This week's "John Adams" musical trivia.

[gurdymonkey]

Tune and lyrics to "Hail Columbia," our first National Anthem, which was featured in this week's episode. (The "Star Spangled Banner" lyrics would not be written until 1814.)

I have remembered where I'd heard the Schubert piano trio (nice snippet of it here). It was used in Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon," and in the 80's vampire movie, "The Hunger." (See my previous post for why this is technically "not period" for the miniseries.)

If you're at all interested in early American music, there are some nice recordings by the Hildebrands available from http://www.colonialmusic.org/index.htm
I have their "Over The Hills And Far Away" and "Music For The President." (What can I tell ya - I have family in Annapolis....)

This is a reminder for takadai_no_tora, who was wishing for an Alan Rickman film in which he's not playing a villain. Truly, Madly, Deeply.

Comments

[gottasing.livejournal.com]

Re Alan Rickman-Don't forget Sense and Sensibility. Very hot there.

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Actuall, I had been talking about S&S, which I'd just gotten dirt cheap at Target. The audio commentary by Emma Thompson is worth the purchase price.

[reynardine.livejournal.com]

There's a delightful British film called Blow Dry, in which Alan Rickman plays a divorced hairdresser and is the hero. It's a very quirky comedy. Not sure if it was released in theatres here, but it is available on DVD.

In re Schubert (I know, sounds like a legal case)

[barone-antonio.livejournal.com]

The Schubert used in "Barry Lyndon" and "John Adams" is, as you indicated previously, used to good effect to evoke a mood. It's also close enough to being "in period" to appear "in period," i.e. it is not jarring. To me, there is a huge difference between using music to evoke a mood that is not in period and actually depicting a performance of out of period music by musicians in the production... then again, if you really enjoy the production, you are willing to look beyond even jarring music that is out-of-place, e.g. "Ladyhawk" and it's hideous sound track performed by an eighties rock band... was it Toto?

Re: In re Schubert (I know, sounds like a legal case)

[gurdymonkey.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the defense, Counselor.

I believe the travesty perpetrated upon "Ladyhawke" involved Alan Parsons, sans Project. Kind of a shame, it's a charmer otherwise.

Re: In re Schubert (I know, sounds like a legal case)

[barone-antonio.livejournal.com]

"I believe the travesty perpetrated upon "Ladyhawke" involved Alan Parsons, sans Project."

Perpetrated being the operative word as the soundtrack was a crime!