From the Library: Movie Magic!
Today's programme in our series From the Library features primarily instrumental film music from movies released in the 1930s onwards. The earliest film score represented is probably Sir Arthur Bliss's stunning music for the film adaptation of HG Wells' Things To Come, arguably one of the best science fiction films ever made, despite being very much of its era. From the Thirties and Forties we also present music by British film music composers such as William Alwyn and Richard Addinsell, and there are contributions from William Walton. American composers are also represented, including Steiner, Silvestri, Mancini and Goldsmith. You'll encounter quite a wealth of John Williams today too, from Star Wars to Harry Potter, and in addition we'll be featuring pieces of classical music that have played a vital role in the movies.
As always, there are a few wild cards too. Richard Addinsell's Warsaw Concerto, from Dangerous Moonlight, is featured. This Rachmaninov-esque miniature piano concerto was allegedly written because Rachmaninov was not interested in contributing a piece for the film – but it became a huge hit in the early 1940s and spawned a series of works in a similar vein, collectively known as the "Denham Concertos" after the film studios in Denham, Buckinghamshire, where many British wartime films were made. Thus you will also hear Trevor Richardson's enthralling London Fantasia, which tells the story in music of life in a major British city in wartime. Another wild card is music from a movie that was never actually made, although it should have been: the marvellously atmospheric score by Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois for a film about the Apollo space missions.
From the Library is produced by Radio Riel in conjunction with the Caledon Library in Second Life. Today's programme was produced by Elrik Merlin.
You can listen now at http://music.radioriel.org - the ideal URL for you to use in your home parcel media address in-world - or simply visit any Caledon Library branch in-world and press Play on your embedded music player.
