Powaqqatsi – original score WTF

ha ha ha!  This is not an April fool's joke. 

 

Something tells me that the show will not go on for these people considering they don't have any right to do this.  I wonder how George Lucas would feel if someone re-scored Star Wars for quintet and started showing screenings.

Comments

[Scott]

Wait, what?

[mrsticker]

I'd love to hear it. I don't care if they have permission or not.

[Gerard Mariscalchi]

Leonard Bernstein said: "Music isn't to be sold, it's to be shared"...

Permission or not, it will be very interesting to hear from these guys and dolls.

I'll, for sure, pay for a recording.
I'm going right now to the site to pre-order.

I wonder about Mr. Glass' opinion...

Regards.

[Richard Guerin]

I didn't weigh in on this. I think its mostly just bizarre. However, since you quoted Bernstein, you should know that the Bernstein estate is FIERCELY protective of all his music. If you wanted to make your own chamber orchestra version of the symphonic dances from West Side Story, I would expect that youd be hearing from a lawyer within 24 hours if you didnt get permission which is hard to get period.

[Steve]

It's not the same though. Gerard was quoting Bernstein's personal opinion, not those of his estate. Frank Zappa is another case in point. When he was still alive he told people that they should "play his music". Now, if anyone tries to do so, they get all sorts of legal threats from the Zappa estate. Surely music should be about more than just protectionism and money, something these artists realised but those in their "estates" don't seem to grasp.

[Richard Guerin]

right...but Im just saying that Glass has gone on record many times about instructing his state not to be protectionist. As he puts it, if you want to play a certain piece on guitar or harmonica, great! I hope it sounds good.
As for this thing...imagine how Bernstein would feel about someone replacing his score to West Side Story without permission to do so. Its the difference between something being legitimate and not.

[Gerard Mariscalchi]

I think we just have to wait and see...
"Steve" is right.
OMM and Dunvagen won't reflect Mr. Glass personal position and opinion I suppose.
As Mr. Glass has no manager (he's his own!), I think he has more authority and influence on commercial organizations distributing his works.
Why don't we set up a pool?
I bet the performance will happen!

[ste]

Surely the decision whether to permit the score to be substituted more likely lies with the director Godfrey Reggio or the Studio, rather than with the composer Philip Glass?

Directors often commission scores and then change their mind and go with a new one.

It all depends on the contract at the time but I'd bet the Reggio has the last say...

[Proman]

Wait a second. Why are we even pondeing Bernstein's quote since it's taken completely out of context? And please don't try to argue otherwise, that would be ridiculous. This isn't about sharing or commercialism of music (ironic considering that these people clearly are making money off of this). This is about misrepresenting a piece of work.

You don't take apart a movie without a distinct persmission of its creators. It's plain and simple. We'd all be outraged if someone was to recut Powaqqatsi and decided to show it this way. Or to suddenly swap all of the colors. This isn't any different.

The point is that these people are using a movie that is not their work, don't have rights to and doesn't happen to be in the public domain and selling tickets to the performance. And, suddenly, people are on their side?

And please spare me the controversy. If they were given permission to do this, I wouldn't say a thing. However, to just decide that they can do this is quite something else.

[Steve]

Are you absolutely sure that they haven't received permission from Reggio? Looking at their website, this is an organisation backed by Scottish Screen/Creative Scotland, associated with charities such as Christian Aid and the WDM among others(http://www.takeoneaction.org.uk/our-supporters/).They don't seem to be the type of people who would do this without permission.

[Gerard Mariscalchi]

"Proman", why didn't you wait almost a day before posting a text like yours?

I think you are completely wrong in your analysis of the problem.

Hidden Orchestra doesn't modify the film. They let the pictures intact. They only deliver a different performance of the music. A transcription.
Even the greatest composers have, in the past, done this (think about Mozart modifying parts of Haendel's Messiah of which I own forty versions!).

If rules were yours, there will be no performer of a musical piece but the original one. Aren't you just a little out of your mind?
With all the respect I give to you, this is simply stupid.
Sinatra wouldn't have make his biggest hit if "My Way" would have been sung only by Claude François, the original performer...

Last, "Steve" is right again.
You know, as we do, absolutely nothing about the fact if Hidden Orchestra has acquired the rights or not.

[Steve Glassfan]

Joe Acheson wrote an entirely new score. It's not a transcription of Glass's score.

I have no interest in hearing it anyway, as there's no way Glass's score could be surpassed. "Anthem" is one of the greatest themes ever written!

[Steve P]

If I remember correctly, Glass himself had to ask permission of the Georges Auric estate when he wanted to rescore "La Belle et la Bete". I imagine it would be the same if someone wanted to remove his score from "Powaqqatsi"?

[Proman]

"Hidden Orchestra doesn't modify the film. They let the pictures intact."

I want to point out the obvious. The film is not just pictures. It's pictures and music. How dare you say otherwise? Together this is what makes up the experience of the film. Glass is as much of an owner of the film as anyone. The only way to modify it is to ask for a permission.