Product Description

This resource is the most in-depth scholarly resource available on Danny Elfman. It integrates a careful study of Elfman's scoring technique with a detailed analysis of the film itself.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #103278 in Books
• Published on: 2004-09-07
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 192 pages

From the Author
This book presents a detailed study and appraisal of Danny Elfman's score for the 1989 film, Batman, directed by Tim Burton. Chapter one examines Elfman's musical background, looking at his work with the Mystic Knights and Oingo Boingo in the 1970s and 1980s, at how he came to scoring films scoring in the first place, and at his working relationships with Tim Burton and Steve Bartek in particular. It also looks at the controversy that sprang up around 1989/ 90 about whether he actually wrote his own music or not.
The second chapter examines Elfman's overall approach to film scoring, and the aspects of his technique, style and innovations that make him both a distinctive and important figure in contemporary scoring, looking at many of his other films and discussing issues such as orchestration and idiom, Elfman’s approach to the use of themes and his ideas on capturing the tone of a film.
Chapter three looks at the film itself, examining it from the point of view of its narrative, themes and characters, its comic-book origins and the 1960s TV series, and the idea of the superhero in film from the 1970s onwards. The music is not discussed here, but the chapter sets out the elements of the Batman mythology and Burton’s film to which Elfman's score is responding, placing it in an historical and artistic context.
Chapter four is on the overall sound of the film, in particular examining the relationship between Elfman's score and Prince's songs. The fifth chapter traces the relationship between Batman and the Joker, examining how the music both supports and creates ideas of duality and opposition between the two characters; and chapter six examines the Bat-theme itself and the multiple meanings that Elfman generates from it and its variations. Between them, these two final chapters present an in-depth critical analysis of the score in relation to the film.

About the Author
Janet K. Halfyard is a senior lecturer at Birmingham Conservatoire, a faculty of the University of Central England, where she teaches courses in film music, and twentieth century and contemporary music.