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Re: RARA-AVIS: - Gault / HB and Noir..with music 

>On Thu, 13 Feb 1997, M. Taboada wrote:
>
>: When reading Gault, I am distinctly reminded of Haydn's music in its
>: economical perfection.

Follow-up:
>Do other writers remind you of other musicians or composers?  I found
>Mike Hammer and Charlie Mingus went together well.  For Chandler fans
>who like jazz, the Charlie Haden Quartet West CDs (there are about
>five now) are must-haves.  Get _Haunted Heart_ or _Always Say Goodbye_.
>>Bill
>-- 
>William Denton : Toronto, Canada : buff@vex.net


I suppose, M Taboada refers more to the form and analogy in
construction(giving a sentiment of fulfilness?) than to Haydn's music as a
support for the book, or as a direct musical equivalent to the book. ?

I feel, Bill is referring to Jazz as a straight musical analogy with these
writers.
The style of music (what you hear) being a direct reminiscent of the HB
author's style and 'moods'...

Anyway both approaches are interesting and subjective.

Maybe another ground for evoking music linked to HB is simply the
soundtracks of a lot of Noir or HB films carrying typical music.
As a matter of fact, after WW2, most of the time, the musical background for
these films was Jazz; IMO a perfect musical domain for this, as Jazz can be
exuberant, violent, or very smooth, sensual.. and can bring a rhythm 'echo'
to the montage of the film... 
I'm personally convinced that music in HB/ Noir films was as important as
good actors or good cinematographers for the final result!

It happens that yesterday 16 Feb, I loaded my Website: Hard-Boiled
Mysteries, with a chapter devoted to Film Music in HB/ Noir films.

For those interested, Website address = 

  http://www.geocities.com/Athens/6384/

(go to the Films section and select  the Music chapter)
[I could not put sound files there, to document. This due to disk space
constrain on the site; IMO you need * at least* one minute of sound to have
a taste of the music piece, Jazz or other]

A final note : as far as I remember, there was no classical music used as
background music all along any HB/Noir film; the exception being, maybe, "
The Trial" by Orson Welles, transposition from  Kafka's novel, in B&W, and
with the Albinoni's 'Adagio' as musical leitmotiv. The question however
remains: is this film, even being Noir in many aspects, belonging really to
the league we examine here?

E.Borgers

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