World Soundtrack Awards 2007
Winners
Film Composer of the YearAlexandre Desplat (The Queen, The Painted Veil)
Best Original Soundtrack of the Year
The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
Best Original Song Written Directly for Film
You Know My Name (Casino Royale) written by Chris Cornell and David Arnold – Performed by Chris Cornell
Discovery of the Year
Daniel Tarrab and Andres Goldstein (XXY, Inheritance)
Public Choice Award
The Fountain (Clint Mansell)
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to ikis Theodorakis who unfortunately couldn't be present due to health problems.
The Best Young Belgian Composer prize was awarded to Werner Viaene. He wrote the best score for Belgium, The Movie by Wim Robberechts and won € 2.500.
Pictures of the winners and evening
http://www.filmfestival.be/features.cgi?go=gallery&edition=34&caid=152
World Soundtrack Awards 2007
Well, here I was again!The day started with a press conference featuring Mychael Danna, a tired looking Harry Gregson-Williams, Eventhia Reboutsika and the Belgian composer Jeff Neve. Some good but somehow also general questions asked by Tommy Pearson was followed by questions from the fans. Interesting to hear for example that Gregson-Williams said he found his relationship with Tony Scott one of his most exciting, but at the same time answering the question to "Do these relationships with directions need a pause now and then, like Elfman and Burton?" he answered that while his collaboration is great, he thinks that Scott always would like his score, even if that it would be just another Spy Game (he mentions Déja Vu here). Interesting to think about on an artistic level.
Than the event itself! The announcement of the winners for all prizes were very satisfying to me, especially the Public Choice Award and the Best Original Score was won by the same guy. Anyway, Mansell was extremely honoured. He received this second award (Best Original Score Award for The Fountain as well) by Maurice Jarre and was deeply impressed by him, to stand next to a legend like Jarre. He found himself quite intimidated by the schooled talent around him. Alexandre Desplat won Best Composer Award and left a video message where he thanks Jarre and Delerue, the former accepting the award for Desplat. Jarre almost shouted then that Desplat should attend next year, which eventually will happen sooner or later anyway. Theodorakis also left a video message, because he was too ill to travel. He thanked the WSA and Filmfestival and was extremely honoured. His friend/composer/polical activist accepted his award and said that every award should honor Theodorakis as a composer and as a human (as you know, Theodorakis was besides composer also an important political figure in Greece). Arnold received his award for You Know My Name with his typical easy going but still respected way of talking.
The music from the first half consisted of a performance by the Belgian jazz performed Jeff Neve and his score for Dagen Zonder Lief. Quite an impressive debut to filmscoring, to go from jazz to orchestra. There was a very fine melody in his music and the jazz touch (Neve is a jazz musician in the first place) could be heard on the piano.
Than came Evanthia Reboutsika with My Father and My Son! She performed on a deep red coloured violin, together with a solist on some Greec string instrument and the orchestra. 10 minutes of selections from the score, showing the two themes from the score and especially that main theme is memorable. Evanthia is a great performer, who interacts a lot with the solists and orchestra. A very fine performance and the surprise of the evening! This was followed by the famous Zorba the Greek from Theodorakis, bringing in again exotic flavours.
After the intermission, the headlines of the concert started. Harry Gregson-Williams conducted music from Shrek 1, 2 & 3, Seraphim Flass, Gona Baby Gone and Narnia. Especially the first and last were georgious to hear. The Shrek Suite included all major themes, with the beautiful variations of solo violin and guitar of the Shrek theme, the main theme and the climax with the Dragon Theme.Seraphim Flass was much smaller in scope and while not bad, not entirely interesting either. Gona Baby Gone made it's live performance premiere here, featuring a simple but lovely main theme. But the apotheose was a 15 minute suite from The Chroniclas of Narnia. The Battle, The Lullaby and the final tracks of the soundtrack were all performed with excellence by the orchestra. Gregson-Williams himself was very nervous, and after each peiece he put his hand on his face to wake him up as he clearly couldn't believe it went well. Tommy Pearson also told that the director of Shrek and Narnia 1 & 2 was in the hall which HGW answered with that he forgot his Prince Caspian (Narnia 2) patitures. Funny thing was that a few hours before he told at the press conference that he hadn't done anything yet for Narnia 2 and that he couldn't tell the director, so we had to be quiet.
This was finally folllowed by Mychael Danna's part. Introducing us to the Indonesian Gamelan, which is a small orchestra almost every town in India has, it exists of small metal percussion plates with a specific sound and way of being played (which was odd to watch). This was ofcourse to be used for The Ice Storm. The complete suite from that score was performed (12 minutes of Gamelan percussion and orchestra) and while not everyone seemed to survive the 12 minutes, I was hooked the whole time. Followed by the beautiful theme from Moonsoon Wedding, performed on the Bansuri and a very nice orchestral interpretation of the themes from Little Miss Sunshine, including the accordeon and the big trombone. Absolutely great to hear this orchestral interpretation instead of DeVotchKa's indie sound. The concert ended with a 5 minute suite from Being Julia, with that catchy theme. While I think the selection of Danna's music could be more impressive (Ride with the Devil, Ararat) it seem it was a choice by Danna himself. In any case, I enjoyed his part the most because it was all so varied and different. It all ended with a long applaus for all composers, Dirk Brossé and The Flemish Radio Orchestra.
I had a great time this weekend, also because of the good friends and people around me. Thanks a lot!
Also thanks a lot to the people of the Filmfestival, Thomas Dierckxens and Steven de Jonghe.
I'll be there next year too.
To meet Desplat.