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Robert Duncan, Castle Music Composer
This month we bring you all the latest Castle news as well as an interview with Castle’s talented Music Composer Robert Duncan who we had the opportunity to catch up with at Wondercon in Anaheim recently.
This edition contains minor spoilers including episode titles and promo for April 16th episode of Castle.
Please let us know what you think of our podcast by leaving comments below or by logging into iTunes you can rate us and leave feedback as well.
Useful Info:
- Robert Duncan’s Website | Robert Duncan on Twitter
- Andrew Marlowe on Twitter | Terri Miller on Twitter
- Frozen Heat (Nikki Heat Novel #4)
- Storm Season (Graphic Novel #2)
- ebook novellas A Brewing Storm #1) | Untitled #2
| Untitled #3
- Castle Fan Awards
- Castle Convention 2012
- Behind Castle on iTunes
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Music featured in this podcast composed by Robert Duncan and used with permission.
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Great questions. Great interview.
Anyone who worked on Buffy is a god. Duncan’s music is not background, and not foreground, it is something integral in between. Castle is probably melodrama in its heart (melos — music; drama).
Actually, melodrama/opera is not a bad analogy: people in operas are constantly making involuntary declarations of love at inopportune moments, and revealing that someone who is supposed to be one’s aunt is in fact one’s mother. Murdered mothers, mysterious fathers, murder on every corner — perhaps Robert Duncan could be persuaded to write “Castle: The Opera”.
I so got gooseflesh when the hangar scene was discussed. Music is the most powerful medium for conveying an emotion. Well done Admin on a very informative podcast.
Robert is a really talented artist. As Toronto says, The music he puts together in the show is so ingrained in the emotion that you could never really have an episode without the beautiful music in the background. We would probably only feel half the emotion. That’s a real talent to get people to sit up and take note of the sounds in the background. Awesome. Keep up the great work Robert. We appreciate your input immensely.
It’s worth looking at the hangar scene, not just for the music, but for the orchestration of the silence. There is a phenomenal use of silence in the scene — it goes back and forth:
Esposito and Ryan are fighting. They look at each other, and Ryan says: Beckett!”
There’s a cymbal crash and then what can only be called ice music (matches the blue light of the hangar). Then there is no music. There is the sound of crickets as Beckett walks slowly into the hangar. Then a beep from her cellphone as she gets the message that it was Montgomery. Montgomery appears, the music crashes again, and then, under the crash there is a sound like the whirring of a helicopter (we are cast back a few minutes, and reminded that often when Montgomery is out in the field in the show there is a helicopter, not just the one in the scene). The music crescendos. Break. When we return there are the crickets again. There is no music over the whole of Montgomery’s exposition (I haven’t timed it, but it must be two minutes). “I brought you here to lure them” is when the music starts up again, low. We hear the car coming. There are notes on a piano, and a bell tolls. Things are heading for the confrontation. Beckett is distraught. She forgives him. Then Montgomery says: “This is my spot, Kate” and the violin/cello comes in with its mournful tune as Castle carries her out. The final confrontation with Lockwood has drums and orchestra. Sweeps of music over Kate mourning for Montgomery, then everything goes black, silence again, and then the drums start up in the black.
Perfect taste in the mix of sound and music.
Well done Admin. Robert does great work on Castle and it’s always interesting to hear his thoughts and insights. Thanks again.
Thought provoking. Now I have to go back and not just watch, but listen to those pivotal episodes. Thank you!
i have to say that being a woodwind player i notice music much faster in a show or movie than i do anything else especially when people say the episode is a bad one or angsty one.
music plays an integral part in any tv show or movie. just think if john williams never did the music from jaws we wouldnt have 2 notes that would be so well known around the world. what about john and the opening measures of ‘harry potter’ its instant recognition. same goes for tv we all recognize the 6 notes it takes to make castles theme song but what about the recognizable sound from the ‘law and order’ series. that is another trully noticable sound and everyone knows instantly what show you or the tv is talking about.
another noticeable thing about composers and their music is you will hear that they like to do the same chords or same rhythm throughout several different pieces of music. John williams likes to use his brass instruments in music a lot. one of my personal favorite ‘modern classical’ composers is Robert W Smith. hes well known in the high school and college music circuit as well as Drum Corps International. Go and find his music on youtube. i think the first “wind symphony” that he wrote is the divine comedy which consists of 4 movements “inferno, purgatory, ascention and paradiso” ive played all 4 movements but performed the first and last in concert. each section is unique in itself but also has a running chord or rhythm that is followed in all 4 pieces. my absolute fav piece of music by robert is called “Ireland: legend and lore” and consists of 3 sections. the final “battle at khar castle” is the best as the flutes and other woodwinds “battle” it out with the french horns and woodwinds.
Robert has many other pieces that are great to listen to so go to youtube and look him up as well as go to amazon and do a music search and you can purchase his cds. happy listening!!!
Awesome.
I love score and music and all that. Without the music TV and movies are only half as good, or even less.
The hangar scene – just so more powerful because of the music. I totally agree. Gosh – where did you get the score at the end of the podcast?? Man, there should be a CD with Castle score. I soooo would buy it.!
Very good interview
I’m going to chip in here with Kathrin and ask where on earth you managed to get the music from Montgomery’s last stand for the end of the podcast? I’d pay to get it from iTunes, or if somebody could ask Robert to put it up on Youtube like he did with the Season 4 finale music
Robert was kind enough to let us use it for the podcast. You could ask him on twitter @RobertDuncanMX if he’s willing to put it on youtube but there may be copyright issues to be considered. PS. nobody else can see it but I love your email address LOL
Looks like I wasn’t losing my google-fu then, I had the last 3 odd minutes of the podcast on a loop for about an hour today; I’ll never ever forget there’s a Castle convention on in November! I’ll tweet Robert and ask if it’d be possible to put it up on his facebook/youtube – thanks for the response & the podcast
I just wanted to say what a nice job you do on the podcast. You are a great interviewer, and always ask really interesting questions. I’m enjoying listening to the podcast…..
Cindy
Aww.. thank you, I’m working on the next one right now, got delayed a bit because I had so many real-world commitments I couldn’t find the time to get it done. Hope to have it out tomorrow!