Film Music Reporter

-I think that the main solo melody played by the brass is lacking in confidence. If I am to picture Buzz as the hero, why are they not producing a confident sound? It sounds like they are playing forte and not fortissimo. (Or even just “with confidence” would suffice.) Louder doesn’t equal better but I feel that the melody playing brass is lacking somewhat. Even extra brass orchestration underneath, perhaps a doubled staccato tuplet phrase echoing the main brass. Maybe making the entire orchestra play quieter would allow the main melody to shine brighter.

-The straight rhythms played by the supporting instruments are generic. I think the orchestra can do so much but of course dependent upon the picture it probably falls in line with what’s happening. But just from the storytelling told through the music I can tell that the story is lacking somewhat. Is it a “they have to save the ‘x’ or they have to retrieve the ‘y’ and they’re just taking off or something?”

-One of the strongest parts is that flute at the start, is that a different character itself? Its a pretty large sound so the lighter moments contrast heavily.

-I question why Giacchino favours drum kits and electric bass sometimes over the traditional orchestral instruments. (Its probably ergonomic, so I get that.) I understand in a sci-fi picture that a drum kit feels more modern, but I just think that ancient storytelling devices are embedded in the classical instruments and a drum kit just feels way too modern (last 100 years).

-If he uses straight rhythms with strings and other instruments but directs all leading percussion to a drum kit, I feel an uneasy balance. The percussion does that role traditionally, right? So straight rhythms as told through separated percussion parts could imbue the dynamism that the strings don’t reach in doing the same role. But again, if there is direction to use modern sounds to achieve a different sound from something traditional, I can understand why.

-Everything else feels crescendo-heavy, leading to something, someplace or someone. (Minus the bridge leading to the last final crescendo, that feels meandering)

I use two pieces as examples of what I mean when I say “with confidence:”

1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05WLzGHQgZ8

-Just the first 18 seconds really highlights what I’m talking about. The brass is stabbing quick, returning to what I meant when I said “doubled staccato tuplet phrase echoing” (as a secondary orchestration of the brass). As another example I cite this:

2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m8m2BYv02Nw

-Starting from about 35 seconds is the type of brass that I’m referring to again.

It sounds good. But I fear the generic in Pixar and think they should always striving for the best.