Thomas Bergersen - American Dream (preview)

Hmm? Who said something? Cant see anybody has said yet anything here...Sure he has chops, nobody has ever argued about that.
I like Thomas Music, not everything he does, and definitely some tracks are super! And btw: This music example has nothing but nothing, and again: Nothing to do with modern (epic) music. Thats not modern, what he presents there, but not 1 percent. If you refer with your post to his more modern epic music, then his new album doesn´t fit into that at all because it goes back to the old classic filmmusic style. But when we stick to his modern epic music, it is also well crafted. But he is an exception. Many and I say many other composers fall down because they feature very often boring melodic ineffective lines with overused chord progressions such as Cm, Ab Maj, Eb Maj, Bb Maj. (which is not a bad progression) and their orchestration in a nutshell is pretty much this: Strings, lowbrass walls and Taiko percussion. So the music is not only limited by compositional aspects but also by orchestrational limits. If that is something you like, then that is great and I have no problem with it, but probably there comes this discussion from that some composers say: you don´t need to be a skilled artist to write in that idiom. While I think every music has its place, also the epic music either good or bad one, I can understand that not everybody likes that kind of music and I can understand that some composer ecpsecially those skilled ones which come the older times gain an anticipation towards that style. Its not only the style but oversaturation of that music in film, tv, radio, Games. Its so omnipresent that it is hard to escape from it sometimes

 

Mate, I cannot always read out rhetoric in your post.

 

Gooood god..I listened to this album on youtube again this morning, and don´t kill me guys. but my fiance has a headdache now and I can understand that for quite a bit. While I think his general ideas are absolutely cool he shits on taking rests, and so this album is all over the place and mixes so many styles and devices but often I feel not in pleasing way just for my understand that it makes sense to me. Its just too much. Melodies are freaking busy most of the time, no resting notes which generates a gravity and meaning, no quiter dynamics, it is either romantic part or fanfaric bang part at ff. And the change of style often makes no sense to me. e.g. he starts an idea..with that western style thing, then he makes it epic adding choirs, then a complete different idea which sounds almost strauss like or modern beethoven like. It is totally inconsistent for me.

I know technically it is all impressive there and thomas is for sure a great composer, and he loves that stuff, I know that. But this thing is just not my world. Each of his ideas are cool, but it feels like he wanted to write in one album the whole western classic soundtrack style and mixed everything but that makes stylistcally a chaos to me. There is no leitmotivic approach in this album where he sticks to one idea more and the rousing orchestration is just too much and too similiar with its choice of presets also. Don´t get me wrong: He is very skilled and he can write a shitload of great stuff what he did there...but it is just too much. And there comes the point for me: Memorability. I can´t remember much from any melodies there..not even one..

I appreciate that album mostly because of the performance, style in orchestration and technical aspect. But asthetically and stylistically its not my liking at all. And thats not because he can´t do that stuff, he just doesn´t want I guess. Also it is easier to sell such music to his more epic fans because they can relate better to that banging music? He is a bit like a Zimmerish version of Wiliams and other classic soundtrack composers for me.

How do you feel about that? Do you think I am wrong or right? I just am interested to hear some opinions by other mates here. Maybe I just don´t comprehend that album and you can help me to see the things and understand that better?