MovieChat Forums > The General (1927) Discussion > score/soundtrack

score/soundtrack

posted 17 years ago by mariasarasota
22 replies | jump to latest

I'm looking for information about the score that accompanied the version of The General that played on TCM recently. It was brilliant and stunning and I want to purchase a copy with that soundtrack. The one I purchased through the link on the TCM website has a nice-enough score, but not the one I want.

Does anyone know the identity of the composer and where I can purchase that version? It has lots of percussion, it's extremely inventive and in my opinion, dang-near perfectly suited to the film. Keaton would have approved, I think.

I'm still waiting for a reply from TCM...hope someone here will provide an answer.

Thanks!

[–] mariasarasota 17 years ago

The Alloy Orchestra, available from their own website.

[–] joet7565 17 years ago

So you answered your own question I guess? Anyway I have to agree. TCM has very good silent scores. Some of the silent movies I've seen on tape and DVD have awful scores.

[–] rgcustomer 14 years ago

I just saw the 2003 Alloy Orchestra version on TCM.

This is considered a good soundtrack for The General?

While I think the score is quite good, I found the cheesy 80's synthesized performance of it to be both out-of-place and grating by the end.

Has anyone given this score a more serious performance?

[–] 14 years ago

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[–] Remember_Sammy_Jankis 14 years ago

Whatever score I had was by far the worst score I have ever heard. It was 3 - 2 minute synthesized tracks on a loop. One of the tracks was played constantly (the one with the galloping beat. If you've seen this version, you know what I'm talking about), sometimes restarting in the middle of itself. I had to mute it. The music really can hinder one's enjoyment even though it's really hard not to like this movie.

[–] elman 17 years ago

My personal favourite General score is the very recent one by Joe Hisashi (who did the scores for Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke and a lot of Takeshi Kitano films) It's on the 2004 edition by MK2 and it's gorgeous! It's the very best imho.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] [email protected] 17 years ago

The copy of The General that I have unfortunately has accompanying music by Scott Joplin (The Entertainer and various other 'rags') and although it's jolly music and piano accompaniment often goes with silent films the music simply doesn't 'go' with the action on the screen. During the dramatic chase the music is all jolly...while Buster's girlfriend is being dragged off by Union soldiers..the music is all perky and happy!! It kinda spoils the film for me. Does anyone know if there is a copy available that has a score that actually goes with the events on screen..a specially written score?

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] jeps214 16 years ago

the one from TCM discussed in this thread is amazing, i knew i loved it from the very beginning when the General starts to slow down and the music slows down with it. when the action kicks up, so does the music, and when the story lines requires tension from the score, the music gets tense.

i think i saw the one you're talking about and i didnt like it at all. there was no connection between the 2 and it made the movie watching experience much less enjoyable.

[–] eyemeric 16 years ago

I am curious what version you have. I released a version with Scott Joplin piano music on VHS in 1995, but "The Entertainer" is not on it. The scene you discribe is accompanied with "Pine Apple Rag" which I think goes quite well. The following song is "Maple Leaf Rag" which starts with Keaton bouncing down the tracks on a wooden bicycle.
I respect your opinion and right to diss my movie, but is it my movie you have? Or did someone try to "borrow" my concept? (badly, it looks like, I can't think of anywhere on the film "The Entertainer" would fit) in that case I agree, it stinks!
Rehearsals are underway for a live piano presentation with subsequent DVD release in the Spring of 2010. I have posted a couple of clips from the 16mm version (never released) on YouTube under "eyemeric" for preview purposes. I am confident it is not the same version, the Director of the Kennesaw Civil War Museum, (Big Shanty Museum at the time) called my version "absolutely delightful!"

[–] SinemaGirl 15 years ago

My favorite "General" score is by Carl Davis, who wrote the music in the 1980s as part of the Thames Silents series. It was released on video back then, and I understand it is one of the music options on the recent DVD/BD. The Davis score is full orchestral, sweeping and epic. After seeing (and hearing) it that way, I just can't quite warm up to other versions.

Davis wrote the music for Kevin Brownlow's outstanding "Hollywood" series, and his full silent movie scores enhance the films greatly.

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] genplant29 14 years ago

Yes: DEFINITELY the superb Carl Davis score is the ideal one for this movie. It's the default audio option (there are also two other audio choices to pick from) on the 2008 Kino DVD release.

[–] TechnoTom 14 years ago

Yeah that's an excellent score, sounds like a full orchestra, very effectively used on every scene to convey everything from disappointment to falling off a penny farthing.

Definitely gets my vote.

[–] lkgpiano 15 years ago

I found a DVD on Amazon.com of The General and Steamboat Bill Jr, both with the Alloy Orchestra's accompaniment. I agree, I got hooked on the music, and the orchestra consists of three people.

[–] strummerrr 15 years ago

I saw this film online (it wasn't the version that's in YouTube) and it had awesome music! I just bought the dvd (2 euros ;) and it had different music.. Of course I knew that's normal with silent films but I was disappointed..

[–] GoddamUnvoicedAbbot 15 years ago

The instruments were most definitely sampled computer instruments. Listen to the violin: same vibrato on all tones. The attack of the trumpet is identical in the same contexts.I have to say after the themes were repeated exactly 20-30 times, it became annoying.

Antiparanoia is the eerie feeling that nothing is connected to anything else

[–] 15 years ago

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[–] cjrone 14 years ago

Does anyone know any info on this score I found?

http://stagevu.com/video/vczhbnqftjqk

It's more of an "action movie" score instead of a "concerto" (during the chase scenes for sure). It's ridiculously repetative, and it's obviously mixed, but it's by far the most entertaining one I've heard.

[–] lotard 13 years ago

I've made a list of available scores and their respective distributors:

Carl Davis - Kino
Robert Israel - Kino
Lee Erwin - Kino
Joe Hisaishi - MK2
The Alloy Orchestra - Image
Scott Joplin - Eureka
"four repetetive samples" - ?

Davis and Hisaishi are orchestral (the latter makes music for Miyazaki), Israel and Erwin are organ and Alloy is "the modern one". Scott Joplins music made its way to Eureka's release by the law of "public domain" (Joplin died well before the film was even made). I have seen a version which looped four different songs throughout the whole movie (and I can't really recommend that).

DVD Beaver offers a comparison of the above mentioned editions:
http://www.dvdbeaver.com/film/DVDCompare5/thegeneral.htm

Most of the scores can be sampled at YouTube.