[Schilkeman]

I’m always a little (not completely) wary of “interpretation” with music. Music has a limited ability to convey concrete meaning without imposition from words or pictures. Unless a composer has stated “this is what I meant,” thus proving my point, what it means to the listener (and what are liner notes writers but listeners?) is a little too subjective for epexegesis.

Film music is, essentially, commentary, and it’s worth exploring the commentary in the liner notes. For me, I would love a more learned musical analysis. As I’ve said elsewhere, the stuff John Williams does between his themes is often more impressive than the themes themselves, and good liner notes could help illustrate this, and make for more careful listeners, rather than calling out every statement of a theme, and what it represents.