Quite simply, I think that EVERY film score fan should attempt to delve into the wonderful world of Richard Wagner. This monumental composer is the foundation of everything we love in film music: the leitmotives, strong plots, fantastic orchestration, etc. In fact, after I heard the complete Ring cycle for the first time, I almost quit collecting film scores on the spot (obviously that didn't happen.) I just couldn't believe that this awesome work had been laying around since the 19th Century without me hearing it! You may not end up feeling as radically as I do about it, but I still recommend Wagner to every fan of film scores.

Here are some good places to start:
Begin with a few instrumental-only versions of the preludes and overtures. I got my first Wagner CD for 50 cents on clearance from Circuit City. Great stuff for beginners: Tannhauser overture (one of the best main themes in the history of civilization), overture to Der Fliegende Hollander (the Flying Dutchman), Ride of the Valkyries, Prelude to Die Meistersinger, etc.

Then buy your first opera: Der Fliegende Hollander. This is the easiest place to start for film score fans - it has extraordinarily dark instrumental stylings and a tone almost like a choral film score. The Naxos version is great and cheap.

Where you go next depends on your taste, but I jumped straight into the Ring Cycle. This is a cycle of four operas, designed to be played as a festival on four consecutive nights. Quite simply, this could be called the longest, most complex, and possibly most moving film score ever composed. The plot is a rich fantasy tale that is reminiscent of something like The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars in a Medieval period. The range of emotions conveyed is staggering. And the complexity is unrivaled. How many themes does the Star Wars Trilogy have? 10? 20 at most? The Ring Cycle has over 200. Like I said, it's basically a huge, 15-hour film score. As far as recordings go, I think Georg Solti version is the only way to go.

Later, try Lohengrin, Tannhauser, and Die Meistersinger.

Oh, and make sure you get full librettos with translations and read a synopsis before listening. German can be quite confusing if you don't know it.

So, who's with me? I think everyone should at least go out and get one of those 50-cent compilations.

Any other Wagnerians out there? Care to back me up here?

I agree. Wagner is cool. By the way, ja, du hast ja recht, Deutsch kann sehr kompliziert sein.

1) Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg, Prelude to Act I (10:44)
2) Overture to Rienzi (11:42)
3) Faust Overture (11:34)
4) Overture to The Flying Dutchman (10:34)
5) Tristan and Isolde, Prelude and Liebestod (17:24)
6) Overture to Taunnhauser (14:21)

These are all magnificantly conducted by Jesus Lopez-Cobos and performed by the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra. The label is, of course, Telarc Digital. One of the best classical CD companies ever formed. The CD utilized the "Spatializer" and is in Pro-Logic Surround Sound. It is also recorded with all DDD 20-bit technology. If you have a nice stereo and wish to show off...get this CD. The music is simply astounding. Especially the last track