HBO's Rome - free preview week-

[Jeff Beal]

Hi everybody - I wanted to let all of you cable subscribers know that HBO is having a free preview week (9/3-9/7) - you can watch the 1st couple of episodes of their new series "ROME" starting at 8PM tonight, which were directed by Michael Apted - Score and Main Title theme by yours truly -
hope you enjoy it
- jb

more info at HBO's "Rome" site-
http://www.hbo.com/rome/

[Christopher Duncan]

Hi, Jeff.

Saw the 1st episode about Ceaser's stolen gold standard ("Stolen Eagles") last night. The show is very well done and really puts you "there". I thought the music, especially the percussive opening piece (which may be the main theme), was compelling. Great stuff, man!

[Jerry W.]

Jeff,
I know you are a pro and all, but let me say WOW. When I saw your name in the opening credits, I thought "Hey! I know that guy! Or at least, I've CHATTED with that guy!"

:)

Congrats! The music is just superb. As with the best film music, it was at once transparent and yet very impacting.

If you have time.......
Can you explain into any detail the process you went about creating this music? Did you do a mock-up with sample libraries and then record with a real orchestra? I am curious about the process and the inspiration.

Thanks SO much for sharing your music with us.

Jerry Wickham

[Jeff Beal]

Yeah, I'll try and do that later on this week-- jeff


Jeff,

If you have time.......
Can you explain into any detail the process you went about creating this music? Did you do a mock-up with sample libraries and then record with a real orchestra? I am curious about the process and the inspiration.

Thanks SO much for sharing your music with us.

Jerry Wickham

[Garritan]

Congratulations on your continued success Jeff!

Doing the score of this mega-series is quite an accomplishment. I read that this production budget for the first season stands at US $75 million (I hope you're getting a nice share of that http://www.northernsounds.com/forum/images/smilies/smile.gif )

When in Rome, do as the Romans do!

All the best,

Gary Garritan

[Christopher Duncan]

I read that this production budget for the first season stands at US $75 million (I hope you're getting a nice share of that )
Just remember, if you have to pillage and burn to get your share, order is important. :)

[Dave Hoffman]

Jeff,

Congratulations on your continued success! Great stuff!

btw, Are you the same Beal who wrote a big band chart called "A Blues Grows in Brooklyn"? I have enjoyed using that many times with students and am saddened that it is P.O.P.

Dave

[chriscaouette]

Congrats Jeff and I look forward to hearing about your methods used.
Chris

[Jeff Beal]

Hey Dave - yeah, I wrote t"A Blues Grows in Brooklyn" - what's the meaning of the P.O.P --? jb


Jeff,

Congratulations on your continued success! Great stuff!

btw, Are you the same Beal who wrote a big band chart called "A Blues Grows in Brooklyn"? I have enjoyed using that many times with students and am saddened that it is P.O.P.

Dave

[Dargason]

Hey Dave - yeah, I wrote t"A Blues Grows in Brooklyn" - what's the meaning of the P.O.P --? jbIt means the publisher reports it as "Permanently Out of Print"...

[Jeff Beal]

got ya - perhaps I'll look into getting rights back so i can offer it direct...do you need a copy?


It means the publisher reports it as "Permanently Out of Print"...

[Styxx]

I've been watching ROME for several weeks now. I wouldn't say it's HBO's best but it has it's moments. I am a die hard Carnivale and Six Feet Under fan. The change takes a little getting used to.
Jeff, I admire your music and consider your work the "icing on the cake" for HBO's series! I am in wonder as to the instrumentation you chose for ROME especially percussion. Maybe perhaps you could elaborate?
Again, many best wishes and compliments!

[Dave Hoffman]

got ya - perhaps I'll look into getting rights back so i can offer it direct...do you need a copy?

I'd love to get a copy, Jeff. I hope you will get it republished. It is a great piece for HS jazz band. I have turned on many other directors to the piece as well.

[nigamshah]

Jeff,

I had no idea-- I've just started watching the show. While I watched this with my girlfriend, I remarked to her that we really don't know what the Ancient Romans' music was like since written music hadn't been developed yet.

I would LOVE for you to impart some of the process. Both in terms of the production of the music, as well as the creative side- how are you choosing to represent Roman life musically? I'm very interested in composing for film & TV in the future and I would really like to how working professionals' minds work in this field.

Thanks!

[dewdman42]

I watched the first two episodes. I'm sure I'll be hooked. I knew it was you Jeff even before I saw your name roll by the credits because your style is unmistakable (I'm also a die hard fan of other HBO hits like Carnivale and Deadwood). Nicely done and congradulations on your continued success... Indeed!

Nice to see you here..

-steve

[Jeff Beal]

Thanks all for the questions and comments - as promised here are some ramblings on the process and method's I'm using on my score for "ROME" -

The show's creators have worked very hard to present a view of this time period unlike most of previous epic films on the roman empire. One of these is the ideas of a 'street level' view of Roman society. The story involves 2 semi ficitious characters, legionaries in Caesar's army and their lives, in contrast to the cast of historical characters and their families.

It was obvious from the outset the music would have to support this point of view. Also, as many of you have already pointed out, not all of what "roman" music sounded like is simply not known for many reasons. (i.e. music was improvised, and also, many 'pre-christian' elements were intentionally eradicated as pagan)

There was another dimension to we wanted to experiment with as well, which was to allude to the sense of not just roman culture, but also to refer to the larger scope of the empire at that time. If you look at a map of the scope of the Roman empire at the time our story begins (52 BC) it's rather astounding - basically most of middle and southern & eastern europe, north africa, egypt and the mid-east!

There are a couple dimensions to the score - 1st and foremost was the idea of real live performances of as many instrument's drawing from (or able to allude to) this ancient feel and geography, supplemented with samples and (on a few cues) a live string section.

I also felt I wanted to play as many of these instruments as I could - since most of the elements in this type score might have their genesis in more improvisational gestures I felt this was a more honest and 'real' approach (as opposed to collecting a bunch of improvisations from world musicians for example)

So- on the score I'm playing in various episodes-
rababa (an primitive 2 string violin)
oud
alto, tenor and bass recorders
shofar
duduk
various wood flutes (kind that don't require a flute embocure)
trumpet, french horn
zurna
mandolin (not until ep. 6)
frame drums, shakers, and other hand percussion

supplemented by
a small string section
a woodwind specialist playing oboe d'amore and bansuris (indian wood flutes)

on top of this are various sampled percussion, harps, and other sampled textures from various sources,etc.

re. the question of preview tapes - the answer is most def. yes. I try and record as much of the real instruments as possible while I'm composing the score- occasionally the strings come after, but I've found the more I can present to HBO and the producers in the almost finished state the better - I send out 7 copies of a DVD of the whole show with my score rough mixed in for them to review, and get primarily 2 sets of notes (one from the ex-producer and another from HBO). I have to run, but i'll try and post a bit more on scales and modes later---jb

[csduke]

Jeff,

I was happy to see your name roll by in the opening credits of Rome. Actually my wife saw it and yelled "Craig, Jeff Beal is writing the score!;" and she's not even a musician but knows your name because you seem to write the music to the few shows we watch. The early emperors is an exciting period in Roman history and we have great hopes for the show. We have bought the first seasons to Deadwood and Carnival. HBO produces these with the quality that meets or beats feature length period movies (music, sets, costumes, script, ...) BTW, your score to Carnival was fantastic. You really captured the "other world" qualities of that show. The title music really transports to to that wierd little world. I can't tell you how sorry to hear the cancel Carnival. Oh well, a least Deadwood (and now Rome) is still with us. Congratulations and thanks to HBO.

[Garritan]

Jeff,

Thanks for sharing some of the processes and methods you've used on your score for "ROME". It is very interesting and informative as to how you approached the score.

Getting into the "ancient feel" seems like the way to approach this. Learning to play those unusual instruments must have been fascinating and getting into the mindset of ancient modalities must have been interesting.

Looking forward to learning more - especially on the scales and modes.

Thanks again Jeff,

Gary Garritan