Hear from the pros: Abel Korzenioswki

Abel Korzeniowskis work in film music places him in a small group of composers who seem destined to define the future of the art form. It is his passionate, evocative, and truly original music grounded in modern European style that fixes a singular impression on the listener. Korzeniowskis scores have received tremendous critical enthusiasm and numerous awards, most notably two Golden Globe nominations, and three World Soundtrack Awards. His lush, stirring, highly original music for Tom Fords A Single Man, starring Colin Firth and Julianne Moore, was greeted with immediate acclaim. The score caught the attention of Madonna, who invited him to create music for her feature film W.E.. Stylish and bittersweet, W.E.s score brilliantly reflects the glamorous romance between Wallis Simpson and The Duke of Windsor. One reviewer called it chocolate for the ears. Evgenis Waltz, a piano piece from W.E., became the basis of a new version of Madonnas hit Like a Virgin, performed during her 2012 MDNA world tour. For Patricia Kaas, Mr. Korzeniowski has reimagined the songs of Edith Piaf, arranging and producing the record album Kaas Chante Piaf, commemorating the 50th anniversary of Piafs death. In addition to his other film work, Mr. Korzeniowski has created musical identities for some of the worlds most prestigious brands, including BMW-i Electric Vehicles and Tiffany & Co. Born in Krakow, Poland, Korzeniowski studied classical composition under Krzysztof Penderecki. In 2006, he moved to Los Angeles, where he currently resides. Lets see what he has to say about the seventh Composers Challenge!

It was a very complex sequence, as difficult to score as it ever gets, so congratulations to all participants! Having said that, the hardest part may be accepting critical comments to your music. This is one of the most challenging aspects of being a film composer, and more often then not, feedback will come from people who won't be able to articulate their thoughts on music in a precise way. Yes, it will be your director or a producer, or a studio executive. Your natural reaction will be a rejection. You'll think "this person doesn't know what s/he's talking about" or "I disagree, I think my music is just perfect". Until you can see past that, the collaboration will not work. Someone may use an improper or misleading or unnecessarily harsh term, in any case you will have to listen very closely to decode the message and don't let your ego stand in your way. Let's put this theory to test now. My first note will be the easiest to accept, because it applies to all of you:

It was supposed to be your own music, and yet all of you allowed John Williams to take the front seat. Not one of you attempted to write a theme that would be a centerpiece of the whole sequence. You may not believe that you can write something as charismatic. Perhaps you struggle with basic elements, like harmony or counterpoint. Yes, it may be true at this moment, and you may not succeed any time soon, but you do it until you do it right. If your theme doesn't work, don't try to fix it, it won't work, start over. Repeat.

ENTRY #1 Rating: 5 Pros: Solid orchestration and good use of past themes. Cons: The score is somewhat detached from the picture. Consecutive movements and individual building blocks don't seem to belong to a larger sequence, feeling more like a collection of unrelated musical elements.The harmonic progressions wander around, without a strong sense of direction. ENTRY #2 Rating: 6 Pros: Solid orchestration, an intriguing dark beginning and a very good action passage (Harry chasing Ballatrix). Cons: The mood doesn't always match the scene. Often, too triumphant. The medieval elements in the score, make it too casual and not serious enough. A lot of problems with counterpoint. It results in a lot of dissonances that just sound messy. Dissonant music needs structure too. (and even atonal music has very strict rules). ENTRY #3 Rating: 10 Pros: Excellent sensitivity to visual cues and emotional changes. Very effective and moving use of the vocal and silence. The whole sequence is really engaging and seamlessly flowing from one beat to the next. Great use of themes. Congratulations, well done! ENTRY #4 Rating: 6 Pros: The action moments are great. Good use of past themes. Cons: The non-action sections are not as engaging. Not enough original material and themes, especially in the second half.

ENTRY #5 Rating: 7 Pros: Great beginning, impressive orchestration, good use of past themes Cons: Actions sequences too mellow, not enough background movement. Even though the score properly reflects the visuals, it doesn't propel the scene forward. Responding to visual cues is not enough. Don't be afraid to create and drive the narrative. ENTRY #6 Rating: 6 Pros: Unique approach Cons: missing mystery, not enough movement in action sequences, the polyphonic counterpoint sometimes feels out of place. ENTRY #7 Rating: 8 Pros: memorable, interesting sonoristic approach, modern, out-of-the-box thinking Cons: some sections are underdeveloped or too simplistic. Not always connected to the picture. ENTRY #8 Rating: 3 Pros: Some interesting ideas. Cons: Lacks complexity, relies too heavily on drums, not emotional enough. ENTRY #9 Rating: 8 Pros: emotionally moving, works well with the picture, good orchestration and color palette Cons: past themes are underused, original themes not strong enough. ENTRY #10 Rating: 8 Pros: Impressive orchestration, excellent responsiveness to visual cues

Cons: Weak original themes, relies too much on lush, attractive orchestration. ENTRY #11 Rating: 4 Pros: Interesting rhythmic structures, good tension and mood in the final movement Cons: A lot of errors in counterpoint (as in Entry #2). Vague harmonic progressions. Simplified orchestration, especially missing a background layer. ENTRY #12 Rating: 7 Pros: solid orchestration, excellent use of choir, a beautiful finale (the "family memories" moment) and an excellent use of a past theme at the very end. Cons: overall, the score is very uneven, most of it being too sparse and slow, with not enough movement, and then, there is this excellent finale. ENTRY #13 Rating: 2 Pros: intricate use of past themes Cons: too atonal and random for the picture, very simplistic orchestration ENTRY #14 Rating: 4 Pros: Interesting textures and a very dark mood, great use of a "twisted" main theme Cons: too dissonant and random, doesn't match the dynamics and esthetics of the picture ENTRY #15 Rating: 3 Pros: good understanding of visual cues Cons: generic character of the original material, uneven quality of orchestration, insufficient use of themes

ENTRY #16 Rating: 3 Pros: good use of past themes Cons: thin orchestration, music meanders without a sense of direction, doesn't propel the picture. Building blocks loosely connected, not leading to each other, not forming a bigger, logical sequence. It's more like switching the radio from one station to another. ENTRY #17 Rating: 9 Pros: An outstanding addition of the logo/intro section, Excellent sensitivity to visual cues and emotional changes. Music flows and drives the picture. Well pronounced original themes. Emotional. Bravo. Cons: The direction of a harmonic progression and leading melodic lines is not always clear. Occasionally, chromatic alterations are out of place. Messy voice leading and counterpoint, especially in sections with the solo violin. Tip: a theme is much more then a melodic improvisation on top of a harmonic progression. ENTRY #18 Rating: 3 Pros: Interesting counterpoints and orchestral textures Cons: overused past themes, original melodies vague and meandering, weak transitions between sections. The score doesn't propel the picture, it stops too often waiting for what will happen next. ENTRY #19 Rating: 3 Pros: Good use of past themes and sensitivity to visual cues Cons: the score doesn't match the complexity of the picture and doesn't flow from one section to another, it's more like a collection of loosely related pieces. A lot of errors in counterpoint (especially in past themes) and weak harmonic progressions. All the best, AK