music from the film is, for example, like this: A Cellist sits in Los Angeles. The orchestra plays in Prague. See you, I will tell you, the technology makes it possible. And at the end you have the Soundtrack for Xavier Koller’s “Schellenursli”.
it’s that simple, and so complicated. Martin Tillman, the 55-year-old Zurich-based Cellist and composer of the “Schellenursli”music, grins when he tells this story, and at the same time he sighs: film music is adventure and precision work at the same time, the musicians have to be good, but also as a cog in a great machinery to work.
Or in his case: In a very large machinery. A good twenty years Tillman in Hollywood, as a soloist and in part Mitkomponist closely with Hans Zimmer worked together, one with an Oscar and ten further nominations to the Stars of the industry. The room I referred to his electric Cello as “the secret weapon of Hollywood,” says Tillman, “because you never know really, what causes for now, these sounds”. And also because he was the First who has used this Instrument for Soundtracks.
First, he has served Meryl Streep of coffee. Later, with the Sting played together. And then it started in Hollywood.
How he came to be? In a roundabout way, of course. First of all Tillman wanted to be a farmer, “I was casually Smoking cigarettes on the tractor”. As a professional intention, however, was little fit, and because his parents opened a Zurich private school, but also the music storage on the Jolimont in new castle, he changed his plans.
Tillman, who is called in official documents is still Tillmann, studied Cello, first in Switzerland, later in California with Lynn Harrel. The classic career attracted him but little, dear, he would have become a rock musician, “but what is the Band looking for a cellist?”
So he had to wait in line as a Receptionist at a large recording Studio in Santa Monica, served coffee for Meryl Streep or the Backstreet Boys, and told anyone passing by, he games by the way, the Cello. Two years later, he had his first appearance with the Band Chicago; later, Sting, Elton John and B. B. King engaged him in addition to many others. In 1995, he traded in his classical Instrument against the electronic version, and soon the call of a television composers from room, Studio, the wanted to know, what could you do with an electric cello came.
And suddenly, the “Pirates of the Caribbean”
there’s a Lot you can do, Martin Tillman, also performing at the Meeting in his apartment in Zollikon. He lets his Instrument whimper and roar and throb and bubble, the musical elements are superimposed, to be alienated, highly tuned, thinned out again. It sounds like a plane to start, then again, you think you see the horror scene that is accompanied by this creepy squeaking. And at some point you can actually hear a Cello and recognize the tune: It was that staggers the Johnny Depp as Captain Jack Sparrow in his adventure.
When Captain Jack Sparrow appearance, sounds, each, and Martin Tillman’s Cello, not quite sober. Video: Youtube
The film series “Pirates of the Caribbean” is undoubtedly one of the highlights of Tillman’s career. And the projects that have made him the most Fun: “If you will accompany Captain Jack, you can’t play just straight ahead, because the music kind of drunk must sound.” Also, the Cellist is a bit of the actor. At the same time, to stay sober and to not lose contact with the orchestra – an almost schizophrenic task. He was responsible for the recordings of each “an ear to the orchestra, and an eye on the screen,” says Tillman, “as a soloist is to a certain extent, for the connection between the image and the Soundtrack.”
Or was it, at least. Because the film industry has changed the film music. The budget for the soundtrack, which earlier could be 2 to 3 million dollars, have been reduced to a fraction. This means: Less time, less opportunities for experimentation, more electronics. The musicians improvised, as in Ridley Scott’s war film “Black Hawk Down” for eight weeks, day and night, and visit received from the Marines who told them how the battle of Mogadiscio was really – it can’t happen today, Tillmans Regret.
“For the distance from Zollikon to Wollishofen you need in Los Angeles for three hours.”Martin Tillman
the musical Ideal are other become, “today, everything goes in the direction of the sound design”. Since special effects can often include more than the compositional qualities, and the soloists are only there “to give a sense of live music”. With Netflix and co. have tightened the conditions of production once again. So much So that Martin Tillman eventually started to consider Alternatives.
That also meant: Alternatives to Los Angeles. After all the years he had had enough of the city to be dirty, they came to him “with overwhelming” and complicated, “the distance from here to Wollishofen, you need three hours.”
he is now back in Zollikon, ready for a restart. Although he does still orders from Hollywood; for “Spider-Man – Far From Home” he was there, recently, for the Disney remake of “Mulan”. But his main job was now a “Librarian”, he says in The film music business, one who writes Soundtracks stock, which are then cataloged in a specialized Library, and maybe someday, the perfect hit, if a Director “seeks Western, sad instrumental”.
And then his solo, there are still plans In the upcoming may Tillman will start in Zurich’s Theater 11 with a large Show, with its own music, twenty cellists, four horns, two percussionists, a Band and, accordingly, opulent look. A balancing act between all the possible styles, it should be, is another step in the search for that “own voice”, it always been for him. And in a certain sense, a further development of his “Superhuman”-album, which he has realized in 2015 for his wife, who died last may after a long illness.
Who has a bow?
A trial run, he has already, in the United States, in a secluded winery somewhere in the Napa Valley. The London Library, working together, had invited 180 music producers from all over the world, “and I opened a few hours prior to the performance of my cello case and the bow was missing.” The Rest of the film was then ripe: Tillman offered $ 500 for a bow, some in the audience found on multiple corners of someone that has had a and from 150 miles away just in the nick of time the road came.
Would have to think of Martin Tillman music for this scene, would roar his electric cello, probably, first of all, dramatic. And then in a multiple-looped giggles erupt.
Martin Tillmans “Superhuman”-Show takes place at 8. and 9. In may 2020, in the Zürcher Theater 11; Tickets are available starting in January.
Created: 12.11.2019, 20:50 PM
