oboe. Yes, the oboe. The english horn player is instructed to put down their instrument and play the oboe for all of about eight bars before going back again.

In this duet, the flute lets out call, which is answered by the oboe in a mirrored fashion. Everything is the same except the oboe doesn’t sustain the last note; instead descending into the appropriate chord. At this point I was lightly playing with the instruments and intertwining them. I wanted to develop the theme, but first I wanted to establish it within the context of the previous delicate solos.

Flute and oboe dancing together.

Flute and oboe dancing together.

Once I had achieved establishment of the theme I handed it back to the strings. Full strings, for the first time. And this is where the brewing and crafting begins to happen. No two instruments play the same rhythm, resulting in a constantly evolving series of chords and accentuated by the return of the english horn and the entrance of the bassoon. The theme is the same, it just blends and morphs and grows… until it reaches and great climax and something different happens. It even involves duplex notes; two notes played in the space of three.

In a sudden flourish the full band jumps out of D major for just one moment with an unexpected Bb major, Fmajor and C Major transition before mashing everything together into a warming finale.

This finale section has the original theme return, with the second theme playing the counter melody underneath it. Everything that has been introduced previously presents itself at once in a dramatic and emotional combination. As the section reaches its end, all the instruments come together to really emphasis the final few chords. It is an intentionally delicate mix.

The music then shows itself out by rehashing some old motifs together as the volume and intensity decrease. It is effectively a restatement of the second theme, but with the countermelody from the first theme underneath. Similarly, it ends with the same Bb-F-C-D sequence that previously led to the main climax.

Final four bars, with accidentals in their full glory.

Final four bars, with accidentals in their full glory.

The final result is an uplifting and dreamy piece built out of soft instruments and carefully constructed melodies and countermelodies. The tone and mood reflect the objectives of the title; unity, peace and happiness. It was not a planned piece. It simply just happened from within. Those are the best ones.

And that is how I wrote One World.

Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed this spotlight!

Project Teaser - September 2019

Hello everyone! It’s the 11th of the month, so it’s time for a monthly project teaser.

This month… I have been slowly tapping away with my keyboard and my computer. Each piece is being handcrafted note-by-note as the music comes to life. The video below demonstrates a bit of this process. The keen-eyed amongst you will notice the piece of music in the video has three pianos and a tripled string section!

At this point I have prepared four pieces of music, with ideas floating around for at least a dozen more. It’s just a very time consuming process! For comparison, I am aiming for well over twenty pieces of music in total. There is a long way to go still!