Favourite film composer?

[Narshty]

Without a doubt, Pino Donaggio. I've always loved his scores, from the under-rated Piranha to Don't Look Now, as well as tons of Brian De Palma's work.

They might be a tad derivative, but are so compensatingly luscious, atmospheric and velvety, I just sink away whenever I hear any of his work.

Incidentally, I just bought the LP soundtrack of Dressed to Kill this morning.

[buffy-fan]

One of my favourite is Clint Mansell
he has done scores for two of my favourite films Pi and Reqiuem for a dream, his scores are enchanting and unique and sound great of dolby digital WOW:eek:

A Legend in the film buisness must be Hans Zimmer, who has scored many, many films almost 100 some include:
True Romance
Lion King
Broken Arrow
Scream 2
Gladiator
Mi2
Hannibal
Pearl Harbor
Black Hawk Down

Now that is some CV:clap:

[thedapman]

I used to consider John Barry, Ennio Morricone and John WIlliams the only composers worth listening to but over the last few years have really got into stuff by Hans Zimmer, Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard and, yes, James Horner. But my favourite composer these days is Randy Edelman. 'Serious' film music buffs don't take him seriously but he'll do for me. His music for Dragonheart and Dragon - The Bruce Lee Story, for example, have some of the most beautiful and stirring pieces of film music - or any music for that matter, that I've ever heard. I think 'To the Stars' from Dragonheart is just about the greatest piece of music ever written.

Update: Just after I wrote the above I was listening to Patrick Cassidy's 'Vide Cor Meum' from Hannibal....er, that may now be my favourite piece of music. Fickle or what? :)

[jamie_rowe]

Definitely Danny Elfman for:

Batman
Men in Black
Sleepy Hollow
and, of course, The Simpsons

[SithLordSi]

James Newton Howard, Jerry Goldsmith, John Williams, Howard Shore, John Barry.

[Doorman80]

Hans Zimmer is my fav:)

[Cap'n Al]

Michael Nyman and Hans Zimmer, both consistently brilliant composers who do a variety of stunning stuff. Morricone is also excellent, although I've always felt that he's better at themes than scores.

[cervaro]

Originally posted by jamie_rowe
Definitely Danny Elfman for:

Batman
Men in Black
Sleepy Hollow
and, of course, The Simpsons

I thought someone had studied Danny Elfman's work and reckoned he was constantly reworking previous film scores as they all sounded alike. Yes there are similarities in his work, but that's hardly a surprise is it.

Tend to like the work of John Williams, John Barry, and Ennio Morricone myself. Like elements of James Horners work (some good pieces in Bicentennial Man), Maurice Jarre and Eric Serra.

[jmoates]

For consistent top quality work throughout a long career : Jerry Goldsmith (particular plaudits for writing the Star Trek TMP march and the Man from UNCLE theme).

For inventing the Bond sound : John Barry

For updating the Bond sound : David Arnold (particular plaudits for his alternative title song for Tomorrow Never Dies with k.d.lang and his work with Propellorheads to come up with the new chase music style used in TND and TWINE)

Up and coming: John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams for Shrek.

[McD]

Originally posted by thedapman
...I was listening to Patrick Cassidy's 'Vide Cor Meum' from Hannibal....er, that may now be my favourite piece of music.

John Williams was offered the job of composing this piece as Zimmer didn't have the required classical background to attempt it. Williams refused, feeling, perhaps rightly, that it was a bit insulting to be asked to compose three minutes of a film given his second-to-none pedigree.

That said, the resulting Patrick Cassidy piece is one of the most memorable music cues of the last ten years. Maybe second only to the moment in Braveheart after the battle of Stirling (James Horner).

My faves based on the past decade only, off the top of my head:

1. John Williams
2. Gabriel Yared (If I directed a film tomorrow, I'd call him before Williams!)
3. James Horner
4. Michael Convertino (Mother Night, Bed of Roses)
5. Hans Zimmer
6. Howard Shore
7. Elliot Goldenthal (might even buy Final Fantasy on Monday for his commentary)
8. Angelo Badalamenti (check out track 5 on Mulholland Dr.)
9. Ennio Morricone
10. James Newton Howard

No Maurice Jarre (quiet for a few years), Elmer Bernstein (a bit dull these days), Jerry Goldsmith (a few nice themes, mostly a talent wasted these days - but dont tell that to his rabid fans), Danny Elfman (again, haven't been that impressed by anything since Scissorhands), Michael Kamen (Don Juan DeMarco in my all time top 10, but what else, Michael?), John Barry (Indecent Proposal was great, but it's been a quiet decade).

[nagaifiend]

John Ottman for his Usual Suspects score- the mans a film editor by profession and he's created one of the most atmospheric scores I've heard in recent years.

Alan Silvestri, particularly for The Abyss and Back to the Future- surprised nobodies mentioned him up until now :(

And finally Christopher Young for his Hellraiser 1 & 2 scores.

[john316]

My picks have to be:

John Williams
Hans Zimmer
Danny Elfman

If you have a film score from one of these then the film itself is lifted - nothing is worse for me in a movie than a rubbish music score eg Mission to Mars

[McD]

Originally posted by nagaifiend
John Ottman for his Usual Suspects score- the mans a film editor by profession and he's created one of the most atmospheric scores I've heard in recent years.


He's a director too! Urban Legends 2: The Final Cut. Or didn't you see that one, bloody philistine! :) The Usual Suspects was a good score, definintely.

Alan Silvestri, particularly for The Abyss and Back to the Future- surprised nobodies mentioned him up until now :( [/QUOTE]

Never liked him myself - aside from the ones you mention which are admittedly great. But don't listen to Father of The Bride 2 - despite the gushing CD sleeve notes it's torture!

And finally Christopher Young for his Hellraiser 1 & 2 scores. [/QUOTE]

Classics both! But again, C.Y. has been given a shot at the big leagues with some very high profile films recently - and has fluffed all the ones I've seen. Wonderboys was a travesty - just about every cue nicked from Danny Elfman's Midnight Run! Maybe fitting as Elfman got famous on the Hellraiser-esque Batman score, but a non event none the less. Kind of spoiled the movie a bit for me, in all honesty.

[eddie kane]

i would have to say the music of LISA GERRARD ,who co- wrote the music on GLADIATOR and also on THE INSIDER has been the work that i have enjoyed most in recent times

i would also say that JOHN WILLIAMS just produces the good time and time again .
can you think of a score he has written that has been rubbish even if the film was crap?

HANZ ZIMMER'S work as above on GLADIATOR was excellent and i also thought his music for HANNIBAL was excellent too (the best thing about this movie possibly.......?)

[Gary Couzens]

Votes from me for Ry Cooder (especially <i>Paris, Texas</i> and his work for Walter Hill) and Zbigniew Preisner (his work for Kieslowski).

[nagaifiend]

Originally posted by McD
He's a director too! Urban Legends 2: The Final Cut. Or didn't you see that one, bloody philistine!

Wasn't a huge fan of the first Urban Legends film so I steered well clear of the second. But yes, I did know that Ottman directed UB2 but I guess he had to start somewhere ;)

[CrazyHorse]

In no particular order, with a few of my favourite scores by each composer (but firstly, as nobody has mentioned him yet!!!):

Bernard Herrmann - one of the true greats of film music

Citizen Kane
The Ghost & Mrs Muir
7th Voyage of Sinbad
Vertigo (and any other Hitchcock score he did - this just edges out Psycho & NBNW)
Obsession
Taxi Driver

Miklos Rosza - probably a bit old fashioned for most tastes these days, but I still love his highly romantic/dramatic music

The Jungle Book (Korda version)
Thief of Baghdad
King of Kings
Double Indemnity
Time After Time (want it on DVD, NOW!)

Franz Waxman - another old timer, but what music!

Bride of Frankenstein
A Place in the Sun
Rebecca
Taras Bulba

Jerry Goldsmith - been around a while and producing competent work now, rather than some of the extraordinary scores he's written in the past.

Planet of the Apes
The Omen
Star Trek - The Motion Picture
Alien
Legend

John Williams - known (rightly so) for his epic, blockbuster soundtracks, but some of his quieter scores are little gems (The River)

Jaws
Jaws 2 (the film doesn't deserve a score this good)
Empire Strikes Back - best of the SW scores as well as the films
Raiders of the Lost Ark
Dracula
The Fury
JFK

James Horner - a bit of a pretender to the Goldsmith/Williams throne when he first arrived on the scene, with many of his early works owing much to these two masters. Still produced some stirring work of his own, though

Krull (again, a better score than film deserves - IMHO)
Star Trek 3: the Search for Spock
Rocketeer (although the main theme sounds like it's going to go into Bill Conti's Right Stuff theme!)
Willow

Danny Elfman - more recent talent, sometimes accused of being 'samey', but all of the composer's above have done work that resembles other things they've done!

Batman
Edward Scissorhands
Nightbreed
A Simple Plan
Sleepy Hollow


A few others:

Alex North - A Streetcar Named Desire: 2001 a Space Odyssey(unused); Dragonslayer

Michael Kamen - The Dead Zone; Robin Hood Prince of Thieves

Ry Cooder - Paris, Texas; Alamo Bay; Streets of Fire

Vangelis - for his work on BladeRunner alone!

Enio Morricone - Once Upon a Time in America/the West; The Mission; Dollars Trillogy; The Island (main theme)

John Barry - Somewhere in Time; King Kong (shame about the film!); Thunderball (if I had to pick one Bond score!); Inside Moves

Basil Poledouris - Hunt For Red October; Robocop; Flesh & Blood; Conan the Barbarian (I don't care how derivative of Carl Orf it is, it's one of the finest film scores of the last 20 years!)

[Wendelius]

Hans Zimmer because I can't stop listening to the Gladiator soundtrack and Eric Serra for his Leon soundtrack only.

All the other usual suspects are goood too though (Williams, Goldsmith, Elfman).

Wendelius

[Toothy]

Alan Silvestri for me. :)

[sticker]

I really love Maurice Jarre's 'Building the Barn' from Witness...


http://homepage.eircom.net/~garryleavycomedian/Avalon.jpg
DA STICKER > ENGINEER CLASS > TFC
:D

[Rachel_M]

:eek: :eek: :eek:

I'm amazed to read this thread and see no mention of Thomas Newman! One of the most original film composers around.

Shawshank Redemption
American Beauty
Scent of a Woman
Green Mile
Meet Joe Black
Little Women
How to Make an American Quilt
Oscar & Lucinda

I rest my case.......

Also worthy of a mention is Carter Burwell.

[Sarai]

another one for danny elfman iknow they're all similar but i do like the bouncy scary thing he does

and who was the bloke on forrest gump i forgot now. its probably the best score made

i also like the music on chasing amy that "aahh, aah, aah" bit

oh yeah sixth sense is good

[Tristan H]

Bernard Hermann by a distance.

I also like Hans Zimmer (especially alongside Lisa Gerrard) and John Williams.

[alanmg1200]

John Barry for me.

[Mike]

Pino Donaggio for the work he's done in the past, especially:

Don't Look Now
Damned In Venice
Carrie
Dressed To Kill
Blow Out
Body Double
Raising Cain

Gone off the boil now, sadly.

Also, Ennio Morricone, notably for:

For A Few Dollars More
Novocento
Exorcist II The Heretic
The Untouchables
Casualties Of War
Lolita
State of Grace is nice, but he obviously thought so too having used it at least twice since.

John Williams did some tremendous stuff early on - "The Cowboys", "The Reivers", "Earthquake", "Dracula", "The Fury", "Jane Eyre" - but I haven't liked his more recent stuff much with the exception of 'Hymn For The Fallen' from SPR and the interesting score for "AI"

I've always been fond of Basil Poledouris's work with John Milius - "Big Wednesday" is brilliant - and I love his totally OTT score for "The Blue Lagoon".

Jerry Goldsmith is often marvellous - "Hoosiers", "Capricorn One", "The Swarm", "Basic Instinct" - but not so much recently.

John Barry writes the same score over and over again, but when he's good - as in "Raise The Titanic" - he's very good.

Of the older composers, Miklos Rosza consistently produced wonderful things, as did Bernard Herrmann.

[kjn6371]

Originally posted by Sarai
and who was the bloke on forrest gump i forgot now. its probably the best score made
Alan Silvestri.My vote would go to Jerry Goldsmith.

[Michael Brooke]

I'm glad someone mentioned Zbigniew Preisner, whose score for <I>The Double Life of Veronique</I> is one of the most shiver-inducing of any film in living memory.

In the same vein, I'm also nominating Nicola Piovani, who has written some hauntingly lovely scores for films by Federico Fellini, the Taviani Brothers, Nanni Moretti and Roberto Benigni. I was delighted when he won an Oscar for <I>Life is Beautiful</I>, not because I think it's his best score (it's actually below par by his standards) but because it finally killed off the ridiculous rumour that he's just a pseudonym for Ennio Morricone.

I have major reservations about much of Philip Glass's output, but he's written some extraordinarily imaginative film scores - <I>Mishima</I> was absolutely electrifying (as much for its total originality as its musical content) and his work for <I>Koyaanisqatsi, The Thin Blue Line</I> and <I>Kundun</I> is similarly impressive.

Bernard Herrmann and Ennio Morricone have been championed enough, but they'd be very firmly on my list as well. And although he's never directly written a film score in his life, the music of the Hungarian avant-garde composer György Ligeti has been extraordinarily effective in films as diverse as <I>2001, The Shining, Eyes Wide Shut</I> and <I>Heat</I>.

[Mr Vampire]

From a Asian prespective, I like what I've heard of Joe Hisaishi's work in Hayao Miyazaki films. Some very memorable theme tunes, I really do like the score for Mononoke Hime.
Peter Kam is also a composer I enjoy listening to, regardless of whether a film may stink (e.g. Gen-Y-Cops), he does consistently top shelf scores (considering the Hong Kong industry) imo

[Blade Runner]

John Williams
Hans Zimmer
Jerry Goldsmith
James Horner
Ennio Morricone
Alan Silvestri
Vangelis
Elliot Goldenthal
Danny Elfman

;)

[ethanfox]

And here we have a problem....

How are you rating film music?

It has two places - with and without a film.
Williams for example certainly writes good music, no question, but YES he has written rubbish, overblown, unintersting scores that lack any form of subtlety.

In terms of fitting with a film - Angela's Ashes, The Patriot, most of A.I., any of the gentle parts of Harry Potter, and certainly Episode 1. None of these worked really well with the film but are enjoyable enough listens at home.

The reason I get annoyed by this is that WITHOUT ANY DOUBT the one composer who's work in the 90's that most impresses (and William's was quoted as saying he is the only working composer he has any respect for) consistently adding to films with class and subtlety and downright genius is
Thomas Newman who has only been mentioned the once.

American Beauty and Shawshank Redemption are both outstanding scores.

Also Carter Burwell, he helps give the coens the quirk they are so often loved for and yet rarely mentioned.

I must finally say that the use of the words Brilliant and Hans Zimmer in the same sentance are a frightful sight.
He and his Media Ventures buddies are everything wrong with film music. It is dull, by the book, generic crap. Hannibal - A disgrace, Gladiator - come on people... Lion King - Listen to Mahler's 2nd Symphony, True Romance - BADLANDS.

Credit only for the Thin Red Line, and after that amount of scores, you would think one would HAVE to be good.

Pay attention to the Thomas Newmans and The Carter Burwells of the world, they are our last hope in a musical form content to churn out the same stuff over and over.

Williams is getting on. He wont be here forever...

[Guiness]

John Williams

The Empire Strikes Back
Star Wars
ET
Superman
Raiders Of The Lost Ark


Jerry Goldsmith

Planet Of The Apes
Total Recall
Innerspace


Everyone else is rubbish

[McD]

In terms of fitting with a film - Angela's Ashes, The Patriot, most of A.I., any of the gentle parts of Harry Potter, and certainly Episode 1. None of these worked really well with the film but are enjoyable enough listens at home.


I agree with the principal of your argument but not your examples. I’ve never seen The Patriot and never will, but the CD seems competent enough, if hardly classic. The other scores lifted the films completely – they were, in my mind, by far the best things in Menace and Potter. The one I think makes for a great CD but is bad in the film is the stunning Amistad, which only highlighted how bad the film was!


WITHOUT ANY DOUBT the one composer who's work in the 90's that most impresses (and William's was quoted as saying he is the only working composer he has any respect for) ...is
Thomas Newman...

American Beauty and Shawshank Redemption are both outstanding scores.


Not without any doubt at all!!! Does his 90’s work really compare with JW’s? Not by a mile – and the JW quote – where did it supposedly come from? – isn’t accurate, I can assure you… unless it was taken way out of context.

JW in the 90’s (a selection): Seven Years In Tibet, JFK, Jurrasic Park, Hook, Home Alone, Sabrina, Sleepers, Saving Private Ryan, Schindlers List, Amistad, Phantom Menace. All classics.


Hannibal - A disgrace, Gladiator - come on people... Lion King - Listen to Mahler's 2nd Symphony, True Romance - BADLANDS.

Credit only for the Thin Red Line, and after that amount of scores, you would think one would HAVE to be good.


Hannibal was a very effective piece of work - loads of interesting cues (although a few of them felt like it was about to break into Casualties of War). As for True Romance and Badlands - it was intentional - I'm sure he was asked to do it by the director.

As for ONE having to be good - well - you only mentioned two for the equally ubiquitous Thomas Newman! What gives? Are the rest not really up to snuff? The answer is probably not – his work isn’t too varied and he fluffed some big projects including The People Vs Larry Flynt. That said, he’s definitely a contender for my top 10, and I did forget about him.

Carter Burwell? Good, but not truly exceptional for me. Loved Fargo and Being John Malkovich, but he can sleep through assignments as well (Conspiracy Theory?)

As it happens I do also agree that Media Ventures was a huge step back for the art of film music. But Zimmer still has a great talent.

[Cap'n Al]

I personally can't stand Thomas Newman's <i>American Beauty/Erin Brockovich</i> work, but that's personal taste more than anything else (something to do with the instrumentation drives me round the bend.)

The problem with most composers is that they end up doing the same score over and over again (Goldsmith: action with a patriotic bent; Williams: wonder and magic with an epic tone; Barry: epic romantic stuff; Elfman: weird and discordant stuff to accompany the work of Tim Burton; Horner: music that sounds beautiful the first time you hear it but palls by the fifth consecutive film it's in), which means that virtually any soundtrack CD by a major composer is unlikely to be that unique; even Zimmer's scores to <i>Pearl Harbor</i> and <i>Black Hawk Down</i> are both heavily influenced by his scores to <i>Gladiator</i> and <i>The Thin Red Line</i>.

Still, for a bit of pounding minimalism, you can't beat Michael Nyman....;)

[ethanfox]

At last someone to argue with...

The very fact that you COULD notice the soundtracks to PM and HP shows that the score failed - not ment to take you away from the narrative, that is the idea. PM score added NOTHING to the film and the HP score STOMPED all over any moment of emotion.
(This is of course unless you are a soundtrack Geek like me and listen principally to the scores anyway). Agree with Amistad, great work...

OK, you want to get dirty
Seven Years In Tibet - Nice theme, OVER AND OVER AND OVER
JFK, Granted,
Jurrasic Park, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Hook, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Home Alone, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Sabrina, easy listening classics, is Richard Clayderman on it?
Sleepers, Stay away from synths Mr. Williams, you don't know how to work them.
Saving Private Ryan, Pompouse, dull, unemotional, Oo, a choir, how surprising.
Schindlers List, Granted
Phantom Menace, Oh come on, compared to ESB it is NOTHING.

(You didn't mention Nixon which WAS good)

And finally on JW, Unless you happen to be best mates with him, how can you tell me that that quote is wrong? He was asked in an interview who he liked in the industry and that is who he said... why is that so impossible?

Please "Assure" me I am wrong.....

Originally posted by McD

As for ONE having to be good - well - you only mentioned two for the equally ubiquitous Thomas Newman! What gives? Are the rest not really up to snuff? The answer is probably not – his work isn’t too varied...
This is called having a harmonic language, composers have them to distinguish themselves from each other.

Originally posted by McD

and he fluffed some big projects...
If you think, but also saved many - Horse Whisperer, Little Women, THE LOST BOYS(!) Oscar and Lucinda, Scent Of A Woman, Erin Broch....

Originally posted by McD
Carter Burwell? Good, but not truly exceptional for me. Loved Fargo and Being John Malkovich, but he can sleep through assignments as well (Conspiracy Theory?)
But brought a touch of class to the Jackal and A Knight's Tale, The recent Hamlet, And The Band Played On...

QUOTE]Originally posted by McD
But Zimmer still has a great talent. [/QUOTE]

At being rude and obnoxious, perhaps...


All I'm saying is, people should start to celebrate those composers that dare to bring something new and interesting to film... these are not the only two, just two I wanted to mention....

[Cirrus888]

Nobody has mentioned Lalo Schifrin yet? Dirty Harry, enter the dragon, rush hour, mission impossible as well as a whole host of classics ...

[Cirrus888]

Jô Hisaishi also wins my vote for scoring all of Hayao Miyazaki's work.

[McD]

The very fact that you COULD notice the soundtracks to PM and HP shows that the score failed - not ment to take you away from the narrative, that is the idea. PM score added NOTHING to the film and the HP score STOMPED all over any moment of emotion. (This is of course unless you are a soundtrack Geek like me and listen principally to the scores anyway).

Poppycock! So the only people who ever admire any film music or buy a soundtrack album are OST geeks?!?!?! And they don’t have to take you away from the narrative for you to enjoy them, or think that the work in them is superior to the inferior film product around them. JW didn’t save Episode I, but I thought it was a help to the film, a film needing all the help it could get! And it sounds great on both OST releases. I don’t think there were any moments of real emotion in HP, and it was a score I thought was reasonably good on disc, then appreciated more when I saw what Williams had to work with. I thought it was an excellent accompaniment to a bland-as-hell film.

Seven Years In Tibet - Nice theme, OVER AND OVER AND OVER
JFK, Granted,
Jurrasic Park, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Hook, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Home Alone, Strong themes, then usual waffle
Sabrina, easy listening classics, is Richard Clayderman on it?
Sleepers, Stay away from synths Mr. Williams, you don't know how to work them.
Saving Private Ryan, Pompouse, dull, unemotional, Oo, a choir, how surprising.
Schindlers List, Granted
Phantom Menace, Oh come on, compared to ESB it is NOTHING.
(You didn't mention Nixon which WAS good)


You’re doing all my hard work for me here! I’d say you’re either a HUGE Williams fan or you’re in denial! Right:

Seven Years - as close to a 'modern classical' masterpiece as the OST has come in recent years. Williams best in the last decade.
JFK – yes, good, not one of my personal faves though
Jurrasic Park, - fab score, VERY strong themes.
Hook, - a bona fide classic, awful film
Home Alone – JW does Christmas, excellent
Sabrina – yes, its easy, but beautifully done. Check out the Violin version on Cinema Serende – gorgeous!
Sleepers – he certainly can work the synths on this evidence. Fab score, drab film
Saving Private Ryan – I kind of see where you’re coming from on this one.
Schindlers List – stunning stuff
Phantom Menace – great score. And come on Ethan – compared to TESB, 90% of the scores listed above are ‘nothing’, if you want to be like that!
Nixon – yes, good, merely serviceable away from the film.

Originally posted by ethanfox
And finally on JW, Unless you happen to be best mates with him, how can you tell me that that quote is wrong? He was asked in an interview who he liked in the industry and that is who he said... why is that so impossible? Please "Assure" me I am wrong.....

Well, aside from anything else, the impeccably polite JW would never say anything like this, certainly not regarding his follow professionals - … Williams was quoted as saying he (Newman) is the only working composer he has any respect for!!! No, he’s not my best mate but I’ve interviewed him before (lastly back in ’98) and his answer to favourite working composer was (unsurprisingly) Jerry Goldsmith & (surprisingly) Richard Rodney Bennett.

Originally posted by ethanfox
All I'm saying is, people should start to celebrate those composers that dare to bring something new and interesting to film... these are not the only two, just two I wanted to mention....

Fair enough – but you can do it without slagging off superior scores from the elder statesmen. Really, truly, honestly – you cant take a ‘strong themes, then usual waffle’ approach to JW and then rave about stuff like American Beauty or And the Band Played On! He’s as consistent and inventive (95% of the time a lot more so) throughout a score as anybody else mentioned here.

I mean something like Erin B really didn’t lift the film at all, did it? And you’re slagging off Sabrina? Take pot shots, by all means – but subject stuff like The Jackal to the same appraisal as you are giving Jurrasic Park, etc. You can’t tell me that Jurrasic Park had ‘Strong themes, then usual waffle’ but the score to A Knight’s Tale was better? Or can you? Newman and Burwell aren’t doing anything new and interesting that Williams hasn’t done before, or is doing now.

You want new and interesting – look at Goldenthal (boy, did he explode on the scene!), Shore (no, not for LOTR), Convertino (check out Mother Night, truly one of the best scores of all time – he did things on that score that would make Thomas Newman blush!)

No one has yet mentioned:

Trevor Jones - rocks like no other – Sea of Love, Kiss of Death, Angel Heart
Craig Safan – B movie bliss. Elm Street IV, Last Starfighter, Major Payne
Wojciech Kilar – Portrait of a Lady – wow! Star of Truman Show finale!
Robert Folk – see Craig Safan.
Laurence Rosenthal – some great moments in a long and varied career
David Shire – Return to Oz, amazing, as is most of the rest.
Patrick Doyle - did well on gangster flicks Donnie Brasco and Carlito’s Way
&
Simon Boswell – perhaps the composer who really should be getting the attention of the youth vote! Has done every genre imaginable, and beautifully, but still hasn’t broken into the big leagues despite fan letters from Tarantino, etc.

[Guiness]

Originally posted by McD

Leonard Rosenman – some great moments in a long and varied career


Name one

[McD]

Originally posted by Guiness


Name one

OK, made a mistake - been caught out. Not for the first time I confused Rosenman with Rosenthal.

I never have liked Rosenman - his scores to Robocop 2 and Star Trek IV were awful. And I don’t know much of his other efforts although recently heard Lord of The Rings and it's admittedly not bad. I've been trying to punt his Keeper of The City (got it cheaply) soundtrack CD for a year on other forums with no success.

Leonard Rosenman should have read Laurence Rosenthal! Not as bad as when I last talked about the songwriting prowess of Randy Crawford on here! :) (was Randy Newman, by the way).

They are similar in many ways, career-wise, as well. But it’s Rosenthal that I’ve enjoyed in a few unexpected places over the years.

Still, as he’s not John Williams or Jerry Goldsmith, you’re still going to ask:-

I’ll name the stunning Clash of The Titans.

And I’ll amend my post!

[thedapman]

Originally posted by Cirrus888
Nobody has mentioned Lalo Schifrin yet? Dirty Harry, enter the dragon, rush hour, mission impossible as well as a whole host of classics ...

Sorry m8 but I hate Lalo Schifrin's music. Wait, I'll qualify that, Schifrin's music to me is only listenable when you watch the film it's scored for. I have tried but just can't listen to the score alone. He just comes across to me as someone who'd rather be composing jazz music than film scores.

Just my opinion of course :)

[thedapman]

Originally posted by ethanfox
At last someone to argue with...

All I'm saying is, people should start to celebrate those composers that dare to bring something new and interesting to film... these are not the only two, just two I wanted to mention....

Cobblers I'm afraid m8. People shouldn't have to celebrate a composer just because they are bringing something "new" or "interesting" to the scene. If, the work in itself stands up, then fine but just the fact that a new direction has been taken shouldn't mean automatic celebration - the direction may mean work which can only be appreciated by purists or the tone deaf :).

I thoroughly enjoy much of Horner's, Edelman's, Zimmer's and Silvestri's work (to name but some) and I resent the pomposity of some people who criticise such composers for presenting enjoyable if not exactly ground breaking work.

Listen and choose to enjoy, or not, based on the music itself and stuff the musical politics and snobbishness.

Not that I'm accusing you of any of this of course :)

[gZa]

Originally posted by Cirrus888
Jô Hisaishi also wins my vote for scoring all of Hayao Miyazaki's work. Not to mention most of Takeshi Kitano's films. The <I>Hana-Bi</i> score is heartbreaking.

[Dan Druff]

I used to collect scores but had a great many stolen.

:(

Of the ones I have heard, here are the best composers and the CD in question..

Vangelis - Blade Runner and 1492 Conquest of Paradise.
Memories of Green and Light and Shadow are absolutely brilliant, but generally the entire score for Blade Runner is amazing, suits the film superbly.

Bernard Hermann - Taxi Driver, Vertigo
Superb. Seedy and menacing and thrilling.

Basil Poledouris - Robocop
Absolutely brilliant. Short though (barely ran to 30 mins). Need to find his Conan score ASAP.

Miklos Rozka - Ben Hur
Huge and epic and massive

John Williams - Original Star Wars trilogy, Jaws, Raisers of the Lost Ark, E.T., Superman
The defining movie music of my youth.

Jerry Goldsmith - Chinatown, Gremlins, The Omen, tonnes others
I had various compilation soundtracks of his work. He is just brilliant

Danny Elfman - Edward Scissorhands, Batman, Mars Attacks, Music for a Darkened theatre compilation.
Very cinematic and cheeky scores

James Horner - Braveheart, Titanic, Star trek 2 and 3, Aliens
So much emotion is so many films owes a debt to James Horner

Carter Burwell - Millers Crossing, Hudsucker Proxy
Just a brilliant Coens collaborator. One of my favs

Graham Ravell - the Crow
Suits the film perfectly. Excellent work.

Toto - Dune
Again, epic and at the same time a guilty pleasure. Not really regular composers though of course.

There are many more but I don't have the time to list them all, but the above is a good idea of what sheer brilliance is floating around

[Barney_Tabasco]

John Barry without a doubt.

:clap:

[urruri]

My favourites are:
John Williams
Danny Elfman
Jerry Goldsmith

[Morpheus2000]

Jerry Goldsmith, he's a genius!

[DCH]

Graham Revell - I've followed him since his SPK days and despite turning out some drek (The Fortress for example) his best work is marvellous. I've even endured some films just to hear his score in situ... Lara Croft for example...

[ethanfox]

Originally posted by thedapman


Cobblers I'm afraid m8. People shouldn't have to celebrate a composer just because they are bringing something "new" or "interesting" to the scene. If, the work in itself stands up, then fine but just the fact that a new direction has been taken shouldn't mean automatic celebration - the direction may mean work which can only be appreciated by purists or the tone deaf :).


I think you took my statement a little too literally. I'm not suggesting that someone should be celebrated because they choose to fart a score instead of use instruments.
But we all praise films that have groundbreaking FX or directers that have used new techniques IF the film works - so why not praise the composers who do that as well?

Audiences just seem to lap up the same stuff over and over, rather than broadening minds. It all has it's place and it isn't like one style is better than another.

Originally posted by thedapman
I resent the pomposity of some people who criticise such composers for presenting enjoyable if not exactly ground breaking work.

You mis-understand, it isn't about breaking conventions, it is about being interesting.

However if you choose to settle for the mediocre, then that is your choice...;)

[vanmunchen]

No one's mentioned one of the greatest from the Golden Age of Hollywood - Alfred Newman. He did a vast number of films: some of his best scores were for, How the West Was Won, The Robe, The Egyptian, The Greatest Story Ever Told, Captain from Castile, Song of Bernadette, Story of Anne Frank, How Green was my Valley....many others.

[John Hodson]

Carter Burwell - Fargo in particular - is a current fave, but no one new to add really, except Erich Wolfang Korngold - The Sea Hawk is magnificent - the quite brilliant Max Steiner (Treasure of the Sierra Madre amongst others) and Dimitri Tiomkin who lifted many films - including The Guns of Navarone and The Alamo out of the ordinary.

It was to Tiomkin's recurring Mexican theme - the deguello - for the latter (and used again in Rio Bravo) that Morricone paid homage at the end of Fistful of Dollars

---
So many films, so little time...

[Terry]

good thread has given me a list of discs to check out.a couple of soundtracks worth a mention are
GET CARTER by Roy Budd
THE SORCERER by Tangerine Dream