A Good Day to Die Hard (soundtrack)

Last updated

A Good Day to Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Soundtrack album by
Marco Beltrami
ReleasedFebruary 12, 2013 (2013-02-12)
Recorded2012–2013
StudioNewman Scoring Stage, 20th Century Fox Studios, Los Angeles
Genre Film score
Length64:39
Label Sony Classical
Producer
Marco Beltrami chronology
Live Free or Die Hard
(2007)		A Good Day to Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
(2013)
Marco Beltrami chronology
Warm Bodies
(2013)		A Good Day to Die Hard
(2013)		 World War Z
(2013)

A Good Day to Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score soundtrack to the 2013 film A Good Day to Die Hard, the fifth and final instalment in the Die Hard film series. Marco Beltrami composed the film score, his second film in the Die Hard series. The album was released under the Sony Classical Records label on February 12, 2013.

Contents

Development

Marco Beltrami who previously scored Live Free or Die Hard (2007) returned to score music for A Good Day; he previously associated with director John Moore on Flight of the Phoenix (2004), The Omen (2006) and Max Payne (2008). [1] Beltrami incorporated Kamen's thematic material from the first three films into the score for Live Free or Die Hard.Beltrami composed the score entirely in 9
8 time signature mimicking Kamen's composition under minor ninth chords and used odd harmonies as a modernistic approach. [2]

Moore referenced Lalo Schifrin's action music to evoke the 1970s and 1980s feel, which Beltrami led to utilize horns, harmonica, muted brass, triangles and bongos, where most action film scores does not utilize it due to its clichéd nature. The Russian flavor was emulated with the use of instruments such as Balalaika and dulcimers to an extent. Moore instructed on Beltrami that how the Russian military drums sounded different to the American drums, which led Beltrami to modify the percussion styles. [2]

For the cue "McClane's Brain", Beltrami called few Balalaika, harmonic and saxophone players to record the piece and wrote things that they wanted to sample as well as music which would become an integral part of the score. As they jammed on with numerous ideas, they ended up with this particular cue which became the aforementioned composition. The piece was not played to McClane until the last day of the recording where the director had to search on that particular cue. The cue only used in the film's end credits. [2]

Beltrami had nearly six weeks to write the film's score, which led his protégés and fellow musicians Buck Sanders, Marcus Trumpp and Brandon Roberts to assist him on the score. While Sanders programmed the score, Trumpp and Roberts composed additional pieces. The scoring sessions happened in parallel when the film was still under production with additional scenes being shot. In the end, he wrote nearly 120 minutes of music out of which, 80 of those minutes were included in the final film. [2]

Release

The film's score soundtrack was distributed by Sony Classical Records and released it digitally on February 12, 2013, followed by a physical release on February 19. [3] [4]

Release

Filmtracks.com summarised "Overall, his second entry by Beltrami into the franchise is more satisfying than its predecessor, but you have to realize just how far the sound of these films has come over the decades of the concept's existence on screen. Gone is the prickly suspense of yesteryear, replaced by straight forward action that will please a different set of listeners. That said, you have to commend Beltrami and his crew for their obvious, fantastic loyalty to Kamen's identity for the lead character and their refusal to abandon that integrity despite a very challenging production process. For some action-oriented film music collectors, this score will be the best listening experience in the franchise." [5]

Gregory Heaney of AllMusic wrote "the score for A Good Day to Die Hard definitely feels like it's adapted to the series' change in scope." [6] A. O. Scott of The New York Times called it as a "bludgeoning score", [7] while Peter Debruge of Variety described it as "pulsating". [8] Sean Wilson of MFiles called it as "an entertainingly tongue-in-cheek score from one of Hollywood's most overlooked composers." [9] Chris Bumbray of JoBlo.com wrote "Marco Beltrami's score – which echoes Kamen's themes from the early movies, tries to make you think you're watching something exciting." [10] Lisa Kennedy of The Denver Post wrote "Marco Beltrami (who's done better) composed a score that is standard-issue action: insistent to the point of flat-out pushy." [11]

Track listing

No.TitleLength
1."Yuri Says"2:19
2."Getting Yuri to the Van"2:14
3."Jack Makes the Call"2:53
4."Everyone to the Courthouse"3:09
5."Court Adjourned"2:19
6."Truckzilla"3:38
7."Yippie Kay Yay, Mother Russia!"1:54
8."Truckzilla"2:00
9."Father & Son"1:24
10."To the Safe House"1:51
11."Regroup"2:30
12."Leaving the Safe House"1:59
13."Getting to the Dance Floor"1:34
14."Too Many Kolbasas on the Dance Floor"3:53
15."What's So Funny?"2:30
16."McClanes Get the Bird"3:00
17."Scumbags"2:05
18."Entering Chernobyl"4:07
19."Into the Vault"2:17
20."Rubbed Out at the Spa"2:07
21."Sunshine Shootout"1:37
22."Get to the Choppa!"2:59
23."Chopper Takedown"3:26
24."It's Hard to Kill a McClane"2:59
25."Triple Vodka Rhapsody"1:55
26."McClane's Brain"2:00
Total length:64:39

Personnel

Credits adapted from liner notes: [12]

Orchestra
Instruments
Management

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marco Beltrami</span> American film composer (born 1966)

Marco Beltrami is an American composer of film and television scores. He has worked in a number of genres, including horror, action, science fiction, Western, and superhero.

Live Free or Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score soundtrack to the 2007 film Live Free or Die Hard, the fourth instalment in the Die Hard film series. The film score is composed by Marco Beltrami who incorporates the compositions by Michael Kamen for the predecessors. The soundtrack was released under the Varèse Sarabande label on July 2, 2007.

<i>Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly EP</i> 2010 soundtrack album (EP) by Mastodon

Jonah Hex: Revenge Gets Ugly EP is the official score for the 2010 film Jonah Hex directed by Jimmy Hayward and starring Josh Brolin. It was composed by American heavy metal band Mastodon and film composer Marco Beltrami. It was released digitally on June 29, 2010, through Reprise Records.

<i>A Good Day to Die Hard</i> 2013 action film directed by John Moore

A Good Day to Die Hard is a 2013 American action thriller film and the fifth and final installment in the Die Hard film series. The film was directed by John Moore and written by Skip Woods, and stars Bruce Willis as John McClane in his final film in the franchise. The main plot finds McClane traveling to Russia to get his estranged son, Jack, an undercover CIA agent, out of prison. He is soon caught in the crossfire of a global terrorist plot. Alongside Willis, the film also stars Jai Courtney, Sebastian Koch, Cole Hauser and Yulia Snigir.

Ford v Ferrari is a 2019 sports action drama film directed by James Mangold and distributed by 20th Century Fox. Two soundtrack albums for the film were released by Hollywood Records on November 15, 2019.

<i>Logan</i> (soundtrack) 2017 film score by Marco Beltrami

Logan: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the score album to the 2017 film of the same name, featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine. It is the tenth installment in the X-Men film series and the third and final installment in the Wolverine trilogy following X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) and The Wolverine (2013). The film is directed by James Mangold, and featured musical score composed by Marco Beltrami, having previously worked together in the predecessor.

<i>The Wolverine</i> (soundtrack) 2013 film score by Marco Beltrami

The Wolverine (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2013 superhero film of the same name, directed by James Mangold. Featuring the Marvel Comics character Wolverine, the film is the sixth installment in the X-Men film series, the second installment in the trilogy of Wolverine films after X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009), and a spin-off/sequel to X-Men: The Last Stand (2006). The film's musical score is composed by Marco Beltrami, who previously scored Mangold's 3:10 to Yuma (2007).

<i>Fantastic Four</i> (2015 soundtrack) 2015 film score by Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass

Fantastic Four (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack album to the 2015 film Fantastic Four. Directed by Josh Trank, the film is based on the Marvel Comics superhero team of the same name, and is a reboot of the Fantastic Four film franchise. The musical score is composed by Marco Beltrami and Philip Glass, and the album was released in digital and physical formats on August 7, 2015 by Sony Classical Records, coinciding the film's release. It was also released in two-disc vinyl sets on August 10. Apart from featuring Beltrami and Glass' score, it also featured an original song "Another Body" performed by El-P and a single "Fantastic" performed by RM and Mandy Ventrice. The latter was only used for promotional purposes for the South Korean theatrical release, and is not featured in the film or the soundtrack.

<i>Snowpiercer</i> (soundtrack) 2013 film score by Marco Beltrami

Snowpiercer: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the album consisting of the original score composed by Marco Beltrami, for the Bong Joon-ho directorial Snowpiercer (2013). The album was published by CJ E&M Music, and released in South Korea on 21 August 2013, followed by an international release on 9 September. The soundtrack for the North American release, was distributed by Varèse Sarabande, and saw an official release on 11 June 2014.

<i>Venom: Let There Be Carnage</i> (soundtrack) 2021 film score by Marco Beltrami

Venom: Let There Be Carnage is the soundtrack for the 2021 American superhero film Venom: Let There Be Carnage directed by Andy Serkis, featuring the Marvel Comics character Venom, the second installment in Sony's Spider-Man Universe and the sequel to Venom (2018), features an original score composed by Marco Beltrami and a series of songs in the film. After previously writing a single for the first film, Eminem was revealed to write the song "Last One Standing", in collaboration with Skylar Grey, Polo G, and Mozzy. The single was released on September 30, 2021.

<i>The Giver</i> (soundtrack) 2014 albums

The Giver (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the score album composed by Marco Beltrami for the 2014 film of the same name directed by Phillip Noyce. The album was released on August 12, 2014 by Sony Music and features 20 tracks from the score. It was preceded by a mix of songs from the film released into a separate 10-song soundtrack titled The Giver (Music Collection), on August 5, by Interscope Records, led by OneRepublic's original song "Ordinary Human" written for the film.

<i>Die Hard</i> (soundtrack) 2002 film score by Michael Kamen

Die Hard: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack for John McTiernan's 1988 action film Die Hard starring Bruce Willis, that features an original score composed by Michael Kamen and incorporates diegetic music pieces. It has been critically acclaimed and assessed as one of Kamen's best works in film music and won him a BMI TV/Film Music Award for his work on the score.

<i>The Hurt Locker</i> (soundtrack) 2009 film score by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders

The Hurt Locker (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2008 film of the same name. The film's original score is composed by Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders, consisted of 12 cues from the film released as an album on June 23, 2009, by Lakeshore Records. The score received critical acclaim and won a nomination for Best Original Score at the 82nd Academy Awards. It marked Beltrami's second Academy Award-nomination after the critically acclaimed score for 3:10 to Yuma (2007).

<i>World War Z</i> (soundtrack) 2013 soundtrack album by Marco Beltrami

World War Z: Music from the Motion Picture is the score album to the 2013 film of the same name directed by Marc Forster. Featuring original score composed by Marco Beltrami, the album featuring 11-tracks were released by Warner Bros. Records on June 18, 2013.

<i>The Homesman</i> (soundtrack) 2014 film score by Marco Beltrami

The Homesman (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) is the soundtrack to the 2014 film The Homesman directed by Tommy Lee Jones, who also starred in the lead role with Hilary Swank and Meryl Streep. The film's original score was composed by Marco Beltrami and released through Varèse Sarabande digitally on November 18, 2014 and physically on December 9.

<i>Fear Street Part One: 1994</i> (soundtrack) 2021 film score by Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp

Fear Street Part One: 1994 is the film score soundtrack to the 2021 film Fear Street Part One: 1994, the first instalment in the Fear Street trilogy. Composed by Marco Beltrami and Marcus Trumpp, their score consisted of 19 tracks that are released by Maisie Music Publishing and Milan Records on July 2, 2021, with an expanded score being released with its sequels by Intrada Records in August 2024. The score is influenced by horror films from the 1990s, most notably the score for Scream (1996) which was composed by Beltrami himself.

<i>Fear Street Part Two: 1978</i> (soundtrack) 2021 film score by Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts

Fear Street Part Two: 1978 is the film score soundtrack to the 2021 film Fear Street Part Two: 1978, the second instalment in the Fear Street trilogy and a continuation to Fear Street Part One: 1994. The musical score is composed by Marco Beltrami and Brandon Roberts who produced an orchestral score that resembled of the 1970s horror films. The album was released by Maisie Music Publishing and Milan Records on July 9, 2021.

<i>Fear Street Part Three: 1666</i> (soundtrack) 2021 film score by Marco Beltrami, Anna Drubich and Marcus Trumpp

Fear Street Part Three: 1666 is the film score soundtrack to the 2021 film Fear Street Part Three: 1666, the third instalment in the Fear Street trilogy, following Fear Street Part One: 1994 and Part Two: 1978. The film is jointly scored by Marco Beltrami, Anna Drubich and Marcus Trumpp.

Die Hard 2: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the film score to the 1990 film Die Hard 2, the second film in the Die Hard film series starring Bruce Willis as John McClane. The film score is composed by Michael Kamen which reuses few themes from the first film's score and excerpts from Jean Sibelius' poem "Finlandia" incorporated into the score. It was recorded at the 20th Century Fox Scoring Stage and performed by the Los Angeles Motion Picture All-Star Orchestra.

Die Hard with a Vengeance: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is the soundtrack to the 1995 film Die Hard with a Vengeance, the third instalment in the Die Hard film series starring Bruce Willis as John McClane. The film is scored by the recurrent composer of the series, Michael Kamen who incorporated his themes from the first two films as well as Johannes Brahms' 1st and Ludwig van Beethoven's 9th symphony. Kamen's work has been positively received and won BMI TV/Film Music Award for his work in the score.

References

  1. ↑ Clarke, Brett (December 27, 2011). "Marco Beltrami to Score 'World War Z'". Film Music Reporter. Archived from the original on May 11, 2012. Retrieved August 26, 2024. Beltrami is also set to write the music for the action thriller A Good Day to Die Hard. The project marks the composer's second movie in the Die Hard series following 2007's Live Free or Die Hard . The movie reunites Beltrami with director John Moore who has worked with the composer on his previous three features Flight of the Phoenix , The Omen and Max Payne .
  2. 1 2 3 4 Schweiger, Daniel (February 22, 2013). "Interview: WARM BODIES and A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD composers Marco Beltrami and Buck Sanders write music to die for". Assignment X. Archived from the original on April 17, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  3. ↑ "Sony Classical to Release Marco Beltrami's 'A Good Day to Die Hard' Score". Film Music Reporter. December 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2014. Retrieved January 10, 2013.
  4. ↑ "A Good Day to Die Hard' Soundtrack Details". Film Music Reporter. January 18, 2013. Archived from the original on October 2, 2014. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
  5. ↑ "A Good Day to Die Hard (Marco Beltrami)". Filmtracks.com. February 23, 2013. Archived from the original on April 4, 2014. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  6. ↑ Heaney, Gregory. "Review: A Good Day to Die Hard [Original Motion Picture Soundtrack]". AllMusic. RhythmOne. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  7. ↑ Scott, A. O. (February 13, 2013). "When Action Is the Family Business". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331. Archived from the original on September 7, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  8. ↑ Debruge, Peter (February 13, 2013). "A Good Day to Die Hard". Variety. Archived from the original on October 30, 2015. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  9. ↑ Wilson, Sean (2013). "Marco Beltrami: A Good Day to Die Hard – review of the original film score soundtrack". MFiles. Archived from the original on August 19, 2013. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  10. ↑ Bumbray, Chris (February 14, 2013). "Review: A Good Day to Die Hard (Chris Bumbray's take)". JoBlo. Archived from the original on July 5, 2023. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ Kennedy, Lisa (February 13, 2013). "Movie review: "A Good Day to Die Hard" starts on promising note, takes turn". The Denver Post. Archived from the original on May 22, 2017. Retrieved August 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ Marco Beltrami. A Good Day To Die Hard (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (Media notes). Sony Classical Records.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.