Comments on: Ode to Euterpe

By: josh lanyon

josh lanyon — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 21:32:15 +0000

Thanks for sharing these selections. I don’t know if it’s age or stress, but nowdays I can’t listen to anything with words. Not even language I don’t understand. I’ve discovered a lot of classical composers in the last year.

By: charlie

charlie — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 12:28:17 +0000

Almost impossible to choose one. Vaughn Williams’ piece on a theme by Thomas Tallis makes me shiver, as does ‘Surf’s Up’. All music inspires me – all good music, anyway.

Lovely choices from you!

Charlie

By: Jordan

Jordan — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 01:01:43 +0000

Yeah, it’s really wonderful. Wish it was on iTunes. My other favorite score if his actually isn’t a Burton film either, but Milk. Another amazing score. Not sure it’s as good at Black Beauty though.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 22:44:06 +0000

You should also check out Nyman’s “Where the Bee Dances and the Piano Concerto” cd. The concerto pieces for The Piano are longer, and blend into one another, and he includes full orchestra with brass playing a larger role in the music.

If you ever want names of scores/composers and films- I’m there. I am not only an audiophile as you can see, but also a cinemaphile as well.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:28:15 +0000

I’m totally with you on Mozart’s Requiem. The “Rex Tremendae” never fails in making me all teary-eyed (not because of sadness or anything, but because it’s just plain sublime).

Folk songs are great sources of inspiration, too. I’d love to dig up stuff from Slavic regions and get swept up with possible story ideas.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:17:52 +0000

Whoa, I didn’t even realize that Nyman did the score for The Piano. I’m only superficially knowledgeable of his work, so this’ll be even more incentive for me to look more into it.

BTW, your film list is great. It’s a much-needed kick up the backside for me as I’ve had half of those titles on my “Must See” list for DVD rentals, and now I really have to get going on it.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:14:26 +0000

Music’s effects can be pretty weird. That’s actually a pretty cool mix you have of classical and trance. I don’t write sex scenes, but I used to, when I was (very briefly) in the M/M market. It’s definitely odd, but I can see how those two different genres of music can work together for sexy scenes.

And thanks for the heads up on Williams’ piece! I want to check it out now (the swoony image of a cellist aside).

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:08:20 +0000

Scores are good! And I didn’t even know that Danny Elfman did the soundtrack for Black Beauty. That’s pretty interesting! I’m so used to associating him with Tim Burton films that it’s a real surprise to know that he tackled a classic.

Thanks for the heads up on that! I’ll have to look it up and sample it.

And a Happy Holidays to you, too.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:06:20 +0000

We all aspired to be “literary” writers in our artistic infancy, I think. XD Yeah, I feel your pain. I happen to be in the same boat as you back then.

Music’s so abstract that I’ve long given up trying to understand why some songs affect me the way they do.

Yeah, the only time I write in silence is when I’m working on contemporary stuff since my musical inspiration for that is post-punk songs that I can only listen to before I begin writing. Hehehe.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 21:03:34 +0000

You got me! I haven’t seen many movies from the 40s, but now I’ll have to. Are they mostly noir?

And your description of George San and Chopin makes me think of Impromptu. It’s one of my favorite historical films, largely because of the humor (and despite some plot problems). I can imagine Sand’s monologue against Chopin’s music. Very romantic.

By: Hayden

Hayden — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 20:59:49 +0000

Ah, yes, I can see why you can be inspired by that song. I’ve always thought it one of Sting’s most haunting tunes.

By: jeannebarrack1

jeannebarrack1 — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 19:48:13 +0000

Music has inspired all of my writing, so I loved your post. Although I don’t play music while writing — too distracting — music impacts each story. I sing just about everything and my music training and education has given me a varied repetoire to draw from.
Several works come to mind:
A Gaelic song, whose title translates as “Monday, Tuesday”, inspired “A Song of the Sidhe” and a slew of Country Western songs inspired “No One Else on Earth”.
Yiddish and Hebrew folk songs and psalms served as the musical backdrop for “Bend in the Road”.
Anything by Mozart from his operas to his instrumental works. The Requiem always sends shivers down my spin.
In my day job I’m a music therapist and I see each day how much music affects the senior citizens with whom I work.

By: Stephan

Stephan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 16:32:48 +0000

I ALWAYS listen to music whether writing or just reading. The music adds depth to the experience. I’m very much and audiophile and a “scorewhore” meaning that I am a connoisseur of film scores. I find that scores in particular always has an inspiring effect. It gives mood, tune, and atmosphere to the story I read or am writing. When people ask me what my favourite song is or the song that inspired me the most- I can never just pick one. I always say that “I could no sooner choose a favourite star in the heavens.” I will say this, however, that composer Alexandre Desplat is typically the first I turn to in my reading/writing endeavors. His scores for “Coco Avant Chanel” — “Lust, Caution” – “The Girl With the Pearl Earring” — “The Painted Veil” and “Chéri” are the ones I turn to most. Then again, I also find Michael Nyman’s score for “The Piano” is also equally inspirational and moving… better stop here before I keep naming composers.

By: Kate

Kate — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:39:08 +0000

The only time I can listen to music while I write is during a love scene, and then it has to be something without lyrics. I go between very fast-tempo trance music and classical music, which sounds weird but it works. My current favourite classical piece is Ralph Vaughn Williams’ ‘Five Variations on Dives and Lazarus’, mainly because I used to date a cellist who played that piece so beautifully.

By: Jordan

Jordan — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:32:02 +0000

Hi Hayden,

I’ve got a score rather than a song, if that’s okay. It was written by Danny Elfman, from the 1994 version of the movie Black Beauty. I do not own the soundtrack on CD because it’s over $100 to buy used and in good shape, but I have a few tracks someone sent me which I listen to when I write. Each of the tracks has a play count of about 400 now. It’s incredibly beautiful music, and very sad, which is also my favorite kind of story, so it’s the perfect writing background.

Happy holidays!

By: K. Z. Snow

K. Z. Snow — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:54:16 +0000

When I aspired to write “literary” fiction — years ago, before the realities of publishing and the wisdom that comes with age slapped my ego back down to size — I regularly turned to music for inspiration.

Three pieces moved me deeply when I was writing a particular book — the farewell trio, “Soave il vento,” from Cosi fan Tutte and the duet “Oui, c’est elle” from The Pearl Fishers. Odd, because I’m not a particular fan of opera . . . and because a song by the Temptations was the third one I kept listening to.

Now, though, I find music too distracting. I prefer writing to the sounds of silence.

By: Ken Craigside

Ken Craigside — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:26:57 +0000

I don’t know why, but I could never listen to music while writing narrative prose…but for plays I always write with the record player (OK, CD player) going. In fact earlier this year I did a monologue for George Sand to deliver whaile Chopin plays (and choughs) in the next room, and that piece began with his Grande Valse Brilliante.

Do you remember all of those lovely romantic movies of the forties when actors (particularly English ones) so brilliantly rode their dialogue over classical music?

By: Ken Craigside

Ken Craigside — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 14:24:33 +0000

Do you remember all of those lovely romantic movies of the forties when actors (particularly English ones) so brilliantly rode their dialogue over classical music?

By: Aleksandr Voinov

Aleksandr Voinov — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:24:24 +0000

I constantly write with music. One song that got me through a block and that still gives me shivers is Sting’s “Desert Rose” – I had three version of it, and listened to it for days.