The perfect score...

I'm making a summary of books, movies and tv-series read and watched in 2011. It takes a while, and even though I don't think it's any interest of yours, it is a great way for me to keep track of the year (and an excuse to make a list, which must be one of my favorite pastimes!)

In the meantime, I would like to start posting some of my favorite soundtracks. I'm a huge fan of composed soundtracks, both in movies and tv-series, and I especially love hearing instruments like the violin, cello, piano, harp and bagpipes in music. I would love to reccommend some records and composers for you, and I'm going to start this series with a list of some of my favorite music composed for tv-series. This does not necessarily include a series' theme song/opening credits or all my favorite series (if you would like to hear and see more of that, you can take a look at the list a made of tv-series here, here and here, a list I would like to continue some other day)

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Jeff Beal ~ Carnivale








Trevor Morris ~ the Pillars of the Earth




Trevor Moris ~ The Borgias






Trevor Morris ~ The Tudors








Martin Phipps ~ The Virgin Queen
(with Mediaeval Baebes)












David Arnold ~ Sherlock




John Lunn and Don Black ~ Downton Abbey




Rob Lane ~ John Adams






Michael Kamen ~ Band of Brothers




Ramin Djawadi ~ Game of Thrones






(Oh, and I do have to add that I really like the score for Hell on Wheels, but I just could not find it anywhere)

Are there any of these you particularly like?
Do you have any recommendations of music composed for tv-series?

TV costumes

I've been abit absent lately, and I guess I will be absent for a few weeks as well. I've got so much on my plate these days, and most of my days are (and will be) spent writing about Langston Hughes' poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Celtic and Norse mythology, and structuralist poetics. In the meantime, here are the rest of the stills from The Hour.

The Hour
(2011)
Costume designer: Suzanne Cave
These stills are from episode 4-6, and are taken by me

TV Costumes

The Hour
(2011)
Costume designer: Suzanne Cave

This BBC series takes place in 1956 when a current affairs show, The Hour, is launched by BBC. It has been compared to Mad Men, and I would say that style- and timewise it does resemble its american counterpart, but that is as far as the comparison goes. This is more like a british mystery, with a film noir wibe. The costumes, which is the focus of this entry, is made by the unknown costume designer Suzanne Cave and is perfect! Here we have high-waistet trousers for men, tweed, wool, browline and cat's eye glasses, hats, high-waisted pencil skirts, full circle and wiggle dresses. What I love is the contrast between the characters of Ben Whishaw and Dominic West, between the older tweed suits and the tailored suits. The contrast between the characters of Romola Garai and Oona Chaplin is also striking, and can be compared to the differences between Joan and Betty in Mad Men.
(These still are from episode 1-3 and are taken by me)