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| Not pictured: Hamlet, sanity. |
Onto your assignment for this week (10/7-10/11):
Part 1: Morricone
Zeffirelli's Hamlet features an Ennio Morricone score. He is an Italian composer most famous for his contributions to Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy. He is the man responsible for creating the signature sound of "Spaghetti Westerns."
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| Clint Eastwood's portrayal of the "Man With No Name" revolutionized westerns in the 1960's. |
- Your task: listen to some of Morricone's work on YouTube and select your favorite composition.
- Post a link to the video in the comment section of this post and explain why the song is appealing to you.
Part 2: Shakespearean Pronounciation
A father-son team of linguists have determined what actors performing Shakespearean dialogue actually sounded like when the plays were originally performed. Check out the video below.
- In your comment, leave your thoughts regarding the video and what Shakespeare "actually" sounded like. You may wish to compare it to the more modern pronounciation, such as that used by Mel Gibson.
Your comment must be at least two paragraphs in length.
Comments are due by midnight, Friday the 11th.
"As I sat here from hour to hour"..... oh sorry! Wow this is eye opening - I love the dropped letters in the original Shakespearean English when it is pronounced right the puns are there.
ReplyDeleteIsaiah Johnson
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=48v75vw4lBk#t=72
This song is appealing to me because it has a good groove to it and a great style.
Watch the other clip about Shakespearean pronounciation.
DeleteReally....Zeffirelli over Branaugh? Too sexual. I enjoy Branaugh because it focuses more on what I love about the play: politics and self-preservation.
ReplyDeleteHelena Bonham Carter steals the movie for me, and as much as I like Kate Winslet, her portrayal of Ophelia lacks. Plus, I really love to hate Laertes in the Zeffirelli version.
DeleteBut, I agree: Zeffirelli really overdoes it with the Oedipal thing.
Wow, Ennio Morricone’s works are all really good. If I had to single one out, though, it’d have to be There were a lot of varied works - some dramatic (“Le clan des Siciliens”, “Le Marginal”, “L'estasi dell'oro - Il Buono, il Brutto, il Cattivo”, “Where”), some tension-filled (“Sixty Seconds to What?”, “La classe operaia va in paradiso”, “Sentenza”), some solemn (“Ecstasy of Gold”, “Une Pistola Per Ringo”), some catchy (“Svolta Definitiva”), some haunting (“Harvest”, “Al Capone”), some sweet (“Il Etait Une Fois La Revolution”, “Love Theme”), and the list goes on. I’ve also got to note that some, if not many, of the songs that I heard didn’t just stick to expressing one thing; some went from tension-filled to dramatic, or some weren’t just haunting but were also dramatic, for example.
ReplyDeleteThe song in Mr. Morricone’s repertoire that I think called out to me was “My Name is Nobody”, which is the main theme for, well, “My Name is Nobody”:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4Iw3Q8JdP4
It’s just so gosh darn cheery. The instrumentation – the guitar, the flute, the banjo, the chorus, the percussion, and “dat” bass (it’s so good) all come together to push forward an uplifting sound that just makes you feel really happy inside. It makes sense that it’s more , given that this movie is supposed to be a comedic version of the Spaghetti Western, and the team (including Sergio Leone, whose credits include directing the Dollars Trilogy) that made the film were determined to make this the “ultimate ‘joke’ version” of the genre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Name_Is_Nobody, http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Film/MyNameIsNobody?from=Main.MyNameIsNobody). Really, I just like it because it’s so nice to listen to.
Regarding the Shakespeare pronunciation video – that’s really clever. It’s a shame that the puns (like the “loins” one) and the rhymes wouldn’t be caught on if spoken in our modern tongue. The change in pronunciation between back then and now is very different; it’s interesting to see how our English has evolved over time. It’s great that we try to stay faithful to the past even as we continue to change. It’s really cool that the two different pronunciations yield different types of performances being presented, as well, as it switches up how we would perceive the characters as the audience.
Cheery indeed. I like the flute as well.
DeleteI listened to several of his songs and I have to say they were all pretty good. I really enjoyed this one though. It had a happier beat. It sounded a lot like music my dad listens to. He loves music and has a huge collection of different types of them. This song really emphasizes different instruments not used in other of his song. It had a great indigenous fell to it. I love things like that.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqjcoTzhaIk
The original pronunciation sounded a lot like leprechauns sound in movies. It is very interesting how English has evolved and changed. I think that the “OP” is very revealing to the time age. It is interesting how it changes Shakespeare’s works completely. Its crazy how pronunciation can change the time of the play. The actors had a very hard job having to remember both the ’OP’ version and the modern English. I do think that modern English has many faults. I am being bias since Spanish is my first language. Ever since I began to learn English I find it strange how different the spelling and pronunciation of words are. ‘OP” is a better contender because it uses phonetics as its guide to spelling.
My favorite piece of Morricone is For a Few Dollars More. I like this piece because when I hear it, it reminds me of a showdown between two cowboys. I can just picture two heavily bearded men with cowboy hats pulled down low ready to dual. The other piece are just typical western songs and are not two appealing to me.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to various pieces of Ennio Morricone's work I found myself comparing each one to a certain song that stood out to me. "The Misson" is one that had caught my eye. It could be the sappy, dramatic tone or the way it highlights the beauty of the softer melodies of instruments that caused me to enjoy this piece; however, I am unable to put my finger on it. It is a soundtrack you'd hear in a scene where two people fall in love, a friendship is reconciled, or a family is brought back together. This song is not only one that is pleasing to the ear, but also one that you can't help but to get a sense of hope from.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoQ2yiS1lsY
(Second half will be posted in seperate comment, my computer is running to slow and im getting frustrated sorry)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=48v75vw4lBk#t=72 the style of this is definately a capturing one and for that Id say I have to go with this Morricone composition
ReplyDeleteThe Shakespearean Pronunciation is truly incredible. You would think that the modern pronunciation captures all the true feelings of it, but it does not give you everything. In the period of rapid change they talk of evolution and words began to sound different changing more and more through the ages. To understand modern language we must start where it all began to develop. Shakespeare's accent was a very broad one and it puts the puns we miss into the play as they should be seen. (Paragraph 2) As the video shows the pronunciation is truly remarkable. The differences in the words as the father and son show are definately the evolution of life over time. Thinking of the beginning of time makes you want to look into the eye's of the old ages to see life from their perspective. Shakespeare truly was a genius in his own time.
ReplyDeleteHey Stefen Fleming I see you
ReplyDeleteOMG you have to played Candy Crush it makes me mad when I cant beat a level but what really makes me mad though is when I'm playing call of duty and soon as I respond and someone kills me !!!!!!!!!!! UGH!!! That make me so mad BUT what gets me even madder than that is when someone keep trying to talk to me and their breathe stink . I just want to punch them in the face . I wonder do they know there breathe stink. I don't think so
ReplyDeleteAfter researching a few Morricone’s works I have to say I was drawn more towards his more calming pieces. I enjoyed “Gabriel’s Oboe” from a 1986 movie film, “The Mission”, because of the peaceful aroma it sends out. In the beginning the drums sound sort of eerie, but then it goes into a beautiful oboe solo. The piece gives off the vibe where you could listen and fall asleep or just lay relaxed in serenity.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ixby9BzJfEo
The Shakespearean dialogue now compared to how it originally was pronounced is mind blowing. To me it’s crazy to think that some of text then has different meanings than we see it today just because of the way it was pronounced. To think that some of the modern day Shakespeare portrayals that I have recently seen, such as Macbeth and watching Hamlet in class makes me wonder how they would have been originally been done. The modern day portrayals take their lines slow so the audience hears the meaning and feels the feelings their character posses. Another interesting thing I thought was how in “OP” the dialogue was spoken almost 10 minutes faster, to me it seems like the deeper meanings would not have been truly processed. On the other hand, it would allow the characters to analyze their character in a better prospective and find the true meaning of the words their character spoke.
Is it truly faster or does it sound that way because it is so unfamiliar?
DeleteI searched around and came across a few different Morricone pieces and after listening to many soft melody's I began to think to myself, "Really Clark?". But then I found myself listening to a tune that just made me in-vision the most hardcore Western standoff with the hero coming out on top. When that guitar really starts to come more prominent is when the whole tone starts to pick up and then everything just comes more upbeat and exciting. I may not be the best at describing music, or anything at that, but this song really is cool (and perfect for when you're finishing up a blog on a Friday night).
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpZjvbSC9_M
After watching the Shakespearean video, I could only think how relived I am that its not like that now. It really is crazy how much the accent on words has changed over the years. However, it's even crazier how much harder that is was to understand with the 400 year old accent. Around 8 minutes in, the younger man describes the language and how it was easier to understand and get the intended joke. But, with my terrible understanding of Shakespeare, I would still have to slowly read it a few times.
Really. "A Fistful of Dollars" is my jam.
DeleteI can't really say that this genre of music is down my alley, but there was one song that I actually found to be pretty neat: Le Vent, Le Cri. I have absolutely no clue what the title means, but one thing I do know is that when you listen to that song, it gives you the sensation that you're almost flying. Also, I liked the addition of the drums because it made the song more upbeat and easier to enjoy.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rRbyZ3eD-9M.
The Shakespeare pronunciation video really blew my mind. Not necessarily because it is such a significant discovery (although it is), but because I didn't think it was possible for Shakespeare to be any harder to understand. It really makes you think about how much the English language has evolved over time. Also, it really goes to show how creative Shakespeare was with his use of wordplay that would have otherwise been completely overlooked.
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=cs4LxHPF-4wDeborah's Theme has a multitude of ways to be used. When I listened to this song it sounded like someone overcoming something, the pinnacle of someone's life that has been having a hard time. Or a melancholy song for someone who is looking for a break. Or a waltz with an estranged lover. Or losing someone that will never return because of death, choices, or fate. The diversity of this song, of a movie I've never seen, took my mind on a journey. This song's theme has an endless amount of storylines.
ReplyDeleteI can't find or see the Shakespeare video on my phone so I'll have to post that later.
I feel like I have heard a lot of these tunes before. Personally I liked a few of them but I guess I was just in a relaxing mood when I listened to the songs because my favorite was "The Mission". http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XoQ2yiS1lsY I do not know what it is specifically about the tune that I liked so much however it just stood out to me. It definitely put me in a calming mood and I felt more emotion towards it.
ReplyDeleteWow I knew that there was difference between modern pronunciation and Shakespearean, but I did not realize it was that much. I guess what surprised me the most was the spelling of some words more than the pronunciation. For example film was spelled completely different than it sounds, which I guess makes sense as to why it sounds so differently too. After this, and this year, I definitely look at Shakespeare in a whole new perspective and respect him more. His work is more creative than I thought and I love to see how much has changed since modern times too.
English spelling was not really solidified until the publication of Samuel Johnson's dictionary in 1755. Shakespeare was working 100 years prior.
DeleteIsaiah Johnson
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry this is late it wouldn't post last night
The Shakespeare punctuation is quite interesting. The modern punctuation is way different from the punctuation that was used in shakespeare time. In the video they talk about how the words were sounded different back then. They talked about the evolution of words and how were changing over time. If we want to fully understand modern language we have to learn how it all begun.
When the video shows the different ways of pronunciation is truly incredible. As the father and son talk about the differences in the words is truly an evolution over time. I wish Shakespeare can see how far evolution of words came so far. Shakespeare was genius with a lot of knowledge in his own time.
Every time I try to comment on this, after I hit publish, the page resets and my comment disappears. I have no idea why. So I'll try it again. For the fifth time.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYDN_BsNJNk Amore was my favorite song. It's hard to listen to an instrumental song like this and not imagine some kinda movie scene or event where'd you hear it. (Or maybe I'm the only one who does that) But during this song, it reminded me of something you'd hear at a wedding. I'm a hopeless romantic so within the first 30 seconds I imagined this song being a couple first dance or playing while the walk down the aisle. Come to find out, the word "amoore" means love, desire, affection, and fondness. Which is more than appropriate for a song like this. Some of the other songs didn't seem as smooth and up lifting as this one so that's why this one stood out for me.
I would never want to sit through a play that uses original Shakespeare pronunciation. I had a hard time listening to the modern one and being able to figure out what they were saying. So having to listen to something even more foreign, would drive me crazy. I guess I could see why someone would want to do a play like that but the point of a play is for entertainment. Not sure how many people besides Shakespeare fanatics would be able to sit, watch and enjoy something like that. If something is going to remain relevant to a period of time, I think it needs to evolve. The story remains the same but a more understandable pronunciation will increase how relate able it is and popularity.
ones work is very interesting to me. The strong western style gives the movie a “feel” and personality unlike no other type of music. He is a very good composer in my mind to be able to shape a movie the way he does and set a clear and obvious mood. My favorite song of his is definitely the theme to “For a Few Dollars More.” This song grabs my attention the happy kind of “jumping” sound and the sad whistle in the background. Sadness mixed with intensity helps me to believe this song is played when something dramatic or unknown is about to follow. Here’s the link to the song: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mLXQltR7vUQ
ReplyDeleteThe original Shakespearian accent was very….different to what I’m used to. It was harder to understand. It sounded like a foreigner with a strong accent. Maybe Irish-like. As for the discovery itself I thought it was very interesting that they could actually go back n find out how the pronunciation of the English language was 400 years ago. Words such as warlock and hour don’t even sound like how we pronounce them today. It makes me wonder how the pronunciation even changed.
So I'm just realizing now that my comment didn't post weeks ago .. Great.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYDN_BsNJNk Amore was my favorite song. This is the type of song you hear and immediately imagine a scene from a movie. This song makes me picture maybe a women walking down the isle waiting to meet her groom and their about to be wed. Later I found out the word "amoore" means love and desire. The other songs didn't seem as up lifting and happy as this one so that's why this one stood out for me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48v75vw4lBk Two Mules For Sister Sara was my favorite song. Two Mules can be used in various situations in movies. The song also has a very gritty sound I liked about it. Examples such as Django used Two Mules as one of the songs. Two Mules drew me in closer to Django during the scene. I wanted to know what would happen next. The banjo playing also is kind of catchy. I like it
ReplyDelete- Brandon Roberson
The Shakespeare pronunciation is great. I feel as if we were listen to other things of Shakespeare, it wouldn't be as drama filled or interesting. With modern pronunciation, plays would seem kind of dull. If we were to actually mix both modern language and past language together, Shakespeare would be a lot more interesting.
ReplyDelete-Brandon Roberson
Better late than never I guess, so here goes nothing.
ReplyDeleteThe theme from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is my favorite Morricone song. The instantly recognizable intro with the Native American sounding whistle is iconic and bad a$$. When I listen to it, it makes me feel like the gun slingin' sharpshooter I was always meant to be. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0-DlkLfEiM
After watching the clip with the proper pronunciation for Shakespeare, I think I may have a newfound appreciation for his works. Not only does it flow better when spoken in the OP, but the puns that Shakespeare cleverly inserted into his writings now make some sense.
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ReplyDeleteI found someone on youtube that has a whole list of his works and i really liked Ecstasy of Gold from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. The song sounds like your about to embark on a long journey and it almost sounds hopeful. I had it on replay while i worked on your assignments. Oh and the small part of the woman singing in the background at 0:48 reminds me of HP for some reason? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9_h8XwP4Wg&list=PLCC0B4A7C5C720161
ReplyDeleteThe pronunciation definitely makes more sense because i don't think people talked that slow like how they interpret it now. And the point gets across more as you could see with the part about prostitutes. It also really sounds scottish to me…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=48v75vw4lBk&feature=player_embedded#at=91
ReplyDeletei actually enjoyed the piece that was presented on the blog post. it was mysterious, but showed creativity by using various instruments at one time kind of making me feel like i am in a rainforest, then taking me out to the desert. they took it to a whole new level when they used an instrument in such a way to make it sound like a donkey.
i think the evolution of the english language in itself has become so great since that time period that it can be almost impossible to understand what someone is saying in everyday language. one can only imagine how hard it can be to understand Shakespeare's genius way with manipulating words to make them fit into dynamic pentameter. i can see how it can change the way the words are perceived with the different pronunciation with the words sometimes also. a particular word can go from being perceived as having a confused connotation to an angry one or to any other type of emotion.
After watching the video on the pronunciation, I was truly mind blown. While reading Shakespeare I already could hardly understand what was going on through the way things were expressed,but through this video I found it was possible for Shakespeare to be even more difficult to understand. When I would think I somewhat comprehended what he was saying, I later would see that I was completely wrong. It really makes you think about how much the English language has evolved over time. Also, it really goes to show how creative Shakespeare was with his use of wordplay that would have otherwise been completely overlooked.
ReplyDelete(very late, but complete!! hehe)