Alan Menken on Oscar's Tangled Music Process

For better or for worse, this year's Music Oscars process is nearing completion.

Thursday night, members of the music industry AMPA met and seen more than two hours of film clip of three minutes of the 41 songs in consideration for award for best original song. Other members of the Section saw the same clips on DVD at home. Each song was recorded on a scale of 6 to 10, the scores will soon be counted, and somewhere between zero and five songs will be appointed.

I wrote about my problems with the process (read: Process Out of Tune Song Oscar), and some members of the Academy expressed dissatisfaction as follows: "Just to see a quick little excerpt will not tell you anything it is about the journey that the music takes you on ", the composer Hans Zimmer said last year.But then Oscar Music Awards always attracted controversy - and the industry, perhaps to his credit, was one of the most active academic departments trying to play with the process for the better.

Few competitors this year are better than the songwriter and composer Alan Menken (left), a competitor of the song "I See The Light" from "Tangled" and one of the few people who can legitimately say that the Oscar rules have been changed because of it.

By Menken, they changed because he kept winning: In the space of seven years between 1989 and 1995 he was nominated for an Oscar and won eight dozen of them, all the music for a series history of animated film from Disney "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin" and "Pocahontas."

tangled movies

I told you I wanted to "Tangled," Disney's animated movie, right? So, I downloaded via torrent tangled and they even had a copy of the HD. We started to see yesterday afternoon and now we've seen three times. My movie review of Tangled in the form of chips (MAIB by Naman)

Tangled was more to the story than the original story of Rapunzel. It 'was really a version of "Disneylized" Rapunzel, although some of them reminded me of "Barbie as Rapunzel." In Tangled, Rapunzel is lost, but the original story of a daughter Princess, its routine - a man and his wife, who wanted a child before his arrival. When the real mother of Rapunzel is pregnant with her, she wanted to rampions that were only available in the garden a powerful sorceress. His father had then tried to steal rampions (or was it a radish?) And when the witch caught him, implored mercy, and he agreed to his daughter so that is not punished for what he did. There was no such thing as a hair golden flower and healing powers.

I enjoyed the imaginative ideas in the film such as using a frying pan as a weapon. Yup, unlike other adventure-based movie where the heroes and heroines must have swords and archery supplies, all heroes need something here, but frying pans - and of course, Rapunzel Golden Hair

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1. as that of Ariel’s Part of Your World.


2. Among all the characters, I love the animals the most. I love Pascal but I love Maximus more. Maximus had all the qualities which a Disney Prince usually has – righteous, passionate, gallant and good with swords. Rider was well, after all a thief, and Disney had to incorporate the Princely characteristics on someone in the film – and those qualities landed on Maximus’ hoofs.


3. The film was very attractive with all the golden light in almost every scene. I do not know if it's only me, but I think the film was very ... Well, yellowish because of all the sun, the golden hair, candles and lanterns. The effect Tangled yellow is brighter - and more "Disneyish." So the stage lantern (as Aladdin and Jasmine are Flying Carpet) was encouraging, but it was not as exciting and touching them as hand in hand-ball as Cinderella and Belle moments.
   

Alan Menken Exclusive Interview TANGLED

Although it took time for Fantastic Fest, I promised all the interviews from my visit to Walt Disney Animation Studios earlier this month. So here's my one-on-one with the legendary Alan Menken, who wrote the music for Tangled and worked in the golden age of Disney animation in the 90s. Join me after the dissolution of the full transcript and a few highlights.

From the outset, I would say that Menken was a pleasure to talk with and had a calm demeanor about him. I asked all I could think of, and provides an update on future projects. Now for the highlights:

When I started to hang on to music?

He says that popular music is the main responsibility, and Joni Mitchell was a major factor

It 'still a passion to be a composer?

It started as a pre-med at the University of New York, but he always wanted to write.

I did not know how to follow that path.

How Donna Murphy and Mandy Moore in all this?

He had worked with Donna in the past and brought his experience in the theater.

Mandy had the exact features that were in search of votes.

Collider: So, it's crazy. You also have eight wins an Oscar.

Alan Menken: I know it's not crazy?

Did you know that you have the most Oscars any ...

Menken: Alive ... but you know, the truth is, let's face it. Meryl Streep has 16 nominations. I think mine is very impressive. I was very fortunate to be involved in projects as a composer, who really led me to report the results. I am very proud of him. If I had the ability to rename, I'd be happy.

You worked with Disney for a while now, but you had a bit of a pause or rest.

Menken: Well, I do not really take a break. I think a lively music works in cycles. So we had at the beginning of the cycle with the Little Mermaid and Hercules, to the end. He himself went, and I think that people wanted something more lively rock star driven, it was almost like a juke-box type of animation. I was delighted to return to the classic design. Tangled and is in the back because I think it was well aware of this desire is also a new type of music.

I read your story and you were really a pre-med student at NYU. So what did you do at Disney and musicals?

Menken: I have not been able to pre-medicine. [Laughs]. I wanted to be a composer and I went to school at the University of New York pre-med because I thought, well ... which is actually a composer?

As has always had this passion?



Menken: Yes, always. This is the passion of my life. So the college I started my musical career. Before coming to work for Disney, wrote Little Shop of Horrors, and other musicals. What led me to Disney was a new system, which is now the old system, it was over, Michael Eisner, Frank Wells and Jeffrey Katzenberg, and all these people really wanted to revive the musical soul, so he came to me and Howard Ashman . It was my entry into Disney.

You were a part of the Golden Age.

Menken: It 'been a great success and we continued. I believe that the success of a musical has inspired some people by surprise '. I do not think anyone knew how great was the hunger to return to their songs, and a simple romantic, and brings the values ​​of the film musical theater. So we said: "People like this, so let's continue to do so." When the box office has gone down, have such a thought, "Enough already, try something different." It 's inevitable the way things are going.

You've done a ton of different styles of Disney, but that era of music would you say that affects you the most?

Menken: Well, I'm always inspired by a particular style that we chose that comes from history. What a tangled, styles, I decided to ... I would not go to plan Hunchback of Notre Dame, which is another story of a person trapped in a tower, but clearly it was a goth and classical music of the Church and the French. Folk Rock wanted here. I was thinking of her long hair and the freedom he wanted. I immediately thought of Chelsea Morning Joni Mitchell and all, folk music, which I love. Cat Stevens and energy. I just felt that it would be, in the intestine, to bring this fresh palette. So that was really our road score.

While the film obviously affects any style you bring to the table.

Menken: Well, they had barely started the film at this point. It was the story and sketches of the characters that inspire a narrative device. When we did Hercules, and we brought the gospel, because it is in praise of God and Hercules were among them. It was an arbitrary choice, but it worked well for this story. Any one of the projects I've done has had a different musical palette that I have drawn on. Everyone wanted something that was really cool, it was fashionable to be adventurous and not so adventurous a little girl.
So howhaveyoubeeninvolvedinTangled?Menken:Rapunzelhadbeen around for a long time and I had no idea he would come my way. I think we had just finished and I had done Enchanted Shaggy Dog, and we were developing a few things and then the call came. They wanted to talk about Rapunzel, so when we started taking meetings and speeches, and then I took Glenn Slater. When we started, they really want to get out. While the songs were all pretty well written in less than a year. Many choices of songs and then they were storyboarded. The last song was written to be cast that takes place throughout the film. The first was written when my life began.

What is Donna Murphy and Mandy Moore bring to the table?

Menken: Well, Donna has brought experience in musical theater. He is a brilliant actor and has won two Tony Awards. Women I have known for a long time, in fact, was one of our Audreys Shop of Horrors back. So Donna brought that kind of drama. Not really connected to Donna, but connected to the story, Glenn Slater, and I wrote something that was very musical theater oriented Mother Gothel, and his song, Mother knows best. Mandy brings that wonderful quality which is fully compatible with Rapunzel. This item, which is a light, airy, and desire. She is wonderful, beautiful, and Rapunzel. Frankly, it was a beautiful game in a loud voice what we wanted for the character.

You are constantly developing new, including the upcoming theatrical production of the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Menken: The main things are going to have a leap of faith here at the Ahmanson Theatre opens, Oct. 3. And 'my gospel music. Sister Act London Palladium, is underway and coming to Broadway this spring. So those are my two, large, active projects, and then there's a music scene Newsies, Hunchback, Aladdin and all the way.

How to juggle all these projects? Is it easy?

Menken: I think it's easier ... Well, I think it is a pleasant and stimulating. I have always handled a lot of projects, because at least half of the projects do not get shelved. So you have to do a lot of things to come.

Tell us a little about how to balance the background score and music today. How did you find the pace of the transition between real history and a musical number?

Menken: We do it together. You can search for what must be the right time of the main characters of the song. But if you look like a pub song singing, well, you know what? We need to play a song. We need something that will be more than a single song. Thus, the characters have been invented to give Rapunzel and Flynn, stop on the road where you can play off the song a chance. Mother Knows Best flows directly out of the conflict between them. Lantern singing while quite a few 'power out of a sense of completion, and finally sees the lanterns, and at this time. And 'plus a number of assembly. So I sold the story and go, 'OK, these are the moments of a song as we see them, make this version and the version two of this. This seems about right. "It 'time to put on a song called The Dance United. When they come to the kingdom, and dance, which is a kind of musical moment, but also the moment of a song without words.

But structurally, if you write musicals enough you basically have an idea of ​​where to go, what you need and when, how to attract people on this trip.

This concludes our discussion, I was out of time. Once again, it was an absolute pleasure to meet the man behind some of my favorite songs of the music in Disney's string of hits in the 90's, especially Aladdin. You can read Part 1 and Part 2 of my set visit report, and my first interview with Zachary Levi here. Check back here over the last two interviews with Mandy Moore and Byron Howard and Nathan Greno directors in the next two days.

Full "Tangled" Song Available (Audio)

A full audio track "I See The Light", a song from the upcoming Disney animated film "Tangled" was released.

The song was written by Alan Menken and Glenn Slater, who is represented on Broadway this spring, the new law Sister music. Sweet love ballad performed Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as a walled-in, golden-haired heroine, Rapunzel and the charming bandit Flynn Ryder, respectively.

Extracts of all the songs on "Tangled", the soundtrack have been released on Amazon.com. In addition to Moore and Levi, two times Tony Award winner Donna Murphy, it is understood that the villain Mother Gothel.

To preview song, click here. Listening to all "I see the light", see below:

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Tangled' Trailer Flips Rapunzel Fairy Tale on its Head

Latest Disney Adventure 3D CGI animation is an interesting twist on the history of the tale "Rapunzel" Brothers Grimm about a young woman - trapped in a tower by a witch under stairs - whose long hair was used as a ladder to enter his room ("Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your golden hair"). And there she lived until a handsome prince rescued.

The people at Disney took the story and it turned around. In "Tangled" is Rapunzel (voice of Mandy Moore), now a fiery teen who spent too many years locked in a tower, and when the kingdom's most wanted - bandit Flynn Rider (voice of Zachary Levi) - and most Charming decides that her room would be a safe hiding place, she seized the opportunity to make him flee. It takes hostage Rider, strikes a deal with him to go on the lamb, and the unlikely duo in an adventure full of action with a horse super-cop, an overprotective chameleon and a gang of thugs difficult pub.

Tangled (I) (2010)

Although he composed the music for all the latest projects from Disney, Alan Menken has become a household name that has become synonymous with Disney over the past two decades. And why not? He was made a part of Disney in a Renaissance castle, with a remarkable job of "The Little Mermaid," "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and also to the masterpieces underestimated as " Pocahontas "and" The Hunchback of Notre Dame. " Therefore, it is not surprising that Disney brought him to compose scores for their recent CGI feature, "Tangled" is Disney Company last take the story of Rapunzel (finally).

When he was a composer Menken has created its own recognizable voice, as he is also extended, and has proven to be versatile as well. Menken is good music to create a sweet, harmonious and beautiful, that gives you a tale of sound vibrations, which has certainly used in "Tangled." However, it appears that Menken is consciously trying to repeat, with melodies and rhythms, similar to his previous works, including "Beauty and the Beast" and "The Little Mermaid" (if you are coming from Calypso and Reggae Sound).

That said, the music of "Tangled" is a little disappointing compared to the main conclusions of the earlier work of Menken. But music is not bad. Far from it. The melodies are sweet, simple, and listenable. But the best song is the sweet, "I see light," a ballad and harmonious atmosphere just beautifully sung by Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi. The orchestration is simply amazing and the melody is simply the Menken at his best.

While other songs do not live in the "light" level, they are still very listenable. Most notable is the song "When my life begins" from songs like a radio-friendly pop and more like a song that could be on the cards of a song from Disney fairy tale. But the song always ends peacefully.

I have to admit honestly that I never really listened to Mandy Moore's earlier work, but amazingly enough, his voice gives the character of Rapunzel singing a spark and personality, while his voice is also harmonic and melodic enough to meet a Disney princess.

The cover of "When my life begins" should also be noted, first of all a peaceful and harmonious recovery and a recovery first epic and grandly orchestrated seconds. "Mother Knows Best" (sung by Donna Murphy) is a lively melody that gives you the thoughts of returning to the tunes of "Cinderella" and "Snow White", while the recovery, however, is more dynamic and compelling. "Healing Incantation" is a quiet melody and evocative, but it is unfortunately too short. There are some better, more melodic versions of the same song again on the "Prologue" track.

After mentioning the best songs, two songs that come out of the great disappointments. The first is the living "I Have a Dream", a song harmonica driven, which is pretty forgettable, both melodically and lyrically and do not live up to the old Disney show stopping numbers. The second is the main single "Something I want", which is a fast paced, but always exciting, calculated and a pretty cool song by Grace Potter and would have been a better fit in "Shrek" Flick a song credit for a Disney adventure.

When it comes to scoring, is more or less the same level on the songs. But the use of song in the tail of the score is less evident in this score that Menken in previous works.

As usual, it is good to create a partition for scores sweet, romantic, gay and sad. He still struggles to score a memorable and dynamic moments of adventure and energetic, even though "Mission Impossible" to "escape" cue is a touch of fun. But it is remarkable that many of the music is more guitar-oriented than we usually expect from Menken. Flute "campfire" tune is relaxing, but tracks the melody score is Irish / Medieval in "Dance United" score, which gives you the desire Menken could have used the same style throughout the rest of his score and songs and brings thoughts to "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (now that was a score that Menken really broken and limits itself extended)

And now the lyrics. During his career, Menken has collaborated with several lyricists, each better than the previous. Even if the lyrics by Glenn Slater, are simple and naive, yet playful and fun to listen to.

This is the music of "Tangled". In general, not live to work more wonderful Menken. However, the songs and the score makes it feasible enough to give you an incredible fairy tale and listen to all the fans of Menken. I just hope that Disney will not let go yet Menken.