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Author	Topic: Help introduce me to dramatic scores, please

Alwin Oscar® Winner	As I was thumbing through my little collection, I noticed that I only had a couple of scores that weren't action-based. If you people can suggest some titles, that would be awesome! Maybe other action lovers will appreciate the change of pace as well! There's a couple of criteria that I have, which may help you help me: 1) the score has to flow nicely, with little or no dead spots. If there are silent moments, I immediately begin to lose interest and focus. 2) there have to be emotional highs as well. Hopefully I can start buying what people suggest as soon as I tally up a shopping list. Thanking you in advance, Alwin NP: Saving Private Ryan
posted 01-29-2000 06:43 PM PT (US)

PeterD Oscar® Winner	Alwin, A few suggestions off the top of my head: Bernstein's "To Kill a Mockingbird" Friedhofer's "The Best Years of Our Lives" Sainton's "Moby Dick" Moross's "The War Lord" Barry's "The Last Valley"
posted 01-29-2000 07:48 PM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	Murder in the First by Christopher Young... all I can say is, WOW. What a beautiful score. Jeron
posted 01-29-2000 07:54 PM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	PeterD, you've got great taste! I second all your suggestions. I would add RAINTREE COUNTY by Johnny Green.
posted 01-29-2000 08:00 PM PT (US)

Alwin Oscar® Winner	Thanks for the help - How about: 1) Snow Falling on Cedars 2) Angela's Ashes 3) Sommersby Would these scores meet the above criteria?
posted 01-29-2000 08:22 PM PT (US)

James Oscar® Winner	(in alphabetical order) The Alchemist by Richard Band. City of Angels by Gabriel Yared. The Disappearance of Garcia Lorca by Mark McKenzie. Read my full review from a while back at: http://www.moviemusic.com/mb/Forum6/HTML/000033.html . Yes, the sound clips I posted are still up. Gattaca by Michael Nyman. Message in a Bottle by Gabriel Yared. The Piano by Michael Nyman. Wilde by Debbie Wiseman. James NP - The Alchemist (*****)
posted 01-29-2000 08:22 PM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	Alwin, I'm not quite sure what you mean with dead spots but here are some of my suggestions. ET Rudy Angela's Ashes (very soft score. Might loose your interest) Sommersby (beautiful score. You'll love it) CEdar (don't have that one yet) The Mighty ( My, do I love that score. It is just magnificant). Hope this helped Scott
posted 01-29-2000 08:28 PM PT (US)

Cole Oscar® Winner	All of you who responded to his plea just assumed he had "Schindler's List" right? You do have "Schindler's List?" You may forget all other recomendations and go DIRECTLY to a CD store if you dont have "Schindler's List" But I am sure you have it though. I hope you allready have it. If you do then those other recomendations are absolutely wonderful. and try anything by John Barry that doesnt have "007" on it [This message has been edited by Cole (edited 30 January 2000).]
posted 01-30-2000 11:30 AM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	Jerry Goldsmith is great at this type of thing. Even his so-called action scores have their "dramatic" moments. Having no idea what's in your collection, I suggest the following: PATTON PAPILLON THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL UNDER FIRE RUDY -- thinking about this list, I'm musing that even his "dramatic" scores always have their "action" moments ... I think that's part of the key to his popularity. But if you've already got those, then, we're back to square one ... NP: EARTH'S GREATEST BATTLE (Akira Ifukube -- talk about action scores!)
posted 01-30-2000 11:56 AM PT (US)

James Oscar® Winner	"The Alchemist" should be retracted from my list. It's still a great score, but it doesn't fit what you're looking for. Add these to the list, though: The Horse Whisperer The Shawshank Redemption Both by Thomas Newman
posted 01-30-2000 05:56 PM PT (US)

Audacity Oscar® Winner	I have to second Jeron's suggestion of Murder in the First by Christopher Young, amazing score. Also, I consider Marc Shaiman's score to A Few Good Men to be a great dramatic score, one of the best courtroom drama scores ever. Audacity NP Hush (Christopher Young)***
posted 01-31-2000 10:07 AM PT (US)

Mark Hatfield Oscar® Winner	I've got to second the recommendations for TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD and THE SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION above. A few others: AMERICAN BEAUTY (Score CD - T. Newman) THE NATURAL (R. Newman) OUT OF AFRICA (Barry) WITNESS (Jarre) SOMEWHERE IN TIME (Barry) FORREST GUMP (Silvestri) GRAND CANYON (Howard) THE MISSION (Morricone) Let us know what you liked!
posted 01-31-2000 10:51 AM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	Carter Burwell's scores to FARGO, MILLER'S CROSSING and especially ROB ROY. John Williams' BORN ON THE FOURTH OF JULY, JFK, and NIXON (a THRILLING score, much underrated, I think). James Horner's SNEAKERS.
posted 01-31-2000 10:54 AM PT (US)

Ron Pulliam Oscar® Winner	It seems to me like the originator of this thread really wants to be pointed in the direction of classic film scores...few, if any, probably dwell within his collection. I have some recommendations, a rather lengthy list, of what I consider absolutely indispensable to any film music collection. Essential Scores (Favorites and Icons) For Film Music Lovers (Not all of these are available on CD...but LPs exist. As more and more CDs are issues, it is possible these will all be/have been on CD at some time or another): Accidental Tourist, The -- Williams Adventures of A Young Man (Hemingway’s) -- Waxman Adventures of Robin Hood, The -- Korngold Agony and the Ecstasy, The -- North Alexander Nevsky -- Prokofiev Anastasia -- Newman Around the World in 80 Days -- Young Auntie Mame -- Kaper Bad and the Beautiful, The -- Raksin Ben-Hur -- Rozsa Best Years of Our Lives, The -- Friedhofer Big Country, The -- Moross Blue Max, The -- Goldsmith Boys From Brazil, The -- Goldsmith Capricorn One -- Goldsmith Captain From Castile -- Newman Cardinal, The -- Moross Certain Smile, A -- Newman Citizen Kane -- Herrmann Cleopatra -- North Close Encounters of the Third Kind -- Williams David and Bathsheba -- Newman Diary of Anne Frank, The -- Newman Dragonslayer -- North East of Eden -- Rosenman E.T. -- Williams Egyptian, The -- Newman/Herrmann El Cid -- Rozsa Elephant Man -- Morris Empire Strikes Back, The -- Williams Exodus -- Gold For Whom the Bell Tolls -- Young Forever Amber -- Raksin Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, The -- Previn Friendly Persuasion -- Tiomkin Fury, The -- Williams Ghost and Mrs. Muir, The -- Herrmann Gone With the Wind -- Steiner Greatest Story Ever Told -- Newman Hawaii -- Bernstein Henry V -- Doyle How Green Was My Valley -- Newman How the West Was Won -- Newman Iceman -- Smeaton In Love and War -- Friedhofer Ivanhoe -- Rozsa Journey to the Center of the Earth -- Herrmann King’s Row -- Korngold King Kong -- Steiner La Strada -- Rota Laura -- Raksin Lawrence of Arabia -- Jarre Lion in Winter, The -- Barry Madame Bovary -- Rozsa Magnificent Ambersons, The -- Herrmann Mission, The -- Morricone Mutiny on the Bounty -- Kaper North By Northwest -- Herrmann Natural, The -- Newman (Randy) Nun’s Story -- Waxman Obsession -- Herrmann On the Beach -- Gold Out of Africa -- Barry Peyton Place -- Waxman Picnic -- Duning Place in the Sun, A -- Waxman Prince of Foxes -- Newman Prince Valiant -- Waxman Prisoner of Zenda, The -- Newman Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, The -- North Providence -- Rozsa Psycho -- Herrmann Quiet Man, The -- Young Quo Vadis -- Rozsa Raintree County -- Green Razor’s Edge, The -- Newman Red Pony, The -- Copland Red Shoes, The -- Easdale Return to Oz -- Shire Robe, The -- Newman Romeo and Juliet -- Rota Sand Pebbles, The -- Goldsmith Sea Hawk, The -- Korngold Schindler's List -- Williams Since You Went Away -- Steiner Song of Bernadette, The -- Newman Spartacus -- North Spellbound -- Rozsa Spirit of St. Louis -- Waxman Star Wars -- Williams Streetcar Named Desire, A -- North Summer and Smoke -- Bernstein Sunset Boulevard -- Waxman Swan, The -- Kaper Taming of the Shrew -- Rota Taras Bulba -- Waxman Ten Commandments -- Bernstein To Kill A Mockingbird -- Bernstein Two For the Road -- Mancini Vertigo -- Herrmann Viva Zapata -- North Wind and the Lion, The -- Goldsmith Witches of Eastwick, The -- Williams Young Lions, The -- Friedhofer Over my lifetime, I scrounged and saved and looked high and low to obtain many of the titles above. Now, they're easier to find than ever (on both CD and LP, that is). These represent the best in my collection, but only a fraction of it. Regards, Ron
posted 01-31-2000 01:19 PM PT (US)

Alwin Oscar® Winner	Oh dear God! Thanks to everybody who replied, especially to you, Ron. Thanks for taking the time out to compile such a lengthy list. I've been adding to my list, a couple I already have. At the end of the summer, after all the pay cheques are cashed, I'll look into as many as I can. Once again, thanks for the help. NP: Deep Blue Sea
posted 01-31-2000 01:36 PM PT (US)

Matt Oscar® Winner	If you do not have Braveheart, Schindler's List, and Shawshank Redemption, then you do not have a collection. Get those first, then move on to what ron said(except for Anastasia...id recomend staying away from anything to do with that piece of **** movie).
posted 01-31-2000 01:42 PM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	MASTER OF THE WORLD by Les Baxter needs to be added to Ron's list.
posted 01-31-2000 01:51 PM PT (US)

Ron Pulliam Oscar® Winner	I'd like to comment on Matt's assertion above that "Anastasia" is a piece of ****. I don't know what you are used to, but I suspect if the movie is more than 5 years old it doesn't register in your memory. The "Anastasia" I refer to is the 1956 film that starred Ingrid Bergman and Yul Brynner with a magnificent, moving score by Alfred Newman, father of David who scored the cartoon version a few years ago. Please know the score, so to speak, before assuming you know the film I'm speaking of, but thank you for giving me the opportunity to clarify for everyone not attuned to my list of "classics" rather than recent remakes of same. As for "Master of the World," I'd love to include it...and it would be on my list if I were to expand it beyond the 105 or so titles on it now. Baxter's score is wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!! I'm glad you reminded me about it! Regards, Ron P.S. ""Schindler's List"" is on my list and belongs there. "Braveheart" wouldn't make it on any list I recommended to anyone. It's fine on a rainy day when you want a little muzak to read by. "Shawshank" works with the film just fine, but I just can't get into it as a listen. [This message has been edited by Ron Pulliam (edited 31 January 2000).]
posted 01-31-2000 02:53 PM PT (US)

H Rocco Oscar® Winner	Mr. Pulliam pointed out Max Steiner's KING KONG. There are three versions of this available: one conducted in 1976 by Fred Steiner (no relation to Max), another conducted around 1996 for Marco Polo Records -- more complete, and a better performance. But neither holds a candle to the actual Rhino Records CD issue that just came out around last Christmas. That's easily my favorite CD purchase from 1999. Original soundtrack selections, much of it overlapped with dialogue, but man, NOTHING comes close to the original Steiner/Bernhard Kaun (orchestrator) version. You owe it to yourself, you really do. KING KONG and Max Steiner are the twin fathers of film music as we understand it today. Even Leonard Rosenman said so!!! You can't miss with this one. (Only thing wrong with it is the hateful cardboard packaging, aka LOST WORLD. I don't see why they do this. Although it's kind of a funny coincidence, since Williams' LOST WORLD has so many witty quotes of Steiner's KONG throughout.) NP: TWILIGHT'S LAST GLEAMING (Jerry somebody)
posted 02-01-2000 11:11 AM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	For someone new to collecting a good place to begin would be with the Charles Gerhardt series. A good sampling of classic scores that jump-started the soundtrack collecting market in the early 70's.
posted 02-01-2000 11:50 AM PT (US)

Matt Oscar® Winner	Ron: Thank god....thought you meant that animated drivel WB released. The original was certainly much better and can thus be re-added to the list(you know, when there are 2 movies of the same name, most people use a freakin DATE after the title...ever think of that?). Oh, and as for Braveheart: Well, im not about to have this discussion again, so ill ignore you. Alwin: you definately want Doyle's Henry V as well. NP: Henry V **/** [This message has been edited by Matt (edited 02 February 2000).]
posted 02-01-2000 04:45 PM PT (US)

Thor Oscar® Winner	Rocco: I have to disagree with you when it comes to the various KONG recordings. I definitely think Morgan and Stromberg delivered the ultimate version of the score, even surpassing the original. More flesh to the skimy orchestrations of the original. And not that concert-like "flesh" that some RSNO recordings have been hampered with, but a raw, realistic sound that I'm sure Steiner himself would have approved and applauded, had he been alive.
posted 02-02-2000 08:51 AM PT (US)

THE GREEK Oscar® Winner	I believe that the best representative to what you're asking for is MIKLOS ROZSA. He is the best introducer to film music for a beginer.His music for EL CID and BEN HUR is supperb.I'd suggest his entire film music discography wich is wonderfull(even the bootlegs).I'd also recomend some JERRY GOLDSMITH scores.THE WIND AND THE LION is the best example of a melodic-action score.I'd also pick THE SAND PEBBLES, HOUR OF THE GUN, RANSOM, THE PAPILLON, UNDER FIRE, FIRST KNIGHT, FIRST BLOOD and RAMBO 2 and TOTAL RECALL. JOHN WILLIAMS is ideal.His scores for the three INDIANA JONES movies and the four STAR WARS is great.There is also ET, JAWS, HOOK... Don't forget JOHN BARRY with his BOND scores and DEADFALL, LAST VALLEY, FOLLOW ME, MONTE WALSH, THE CHASE, DANCES WITH WOLVES... Also try the following: SPARTACUS/NORTH DEFENSE DE SAVOIR/NICOLAI THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN/BERNSTEIN THE MARSEILLE CONTRACT/BUDD ARABESQUE/MANCINI TOMBSTONE/BROUGHTON ANTHONY AND CLEOPATRA/SCOTT OBSESSION/HERRMANN I'd suggest you to begin with these and also try the old good composers such as MAX STEINER(DEATH OF A SCOUNDRELL, THE TRASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE, HELEN OF TROY)and WAXMAN(PRINCE VALLIANT, TARAS BULBA).
posted 02-02-2000 10:41 AM PT (US)

Jeron Oscar® Winner	Just as a side note, this is free of charge - you don't have to pay me for this information: Personally, I like David Newman's score for the newer Anastasia. I'm not comparing it in ANY way to Alfred Newman's score, but I found David's score to be charming, adventurous, and at times romantic (in a cute sort of way). The songs are wonderful, as well. I'll scoot out now. Jeron
posted 02-02-2000 11:05 AM PT (US)

JEC Oscar® Winner	Compiling a list like this is an interesting, though for me, largely academic, exercise. I could easily drop a $1000 on CDs and only scratch the surface of what I'd like to have, even if I limited myself to the purchase of in-print CDs. But I just don't have the cash. First, the government spends most of my paycheck for me. Then comes the mortgage, two car payments, and car insurance (that amounts to a third payment); college tuition for my son; and a wife and daughter who picked up the bad habit of eating when they were born and can't be persuaded to give it up. Most of the time all that's left in my wallet is a dead moth. My wife has more or less threatened me with great bodily harm if I run up the credit cards too much, so I have to be selective in what I buy. Maybe I'll invest in a Ouija Board and see if I can come up with next weeks lotto numbers, then launch a full-scale assault on Screen Archives.
posted 02-02-2000 12:39 PM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	and a wife and daughter who picked up the bad habit of eating when they were born and can't be persuaded to give it up JEC That was funny
posted 02-02-2000 02:04 PM PT (US)

Scott Oscar® Winner	Jeron, I'm with you on this one. Scott NP:Bicentenial Man (**/***)
posted 02-02-2000 02:05 PM PT (US)

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