tangotreats
04-20-2014, 06:08 PM
PETER BOYER
Symphony No. 1
Silver Fanfare, Festivities, Three Olympians
and Celebration Overture
London Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by
The Composer
https://mega.co.nz/#!d4BHjTaQ!JgiBMxeqLxeArNbpe-qF7ipvHNMNPaGuluWOInsvkG8
My rip at FLAC Level 8. Booklet scans included.
Even if the man's name isn't familiar to you, you've probably heard some of his music at one point or another. American Peter Boyer, born 1970
(and already going grey - there's hope for me yet) has been writing orchestral music for many years, and recently completed his first symphony - which can be heard here alongside a handful of his shorter "showpiece" works and "Three Olympians" for string orchestra. He has also been orchestrating in Hollywood since the late 1990s. (You can hear his handiwork on The Amazing Spider-Man, John Carter, Super 8, Star Trek, Speed Racer, and many more.)
Perhaps the title "symphony" does not quite apply here; Boyer goes to great lengths in his sleeve notes to play up the symphonic (in terms of construction) virtues of the work, but I'm just not hearing it - at least, not to the extent that he obviously intended. What we have here is, in actuality, a film score through and through. Boyer's music isn't complicated or virtuosic - it's tuneful, accessible, easy to follow, and very filmic - in terms of its style, episodic construction, and immediacy of statement.
For me, "Three Olympians" is the winner of the disc - scored for strings only, it's a three-movement "portrait" of Greek Gods; Apollo (energetic and bright), Aphrodite (warm and romantic), and Ares (dark and angular) - it hangs together beautifully and exhibits, let's say, more than a passing resemblance to the style of John Williams. The symphony is less successful, but still a fun listen.
Even if you belong to the school of thought which cringes at the words "symphony" and "classical music", I would still say it's worth your time giving this a bash. The London Philharmonic play beautifully (did anybody ever think they would do otherwise?) and the sound - from Abbey Road Studio 1 is superb, although the engineering is definitely more film music than as classical music.
Note: Since I'm having some scanner problems at the moment, the booklet "scans" (note the parentheses) are not actually scans at all, but digital photographs taken on my Samsung Galaxy S4. I think they look more than good enough. You may not. Sorry folks; that's the way the cookie crumbles. The text is legibile and by and large that's all that actually matters. So there.
Enjoy! :)
TT
Symphony No. 1
Silver Fanfare, Festivities, Three Olympians
and Celebration Overture
London Philharmonic Orchestra
conducted by
The Composer
https://mega.co.nz/#!d4BHjTaQ!JgiBMxeqLxeArNbpe-qF7ipvHNMNPaGuluWOInsvkG8
My rip at FLAC Level 8. Booklet scans included.
Even if the man's name isn't familiar to you, you've probably heard some of his music at one point or another. American Peter Boyer, born 1970
(and already going grey - there's hope for me yet) has been writing orchestral music for many years, and recently completed his first symphony - which can be heard here alongside a handful of his shorter "showpiece" works and "Three Olympians" for string orchestra. He has also been orchestrating in Hollywood since the late 1990s. (You can hear his handiwork on The Amazing Spider-Man, John Carter, Super 8, Star Trek, Speed Racer, and many more.)
Perhaps the title "symphony" does not quite apply here; Boyer goes to great lengths in his sleeve notes to play up the symphonic (in terms of construction) virtues of the work, but I'm just not hearing it - at least, not to the extent that he obviously intended. What we have here is, in actuality, a film score through and through. Boyer's music isn't complicated or virtuosic - it's tuneful, accessible, easy to follow, and very filmic - in terms of its style, episodic construction, and immediacy of statement.
For me, "Three Olympians" is the winner of the disc - scored for strings only, it's a three-movement "portrait" of Greek Gods; Apollo (energetic and bright), Aphrodite (warm and romantic), and Ares (dark and angular) - it hangs together beautifully and exhibits, let's say, more than a passing resemblance to the style of John Williams. The symphony is less successful, but still a fun listen.
Even if you belong to the school of thought which cringes at the words "symphony" and "classical music", I would still say it's worth your time giving this a bash. The London Philharmonic play beautifully (did anybody ever think they would do otherwise?) and the sound - from Abbey Road Studio 1 is superb, although the engineering is definitely more film music than as classical music.
Note: Since I'm having some scanner problems at the moment, the booklet "scans" (note the parentheses) are not actually scans at all, but digital photographs taken on my Samsung Galaxy S4. I think they look more than good enough. You may not. Sorry folks; that's the way the cookie crumbles. The text is legibile and by and large that's all that actually matters. So there.
Enjoy! :)
TT