Flowing Shadows, Echoing Sounds: A Global Appreciation of Movie Music Classics

Author: A Global Appreciation of Film and Music Classics, written by Tian Yimi
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: The development of Chinese cinema over a century vividly records the significant contributions of contemporary Chinese composers. This book selects representative film music works from the historical trajectory of film music, offering lively and well-structured introductions and critiques, blending professionalism with entertainment. These unforgettable film scores rekindle shared memories of a generation. The time when the author wrote this book was exceptionally busy—completing a doctoral dissertation, finishing graduation projects, teaching part-time, and searching for suitable new job opportunities, among other things. Frantically juggling responsibilities, the author made bewildered and helpless efforts. Yet, the author accepted the book contract without hesitation and spent the following months immersing in watching films day and night, losing sleep, feeling stomachaches, and living a blissful life. Music, writing, and film—these seemingly detached aspects of life became almost the entirety of the author's existence and work, making the author always feel like an incredibly fortunate person.
The author studied music, but for how long, it's hard to recall. All that remains is the memory of feeling uneasy and out of place in school, until one day entering the conservatory, the author began to transform into a happier and more confident person. Watching films was also an innate passion. As a child, every time the author accompanied adults to the cinema, they would sing every line of the movie's songs back to their father upon returning home. It was from that moment that their father decided to enroll the author in music studies. For the author's small-town childhood and financially struggling parents, pursuing such a "noble" art was not well understood.
The content of this book is concise, vivid, and well-organized. The author provides a comprehensive overview of film music, with each chapter's title serving as a brilliant distillation of its fundamental characteristics. For every piece of film music, the author attempts to approach it directly from an appropriate angle, using minimal words yet delivering fresh and clever insights.