This is topic Favorite Symphonic Movie Music Score & Composer? in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.
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Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 06-22-2002, 06:39 PM:
I've been digging through some of my older soundtrack CDs and came across "Cocoon" by James Horner. DAMN! I love that score. One of my all-time movie favorites. James Horner has had his ups and downs and sometimes he repeats himself, but he was really at the top of his game with that one. I saw "Cocoon" several times in 70mm 6-Track Dolby and distinctly remember how good that symphonic score sounded in mag played on a big system. Lots of shimmering highs that would probably have been lost or muddled in optical. Many audience members remained in their seats until the last note of the beautiful closing theme played out.Of course I don't think it's possible to bring up this topic without mentioning John Williams and the original "Star Wars", one of the all-time great contributions to film music.
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-22-2002, 07:47 PM:
While "Star Wars" seems to be John Williams' "signature" work, there are other movie score pieces from him which I prefer. It is kind of like "Stairway to Heaven" being the signature Led Zeppelin song, but many people actually find many of their other songs far more enjoyable ("The Ocean, "Rain Song" etc.).Williams is a master of the "march" motif. The opening title from "Superman: The Movie" is just simply thrilling and has a few really beautiful, optimistic passages in it. I'm really happy Warner Bros. included an isolated 5.1 score on the "Superman" DVD.
"The Raiders March" main title theme from "Raiders of the Lost Ark" is simply classic. Williams' march theme from "1941" is one of his great unsung works. I really came to appreciate that work when I saw the Marine Corps Band, Marine Drum and Bugle Corps and Silent Drill Team do a performance of the piece at the Commandants' Residence parade at 8th and "I" in Washington, D.C. The music and performance was wonderful, expertly played and yet all the humor of the march tune still came through.
Another piece I like from "Raiders" is the "The Map Room: Dawn" where Indy uses the idol and staff to find the location of the Ark of the Covenant. The music is ghostly and the point where the sunlight lines up with the idol just rises up incredibly. That particular horn movement gives me a chill every time I hear it.
I like some of Williams' more unusual sounding pieces, such as the piece "Dennis Steals the Embryo" in "Jurassic Park". I actually heard that over the house music system at Northpark Mall #1 in Dallas before seeing "Jurassic Park" for the first time at that incredible theater.
Posted by Ken Layton (Member # 133) on 06-22-2002, 09:20 PM:
Of course John Williams scores are the tops, but I like his excellent work on the Irwin Allen tv series like TIME TUNNEL. My all time favorite composer is for Paramount cartoons: Winston Sharples!
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 06-22-2002, 10:29 PM:
Two of my favorites, althouth I don't know how "classic" they would be considered, are Mark Snow and Jerry Goldsmith. Mark Snow may perhaps be most noted for his music in The X-Files, but he did one of my favorite movies, and favorite scores, Disturbing Behavior. There isn't too much music from anything Star Trek that I don't like, but one of my favorites is the score from Star Trek: Insurrection by Goldsmith. I know Snow and Goldsmith have both doen other movies recently, but I can't remember what.
Posted by Ron Lacheur (Member # 1126) on 06-22-2002, 10:39 PM:
Howard Shore and David Holmes are among my favorites.
Posted by Paul Mayer (Member # 355) on 06-23-2002, 12:38 AM:
In Hollywood: John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Horner, Maurice Jarre, Alfred Newman, John Barry, Dimitri Tiomkin, Hans Zimmer, Erich Korngold, Carl Stalling, Milt Franklyn... Too many to list!In Japan: Joe Hisaishi, Yoko Kanno, Hajime Mizoguchi, Shiro Sagisu, Kenji Kawai, Yuji Nomi...
Paul
Gimpy Mercenary Film/Video Projectionist/Engineer
"When the money runs out, so does I."
Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 06-23-2002, 12:57 AM:
I loved Goldsmith's score for Explorers. It's great that he can do "little" movies despite being one of the biggest names in movie music. I suppose John Williams would do "little" movies too if he weren't already booked for so many big projects. The soundtrack of Star Wars (episode four) was a treat even for a kid like me who didn't necessarily like "classical" music in the 1970s. It holds up on its own as music whereas the other Star Wars soundtracks sort of require you to think of the movies as you listen to them.I had the pleasure of spending some time with Bruce Broughton a few years ago at a filmmakers' workshop. He did the score for Silverado... another treat to listen to (but I'm biased now because I've had lunch with the guy). I know a whole lot about how movies are made but the music part of the equation is still mysterious and magical to me. Anyone who can write that stuff is a genius.
Posted by Adam Wilbert (Member # 1184) on 06-23-2002, 03:17 AM:
Ugh... i mistyped my password and lost everything i wrote. Since i don't feel like typing it all again, i'll summarize:Horner all sound the same to me, though Apollo 13's launch makes me gushy. Danny Elfman rules.
Shore's LOTR is awesome. The next one is only 6months away!!!
not symphonic, but i like the Snatch album, and will probably buy the About A Boy cd soon.
-adam
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-23-2002, 04:25 AM:
Goldsmith is much to wussy for me, I hate most of his work, and Williams work is much to marching band as far as I care. Elfman is fine, but most of it sounds like oingo boingo. Horner always sounds the same, but usually good.I have two favorites.... Cliff Eidelman for Star Trek 6, and also Micheal Kamen for The Iron Giant. Both are very original and have a sound all thier own.
Dave
Posted by Darren Briggs (Member # 1071) on 06-23-2002, 11:09 AM:
What about Eric Serra, (fith element, big blue, leon) Greta modern style scores with classical mixed in. Great
Big Blue in 70mm cant beat the score!
Darren
Posted by Ian Price (Member # 14) on 06-23-2002, 11:55 AM:
Well if you are going to talk about film music...Randy Newman The Natural
Maurice Jarre Lawrence of Arabia
Posted by Gordon McLeod (Member # 33) on 06-23-2002, 12:24 PM:
Favorite is Bernard Hermans score for North By North West and Rossa's score for Ben Hur
Also the score for the Imax film"Secrets of Life on Earth"
Posted by John Scott (Member # 520) on 06-23-2002, 12:35 PM:
Probably my favorite score of all time is Anton Karas' score for "The Third Man".
Posted by Greg Anderson (Member # 235) on 06-23-2002, 01:06 PM:
You must have a different definition for "wussy" than I do, Dave.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-23-2002, 01:23 PM:
The original score (not the new one)for "Fantasia" can't remember the guys name. One of those classical composer types. Specially the dinosaur part------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 06-23-2002, 01:27 PM:
Dave Williams mentioned "Cliff Eidelman for Star Trek 6"Yes! He went in a completely different, darker direction from the previous ST stuff and it worked wonderfully well for that film.
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-23-2002, 02:04 PM:
I'm a sucker for a good bit of Danny ElfmanThats a good bit of Danny Elfman. Wasn't impressed with Spiderman really.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-23-2002, 02:54 PM:
Greg: Music in the original Fantasia was as follows:J.S. Bach - Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV565
Tchaikovsky: Nutcracker ballet suite
Dukas: Symphonic poem 'L'Apprenti Sorcier' (this section is repeated in Fantasia 2000)
Stravinky: The Rite of Spring
Beethoven: Symphony no. 6 ('Pastoral'), first movement
Ponichelli: Dance of the Hours
Moussorgsky: Night on a Bare Mountain
Schubert: Ave Maria
Can't remember which of these had the dinosaurs, but it wasn't the Dukas (that's Mickey Mouse and the buckets)
My favourite orchestral film score: Arthur Bliss' music for Things to Come, closely followed by Miles Davis' music for Lift to the Scaffold (OK, not orchestral or in the least bit symphonic, but I wanted to get it in anyway).
Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 06-23-2002, 05:08 PM:
Danny Elfman's movie music is pretty cool. I loved his "Edward Scissorhands" score, and the expansive choral sounds of it is the main thing I remember from seeing that film in 70mm Cinema Digital Sound. Other scores of his I like include: "Mars Attacks," "Mission Impossible," "The Nightmare Before Christmas" and "Batman".I checked IMBD for his filmography (this guy has scored a lot of films). The Elfman's birthday is one day after mine (well, that seems kind of cool to me anyway). Of all places, I would never have figured him to be from Amarillo.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-23-2002, 10:00 PM:
Leo is that the Korda version of "Things to Come"? I really like that version------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by John Scott (Member # 520) on 06-23-2002, 11:44 PM:
Stravinsky's Rite of Spring was the Dinasaurs.
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 06-24-2002, 12:12 AM:
Of course! How could I forget Eric Serra. The Fifth Element is another one of my favorite scores.
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-24-2002, 02:45 AM:
Greg: Was there another version? Yes, it was that one (1935) I was thinking of.
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 06-24-2002, 04:09 AM:
Greg andersen posted "You must have a different definition for "wussy" than I do, Dave."
Yes Greg I think I do. What I meant actually to say is that I feel that for the films Goldsmith composes for, the soundtrack is great, but just doesn't really make me feel in the proper mood for the film. He tends to take a more lighter and fuller sound approach to composing than I like. Mind you his work is very good, but once again, as a star trek fan of sorts, I am upset that they have again chosen him to score the new film due out this december. His score for the last one was laughable as far as trek goes, and for the one before that, the one with the borg, just didn't really use the music to truly show the malevolent nature of them.
I just think that Goldsmith is not realy suited to score for more imposing films like that. Then again, that is from a fan of sci fi works that are dark and devious.
Still, he does good work regardless.
Dave
Posted by Peter Kerchinsky (Member # 1098) on 06-24-2002, 06:03 AM:
Goldsmith a wussy!!!!!
You've got to be kidding.
My favs are his GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY, STAR TREK, THE MOTION PICTURE, EXPLORERS, UNDER FIRE with Pat Matheny and PATTON.
How about Bill Conti for ROCKY and RIGHT STUFF.
I can't think of the composers name off hand, but did anyone remember a film called CARAVANS with Anthony Quinn. Great soundtrack, crap of a movie.
Another soundtrack that sticks with me, BLUE LAGOON by Basil P.
(Sorry can't remember how to spell last name.
And last but not least, the soundtrack to A LITTLE ROMANCE.
Posted by Oscar Neundorfer (Member # 458) on 06-24-2002, 06:41 AM:
Leo wrote: "Moussorgsky: Night on a Bare Mountain"I am not sure, but I think it is " A Night On Bald Mountain"
Oscar
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-24-2002, 07:01 AM:
According to Grove's Dictionary of Music and Musicians, the full name of the piece is 'St. John's Night on The Bare Mountain.'It doesn't give the original Russian title, nor have I been able to find it in a web search, so I can't tell you exactly what the adjective in question is. 'Bare' and 'bald' mean pretty much the same thing in this context, so I guess it has been translated differently by different people.
Posted by Oscar Neundorfer (Member # 458) on 06-24-2002, 08:03 AM:
Leo,I guess I never even considered the fact that it was originally a Russian title and had to be translated. Bald Mountain is the only way I have ever seen it listed, so I ASSUMED (which is a bad thing to do sometimes) that it was correct. Certainly bare and bald could mean very similar things (as anyone who has seen the top of my head can attest) and could easily have been used interchangeably in different translations.
Regardless of the title, it is a magnificent piece of music which I have enjoyed for years. Thanks for the additional info.
Oscar
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-24-2002, 08:22 AM:
You may already have heard it, but if not there's a great CD of Night on the (Folically Challenged?) Mountain which came out about 2-3 years ago with Fritz Reiner conducting the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. It's a reissue of a 1950s RCA 'Living Stereo' LP and the sound quality is as good as you're ever going to get from the limited frequency range of a CD. The same disc also has Ravel's orchestration of Pictures at an Exhibition which I really don't like (the original version as written by Mussorgsky is for piano solo, and is far more subtle, IMHO), but again the transfer quality is excellent.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-24-2002, 10:08 AM:
Leo Yes there was at least one remake, in the 70s I think, didn't bother to see it, the original was unimproveable. (I loved the big machines and construction scenes, not to mention the airplanes)------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-24-2002, 10:40 AM:
What I find most amazing about that film is that is was released in the summer of 1935 and its opening scenes predicted the outbreak of a world war, starting with a conflict between Britain and Germany, in Christmas 1939. OK so it was a little bit out by three months, and a long way out by suggesting that the war would last into the 1970s, but IMHO the scriptwriters were uncannily accurate at predicting the cause of the conflict - a detail that was missing from the H.G. Wells book.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-24-2002, 04:51 PM:
I guess it was not received very well in GB because of the scenes of the bad guy planes flying over the white cliffs (amongst other things). A few cat calls were heard apparently. Little did they know...------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by Geof Abruzzi (Member # 1312) on 06-24-2002, 05:28 PM:
First:"Night on Bald Mountain" is the title usuall used for the Rimsky-Korsakov adaptation of the original Mussorgsky piece. Mussorgsky himself went through several versions, and that one is usually titles as "St. Johns Night on the Bare Mountain". Of course all of these are Russian translation, so you can make the translation as spare or wordy as you like. Personally I much prefer the MM versions over the RK versions (the one used on Fantasia is the RK version, and in fact it is very hard to find recordings of the MM version.) The RK version has always felt kind of tame and pretty compared to the MM version which also uses full choir and soloists. very very cool.
Film Composers:
Not suited for all films, but Michael Nyman's work on Peter Greenaway films is amazing. (basically Draughtmans Contract through The Cook...) Also his score for "The Piano" is amazing.
Bernard Herman rules.
Elliot Goldenthal's score for "Titus" was really great.
And of course, Ennio Morricone. According to IMDB he has scored about 450 films! But some are amazing: "The Mission" "The Good Bad and Ugly" (ok maybe not great, but memorable.)
Maybe it's not exactly fair, but Prokofiev did some amazing scores for some Eisenstein Films.
Geof
Posted by Leo Enticknap (Member # 534) on 06-25-2002, 04:35 PM:
Greg: Absolutely not: the 1935 election in Britain was a very controversial one over the issue of rearmament. The left held that we should not spend money on this on the grounds of 'never again' after WWI, but Baldwin and the Tories argued that we could not ignore Germany tearing up the Versailles and Locarno agreements and doing the same thing. IMHO, Things to Come exposed these fears very effectively and it must have made very uncomfortable viewing when it was first shown.
quote:
Maybe it's not exactly fair, but Prokofiev did some amazing scores for some Eisenstein Films.
I love his scores for Lieutenant Kije and Ivan the Terrible (OK, Kije is not at all Eisenstein - let's face it, he was never into comedy).
Posted by John Lasher (Member # 968) on 06-26-2002, 11:53 PM:
My personal favorites are Randy Edelman (Gettysburg, Indian in the Cupboard, The Chipmunk Adventure) and John Williams (my personal favorite of Williams' is the love theme "Can You Read My Mind?" from Superman (of course I am now just all-around biased towards Superman since it's the first movie I saw with a girl (in my arms) 
))How about song-scores from musical/animated/children's films, a couple that come to mind right away are Beauty and the Beast (Ashman/Menkin), Thumbelina (Manilow/Susman/Feldman)
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-27-2002, 09:12 AM:
John Williams...Superman - main title and end credits, krypton intro and flying over metropolis
E.T. - Escape/Chase/Saying Goodbye (the music alone can bring tears to my eyes)
Raiders - The Map Room
The Empire Strikes Back - Entire Score (Vader's Theme, The Asteroid Field and the closing scene especially)
Saving Private Ryan - Hymn To The Fallen
---
James Horner...
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan - opening title
Apollo 13 - The Launch Sequence
The Rocketeer* - Most all of the album is good, but tends toward repetition [main theme overused in trailers for other movies]
Willow - Willow's Theme [overused in trailers for other movies]
Cocoon - Theme from Cocoon
*The Rocketeer soundtrack contains a GREAT version of "Begin The Beguine."
---
John Barry - Somewhere In Time & Out Of Africa (entire albums)
Maurice Jarre - Lawrence Of Arabia
David Arnold - Stargate Overture
---
As for Ennio Morricone...
The first half of "The Mission" soundtrack is really inspired. A lot of the second half seems repetitive (with the exception of Ave Maria Guarani).
Some of the themes in "The Untouchables" are really memorable, too.
---
I have posted this info elsewhere, but it seems appropriate in this thread as well...
"Titanic: The Essential James Horner" is a really good 2-CD set to have, especially if you want to build up a collection of familiar movie themes (instrumentals).
"The Hollywood Sound" is just great. It's a collection of Oscar-winning themes. John Williams conducts The London Symphony Orchestra.
"Film Music" by Michael J. Lewis is a very good 2-CD set as well. I had never heard of him. This was one of those happy accidents with Columbia House.
Posted by Darren Crimmins (Member # 1116) on 06-27-2002, 02:42 PM:
A more recent composer that I really enjoy is an eastern european named Wojciech Kilar. The biggest works he has done were the scores to Bram Stokers Dracula and The Ninth Gate. Anyone looking for a change in the regular classical music genre might check it out. The music is very dark with alot of cellos and basses
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-27-2002, 05:06 PM:
Yes that is an interesting soundtrack. While in college I wrote an entire screenplay with that CD on repeat the entire time. It was one of my darkest (and best) long-form writings.Having said that, my criticism would be that I found the opening number to be a bit derivitive of John Williams' score for the 1980s "Dracula." Maybe it was an intentional homage but, nowadays, I've become skeptical of those. In his defense, the overall feel is quite distinctive.
Posted by Michael Brown (Member # 890) on 06-27-2002, 05:38 PM:
Edward Shearmur The K-Pax score (The opening titles im particular) were good. They were a similar style of Elfman.
Cruel Intentions was also good in some parts.
----------------
Tim Burtons Ed Wood:
The music was by Howard Shore (In the absence of Elfman)
Very Good, Shore copies Elfmans style wonderfully.
Other note worthy Shore Films (for me): Copland, The Truth About Cats and Dogs, Mrs Doubtfire
Posted by Geof Abruzzi (Member # 1312) on 06-28-2002, 12:38 PM:
How about Philip Glass: Koyaanasqatsi or Powaqqatsi?Two very fine scores (If you like that king of thing like me.)
Geof
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 06-28-2002, 01:44 PM:
I love Philip Glass, but it drives my wife nuts. Specially the Piano Solo album.------------------
Greg Mueller
Amateur Astronomer, Machinist, Filmnut
http://www.muellersatomics.com/
Posted by Gordon Bachlund (Member # 124) on 06-28-2002, 02:52 PM:
While I am a great fan of John Williams and other notable contemporary composers of film scores, Elmer Bernstein gets my vote for always providing just the right musical flavor to a film. Consider "Animal House" and "Stripes" as representative examples of his work. Some years back, the local NPR member station in LA, KUSC, ran a series of programs hosted by David Raksin, composer of the score of "Laura," which featured examples of the greats like Bernard Herman and Eric Korngold. I loved this show, which is probably why it died on the vine. 
Posted by Paul Cassidy (Member # 951) on 06-28-2002, 04:03 PM:
Elmer Bernstein for the Score of "The Magnificent Seven"
His first major recognition came from the score for Man with the Golden Arm (1955). He continued to score important films throughout his illustrious career, continuing well into the 1990's. Among the several hundred titles to Bernstein's credit include The Ten Commandments (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Great Escape (1963), Hawaii (1966), and Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) for which he won his only Oscar. Bernstein's more recent work includes such well-known scores as Ghostbusters (1984 ), Cape Fear (1991), A River Runs Through It (1992), The Age of Innocence (1993) and Devil In A Blue Dress (1995
------------------
A KIWI eats,roots & Leaves.
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 06-28-2002, 05:38 PM:
Lots of really nice Philip Glass music was used in "The Truman Show." That's one of my favorite recent movies and I listen to that CD occasionally.
Posted by Greg Mueller (Member # 17) on 07-01-2002, 09:45 AM:
Bill Conti
"The Right Stuff"
main theme
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 07-01-2002, 10:39 AM:
Oh, yes!Greg that's a great theme. I can sit through the closing credits anytime, anywhere. Those violins and trumpets..."The Right Stuff" is really the most soaring theme I can think of.
I have been known to start the DVD of "The Right Stuff" at the Claire de Lune fan dance at the Texas barbeque and then watch straight through to the end from there.
In fact...That sounds like a GREAT idea!
------------------
~Manny.
"The brown acid that is circulating around is not specifically too good."
-- An announcement in the film, "Woodstock: 3 Days of Peace & Music."
Posted by Ken Lackner (Member # 1002) on 07-01-2002, 01:18 PM:
Last week I said: quote:
I know Snow and Goldsmith have both doen other movies recently, but I can't remember what.
I remember Goldsmith's recent film: The Sum of All Fears. Okay, I didn't actually remember it, I saw the credits when I was walking theaters. But it jogged my memory and I remember seeing his name in the credits when I first saw the film.
Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 07-01-2002, 04:43 PM:
Jo Hisaishi's score for BROTHER was so sad and beautiful, just like the movie.I also love Michael Penn and Jon Brion's work on SYDNEY.
Posted by Bob Maar (Member # 763) on 07-01-2002, 05:33 PM:
Yankee Doodle Dandy Words and music George M. Cohan 1942 Favorite Film.Oklahoma Rogers and Hammerstein. Joel McCrea
West Side Story- Lenard Bernstein 1964
Buddy Holly Story- Music Buddy Holly & Big Bopper and Ritchie Valans
Hard Days Night - Beatles 1966
Posted by Manny Knowles (Member # 1171) on 07-01-2002, 06:42 PM:
"Cabaret" starring Joel Grey and Liza Minelli
Music & Lyrics by Ed Kander & Fred Ebb (?)
Posted by Dwayne Caldwell (Member # 417) on 07-01-2002, 08:33 PM:
I've been listening to alot of James Newton Howard and David Arnold lately. J.N.H.'s Flatliners is kick ass, but they never released a commerical CD. Just some bootlegs floating around. Same with Arnold's complete score to Independence Day and Shaft (which is actually good in that cheesy 70's kind of way). Dave, if you should ever have lunch with Broughton again, see if you can get me a copy of his complete score to Young Sherlock Holmes. Intrada released a limited edition recently (limited to 500 copies I believe) that sold out before I could get a copy. Those bastards.
------------------
The man with the magic hands.
Posted by Michael Schaffer (Member # 1204) on 07-02-2002, 09:41 AM:
My favourites are "Lawrence of Arabia" (which is probably also my favourite movie)and "Star Wars". But I found Williams` work for Episode 1+2 very disappointing and on top of that, not very well played and recorded. I think Hans Zimmer should also be mentioned. A lot of his music sounds the same but sometimes he comes up with great ideas as on the scores for "Black Rain" (another of my favourite movies) and especially "Gladiator" which has some very good moments.
By the way, in the Russian original it`s BALD mountain, a location near Kiev. There are three versions, the original orchestral draft, a second draft including a baritone solo and chorus which Moussorgsky intended to be included in a never finished opera. And finally, Rimsky-Korssakov`s version, which is based largely on the second version, but without the voices and with a much tamer and conventional orchestration. R-K also "corrected" some of M`s harmonic extravaganzas not because he thought they were wrong, but because he feared people weren`t ready for them at his time. But we are now, and the original versions are really the ones one should listen to.
Recommended recordings:
Original version: Cleveland Orchestra/Christoph von Dohnanyi on Decca
Chorus Version: Berlin Philharmonic/Claudio Abbado on Sony Classical
R-K: Orchestre symphonique de Montréal/Charles Dutoit on Decca
Michael
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-02-2002, 11:36 AM:
I was priveledged to run John Hughes unfinished "Dennis The Menace" for Jerry Goldsmith to make notes from for writing the score. He was a really nice guy, and it was hard to believe that here was a guy I am running film for that wrote scores for films I remember seeing when I was a kid!!
As far as favorites though Bernard Herrman, and Danny Elfman for sure. Bobby Henderson and I finally agree on something.....Edward Scissorhands score is amazing.
I am EXTREMELY tired of John Wiliams, and Utah is way overstocked on wussies!!
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Sean Weitzel (Member # 244) on 07-02-2002, 01:56 PM:
My fave hands down is Thomas Newman..Unstrung Heroes is the best of his catalog with American Beauty following close behind.
Posted by Charles Everett (Member # 889) on 07-02-2002, 06:31 PM:
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly -- composed by Ennio Moricone. That movie is the spaghetti Western and the music just smells of the sauce.Bob Maar: A Hard Day's Night opened in 1964.
Posted by David Stambaugh (Member # 1102) on 07-02-2002, 06:35 PM:
Ennio Morricone has done a lot of great work. But his score for "Mission To Mars" nearly ruined the movie. It was truly awful.
Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 07-02-2002, 07:48 PM:
And who can forget how bad those soundtracks sounded on the spagetti westerns. All that you heard was overmod on the tracks.
Mark @ GTS
Posted by Dave Williams (Member # 299) on 07-03-2002, 02:43 PM:
Here is another one that I nearly forgot.ALAN SILVESTRI... for the CONTACT score, and about seventy other films.
When it comes to movie scores, the music can make or break a movie. Anyone remember the score for Alien 3? What a piece of crap composed by Eliot Golenthal, whose other crap scores include Batman and Robin and also Sphere.
Dave
Posted by Mike Schindler (Member # 1309) on 07-03-2002, 05:49 PM:
I like Elliot Goldenthal. He always has a lot of clanging metal sounds in his scores. I'm especially fond of his work on BATMAN FOREVER.Also, I think ALIEN 3 was "broken" a long time before anyone even thought about the music.