next »

[de11ed]

Hi!

Simple question. I'm curious as to how much inspiration you find from classical composers (Bach, Haydn, Mozart)? And who's had the biggest influence on your music?

Bonus question: Which composers, not only classical, has had the biggest impact on you music?

Show me what you got! 

[ZackParrish]

Probably Chopin the most, and a bit of Beethoven.

Nobuo Uematsu when considering all avenues, followed by James Horner.

[FelixArifin]

I'll be honest, not a lot? I'm not trying to downplay their massive contributions to music in general - I just think that music, especially for today's audiences, demand a lot of different qualities and factors that Classical composers didn't really have to worry a lot about back in the day.

Then again, I think this just goes to show how much I disliked my initial Classical music theory training...

If I had to name a mind, though, I think it would definitely be Bach. His counterpoint is still immense to this day.

And for the bonus question? I know he's not technically a "composer" per say, but Rustie is definitely a huge influence. Really opened my mind about the possibilities of electronic music.

-Felix

[de11ed]

Interesting. Yeah exactly, their music isn't really that fitting for todays standards, not that I know of. Haha, maybe that could be the answer as well 

But like the case with John Williams and his soundtrack for Star Wars, you can clearly hear how he found inspiration from Gustav Holst and his Planets. And that got me thinking in todays world with music for games and such.

For me, I don't have any classical composer that clearly inspired me, yet. My inspiration comes mostly from todays composers, such as Thomas Newman and Maria Schneider. And of course, from fellow game music composers.

[FelixArifin]

But like the case with John Williams and his soundtrack for Star Wars, you can clearly hear how he found inspiration from Gustav Holst and his Planets. And that got me thinking in todays world with music for games and such.

I'll be honest, eeeeeeverybody copies from Gustav Holst and his Planets. Stravinsky too! But their ideas are just so good and so iconic, it's hard to pass up. X3

The saying goes, "Good artists create, great artists steal".

-Felix

[Kyle Preston]

Yeah, Thomas Newman is one of my favorites.  I really appreciate his overall outlook on film music and work ethic as well, but he's one of the greats.  Give him an Oscar already, geez.

Debussy is really amazing; he kind of helps keep the magic of music alive in my mind. I'm not sure how much of an influence I'd consider him though, every time I listen to his works, I think "Oh that's beautiful.... no idea how he did that". 

Arvo Pärt, the best reminder of how simplicity can be so, so beautiful.

[de11ed]

But like the case with John Williams and his soundtrack for Star Wars, you can clearly hear how he found inspiration from Gustav Holst and his Planets. And that got me thinking in todays world with music for games and such.

I'll be honest, eeeeeeverybody copies from Gustav Holst and his Planets. Stravinsky too! But their ideas are just so good and so iconic, it's hard to pass up. X3

The saying goes, "Good artists create, great artists steal".

-Felix

Haha that is true. And also, if the biggest composers of today take inspiration from the classics (whether they know about it or not), it will probably pass on to younger generations as well, with it's variations. Not necessarily but probably.

Yeah, Thomas Newman is one of my favorites.  I really appreciate his overall outlook on film music and work ethic as well, but he's one of the greats.  Give him an Oscar already, geez.

Debussy is really amazing; he kind of helps keep the magic of music alive in my mind. I'm not sure how much of an influence I'd consider him though, every time I listen to his works, I think "Oh that's beautiful.... no idea how he did that". 

Arvo Pärt, the best reminder of how simplicity can be so, so beautiful.

I know right, his work is just astonishing. I think my favorite work from him would be, obviously, the music for "American Beauty" 

Debussy is one I need to check out, I've heard his name being mentioned multiple times but never actually sat down to listen to.

Arvo Pärt, yes, I had almost forgot about him! Yeah, he's brilliant in the way he creates these small compositions with very few instruments. It sounds so fragile and beautiful.

[FelixArifin]

Debussy is one I need to check out, I've heard his name being mentioned multiple times but never actually sat down to listen to.

You're in for a treeeeeeat.

-Felix

[Breakdown Epiphanies]

Debussy is one I need to check out, I've heard his name being mentioned multiple times but never actually sat down to listen to.

The "Deux Arabesques" are beautiful piano pieces and have a listen to "La Mer" for some orchestral stuff.

[Breakdown Epiphanies]

Debussy is really amazing; he kind of helps keep the magic of music alive in my mind. I'm not sure how much of an influence I'd consider him though, every time I listen to his works, I think "Oh that's beautiful.... no idea how he did that". 

Exactly how I feel with his music. Everything just stays in flow all the time while "under the hood" there is so much happening that I don't really understand.

[Barendhoff]

Used to be Pärt, Satie and Debussy, but I've come to feel more familiarity with Ravel. It struck me how much his harmonies and the general feel of his pieces agree with what I try to do musically. Had to stop the car on the way to work last month to listen to

when it came on the radio and let it sink in. Such a wonderful piece!

As for contemporary video game composers: Neal Acree, Derek Duke, Russell Brower, Jason Hayes, Matt Uelmen--basically all the Blizzard guys. Check out

. i cry evertim tbh

EDIT: Urgh! How could I forget Fable's Russell Shaw?

[Breakdown Epiphanies]

That was a beautiful good morning piece for me over here in Hamburg, thanks Barendhoff!

Talking about video game composers I'd like to include Jason Graves. I already liked his ambient horror work for Dead Space and his Toom Raider Score is cool, too. But the music he did for The Order 1886 blew me away entirely, I even got the vinyl . He really made the instruments breath, pulse and rattle like crazy:

[de11ed]

Debussy is one I need to check out, I've heard his name being mentioned multiple times but never actually sat down to listen to.

You're in for a treeeeeeat.

-Felix

Haha, can't wait! Actually, I'll be back later today with my impressions!

Used to be Pärt, Satie and Debussy, but I've come to feel more familiarity with Ravel. It struck me how much his harmonies and the general feel of his pieces agree with what I try to do musically. Had to stop the car on the way to work last month to listen to

when it came on the radio and let it sink in. Such a wonderful piece!

As for contemporary video game composers: Neal Acree, Derek Duke, Russell Brower, Jason Hayes, Matt Uelmen--basically all the Blizzard guys. Check out

. i cry evertim tbh

EDIT: Urgh! How could I forget Fable's Russell Shaw?

Wow, yes I agree with you Breakdown, that was beautiful.

Yes, I have played almost all their games, except WoW, and their music is so brilliant for their settings. They manage to create that Lord of the rings feel to it, with it being so symphonic and huge and nailing that fantasy feel.

Hmm... The Order is a game that i completely forgotten, need to check that out as well!

Speaking of game music, I was attending a concert put together by Stockholms radio symphony, in were they played only game music. Some from the nes/snes era, and some from today. It was so damn beautiful. But I have to say, all the games that´s from the snes era and earlier don't do that well when being played by a symphonic orchestra, for obvious reasons of course. But the ones that was actually created for an orchestra was just breathtaking.

[Jasmine]

Wow, so much gorgeous music to listen to! I almost find it ironic that many of the composers I enjoy listening to happen to be fairly big influences on others. Well.. I mean, they were THE pop-stars of their time, but not everyone likes the same pop stars!

As for me... I can say that classical has influenced me, but not by a specific person. I have composers that I enjoy listening to but I haven't really shaped my sound in respect to them. Not until recently as I have started working on improving my way of writing (I laud Maurice Ravel for his orchestrations because they are GRAND).

I guess, in a nutshell, I'd be similar to Felix. I don't have one or few composers that are a huge influence on me, and by that I mean, I don't have a composer whose style I have tried to emulate or fix to fit my own. In all honesty, if that were the case, I'd say that most of my writing has been heavily influenced by Japanese composers. Lately, during my practices, I have spent time 'dissecting' pieces written by Masashi Hamauzu, Joe Hisaishi, and others. Basically, RPG composers. I just thoroughly enjoy the way they musically sketch and color their harmonies.

Recently, I have started listening (like, REALLY listening) to John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith. Getting a western perspective on movie/game writing, too. I have so much to learn, haha.

Also, I am SO glad you guys mentioned Arvo Part. I have been searching for him ever since a piece of his was played in a theory class I had in college.

Arvo introduced me to Bjork... not a classical composer, but her unconventionalism is, in my opinion, uncanny, especially for someone in the POP field. She's probably the second female composer that's made me rethink my passion and drive to write. Her and Yoko Kanno are my muses. If you check her out (Bjork), start with the Vespertine album.

[Kyle Preston]

start with the Vespertine album

Yup. This album is uh.......um.........I really like this album.  It's up there with The Beatles for me.

[Pete301]

Woah, so many composers that I need to check out.

For classical music I tend to have different preferences based on the instrumentation. Recently I have really been into piano, and for that I have listened to a fair bit of Rachmaninoff, Chopin and Liszt because their virtuosic stuff is crazy nice. I also really like Beethoven for more relaxed piano. I also discovered Clara Schumann yesterday,

that piece is packed with emotion and feeling, I love how she abruptly stops the full orchestra for the piano to come in solo at the start.

As for strings, I really like Mendelssohn, Tchaikovsky and Schubert. Mendelssohn's string octet is one of my favourites! Robert Schumann has some great pieces too.

As for other influences, Nobuo Uematsu, from his orchestral work it is so clear that he really understands the instruments and he can get exactly what he wants from them. Whenever I listen to his music I am in awe, he manages to get a perfectly unique style from using an orchestra but it feels very at home and there is no awkwardness, I just wish I had such control when dealing with so many instruments. Another awesome composer I like is Jeremy Soule, he really knows how he wants the player to feel and he gets the music and the environments to become entirely alive and feel beautiful, please listen to this

it fits the setting so incredibly well.

For electronic music I really dig She! He hits the spot for me when I need inspiration for any electronic music, before I start rummaging around in the research folders.

Gah, I almost forgot to mention Schoenberg. He hasn't been an influence in the same way as the other composers, but more from a theoretical standpoint, I have read a couple of books of his and I find myself agreeing with him on his take on harmonies and that dissonances shouldn't be considered binary because after all they are still consonant just less so than the more immediate consonances. His book 'Theory Of Harmony' also really gives an insight into his personality which is fascinating.

[FelixArifin]

I also really like Beethoven for more relaxed piano.

Ummmmm.



X3;

Nah I'm kidding, he definitely has his softer moments, but Beethoven was a lot of rage and unbridled passion. If you gave him an electric guitar, I'm pretty sure he's going to write the greatest rock opera ever.

-Felix

[Breakdown Epiphanies]

This thread reminded me of an article that I stumbled upon a few months ago. It recommends video game soundtracks to listeners of classical music according to their favorite composers:

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/guides/repertoire-guides/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-for-classical-music-lovers

And let me say it has been a delight reading through all of your posts and listening to some music that I wasn't familiar with. The audio section of TIG sure is a great place

[William E.]

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/guides/repertoire-guides/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-for-classical-music-lovers

Thank you for that link, this thread is very informative, thank you!

[de11ed]

Like the others have pointed out here, so much beautiful music here that it will take me a while to go through Still listening to Debussy and yes, I'm in awe for that man. Keep em coming!

As for me... I can say that classical has influenced me, but not by a specific person. I have composers that I enjoy listening to but I haven't really shaped my sound in respect to them. Not until recently as I have started working on improving my way of writing (I laud Maurice Ravel for his orchestrations because they are GRAND).

Also, I am SO glad you guys mentioned Arvo Part. I have been searching for him ever since a piece of his was played in a theory class I had in college.

That would be me as well, I've just recently thought I'd start dig deep into this subject and really learn from the great o'l classics.

Me too, Arvo Pärt is one of those that surprisingly many know about even though no one ever talks about him, from what I've experienced so far.

I also really like Beethoven for more relaxed piano.

Ummmmm.



X3;

Nah I'm kidding, he definitely has his softer moments, but Beethoven was a lot of rage and unbridled passion. If you gave him an electric guitar, I'm pretty sure he's going to write the greatest rock opera ever.

-Felix

Haha! That, or he would basically be Yngve Malmsten.

This thread reminded me of an article that I stumbled upon a few months ago. It recommends video game soundtracks to listeners of classical music according to their favorite composers:

http://www.sinfinimusic.com/uk/features/guides/repertoire-guides/the-best-video-game-soundtracks-for-classical-music-lovers

And let me say it has been a delight reading through all of your posts and listening to some music that I wasn't familiar with. The audio section of TIG sure is a great place

Oh yeah, that's a great article! Really like how it ties together the old and the new in a very direct way. This forum sure is a hidden gem for composers and audio people out there right