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Author	Topic: That one score that defines a composers career....

Spicy Ramen Goldmember	Not neccessarily their breakout score, but that one score that runs to your head when a name like Jerry Goldsmith, David Arnold, or John Williams is mentioned.
posted 07-24-2002 10:12 PM PT (US)

TimT Goldmember	Composers and thier scores that made a landmark impression on me. Jerry Goldsmith, Medicene Man David Arnold, Independence Day John Williams, Hook / Jurassic Park Hans Zimmer, Beyond Rangoon Danny Elfman, Edward Scissorhands Bruce Broughton, Harry and the Hendersons John Scott, Antony and Cleopatra Trevor Jones, Dark City James Newton Howard, Outbreak Christopher Gordon, Moby Dick / On the Beach Maurice Jarre, Mad Max III Robert Folk, Trapped in Paradise James Horner, Titanic Randy Edelman, Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story Elliot Goldenthal, Batman Forever Christopher Young, Murder in the First Alan Silvestri, Predator Jeff Danna, Kung-Fu The Legend Continues Basil Poledouris, Robocop [Message edited by TimT on 07-24-2002]
posted 07-24-2002 10:44 PM PT (US)

jeffy Goldmember	Jerry Goldsmith -- The Omen David Arnold -- Independence Day John Williams -- Star Wars James Horner -- Titanic Danny Elfman -- Batman Hans Zimmer -- Rain Man Ennio Morricone -- The Mission This is a cool word association game!
posted 07-25-2002 08:02 AM PT (US)

Lancelot Goldmember	Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly.
posted 07-25-2002 09:47 AM PT (US)

Quill Goldmember	For me what defines a composer's career was the one score the snared me and made we want to own and listen to every other score they wrote... James Horner--Glory Danny Elfman--Batman James Newton Howard--Wyatt Earp John Williams--Empire Strikes Back Jerry Goldsmith--Star Trek: TMP Trevor Jones--Last of the Mohicans Randy Edelman--Gettysburg Alan Silvestri--Predator 2 Hans Zimmer--Backdraft Ennio Morricone--The Mission Basil Poledouris--Quigley Down Under Elliot Goldenthal--Michael Collins John Debney--Cutthroat Island David Arnold--Stargate Howard Shore--LOTR-Fellowship
posted 07-25-2002 10:01 AM PT (US)

JJH Goldmember	for me, 'twas John Barry's Dances With Wolves. Probably SHOULD be Bond, but oh well. I dig those scores, too. NP -- King of Kings, Rozsa
posted 07-25-2002 10:35 AM PT (US)

scoreguy16 Goldmember	James Horner-Braveheart Hans Zimmer-Broken Arrow (that one got me into scores) Harry Gregson-Williams-Armageddon Trevor Rabin-Con Air Steve Jablonsky-Pearl Harbor Mark Mancina-Speed David Arnold-Tomorrow Never Dies Craig Armstrong-Romeo + Juliet Marco Beltrami-Scream James Newton Howard-Dinosaur Don Davis-House On Haunted Hill Jerry Goldsmith-Air Force One John Williams-Star Wars Danny Elfman-Batman (even though I've only heard the main theme) John Powell-Face/Off (but he has a wide variety of scores) George S. Clinton-Mortal Kombat Carter Burwell-Conspiracy Theory Gabriel Yared-City Of Angels I think I'll quit for now... Clayton
posted 07-25-2002 10:52 AM PT (US)

JJH Goldmember	I would say Carter Burwell probably made his name with Miller's Crossing, a soundtrack and movie MANY people from all walks of life admire. NP -- [b]King of Kings[/], Rozsa
posted 07-25-2002 11:04 AM PT (US)

Bradley Goldmember	John Williams - Star Wars John Debney - CutThroat Island James Horner - The Rocketeer Danny Elfman - Batman Randy Newman - The Natural James Newton Howard - Waterworld Hans Zimmer - Crimson Tide John Powell and Harry Gregson-Williams - ANTZ Howard Shore - Fellowship of the Rings Michael Kamen - The Three Musketeers David Arnold - Independence Day Ennio Morricone - The Untouchables Bruce Broughton - Tombstone Jerry Goldsmith - The 13th Warrior (yeah, I got into Goldsmith a little late) Joel McNeely - Shadows of the Empire Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy [Message edited by Bradley on 07-25-2002]
posted 07-25-2002 11:20 AM PT (US)

jeffy Goldmember	Bradley, Would you say "The Rocketeer" truly defines Horner's career? It's a fine score and all, but will his obiutary list that film?
posted 07-25-2002 01:15 PM PT (US)

SBD Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Spicy Ramen: Not neccessarily their breakout score, but that one score that runs to your head when a name like Jerry Goldsmith, David Arnold, or John Williams is mentioned. In that event: John Williams - Star Wars Jerry Goldsmith - Patton Elmer Bernstein - The Magnificent Seven Danny Elfman - Batman Alan Silvestri - Back to the Future Basil Poledouris - RoboCop John Debney - Cutthroat Island Carter Burwell - Fargo Michael Kamen - Die Hard James Newton Howard - The Fugitive Randy Edelman - DragonHeart Hans Zimmer - Crimson Tide Mark Mancina - Speed Trevor Rabin - Armageddon Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Howard Shore - LOTR: Fellowship of the Ring John Barry - Goldfinger James Horner - Titanic (not my fave Horner score, but is there really any other answer to this question?) Bruce Broughton - Young Sherlock Holmes
posted 07-25-2002 02:12 PM PT (US)

Spicy Ramen Goldmember	Here is mine: James Newton Howard- Dinosaur Hans Zimmer- Crimson Tide John Williams- Star Wars David Arnold- Stargate Ennio Morricone- Legend of 1900 Jerry Goldsmith- Air Force One Danny Elfman- Batman Alan Silvestri- Forest Gump
posted 07-25-2002 11:28 PM PT (US)

THE GREEK Goldmember	WILLIAM ALWYN - The Odd Man Out SERGEI PROKOFIEV - Alexander Nevsky MAX STEINER - Treasure Of The Sierra Madre ROY WEBB - Notorious ALFRED NEWMAN - The Mark of Zorro BERNARD HERRMANN - The Ghost and mrs Muir GEORGES AURIC - Du Riffifi chez les hommes VICTOR YOUNG - Blockade FRANZ WAXMAN - Objective Burma MIKLOS ROZSA - Five Graves to Cairo HERSCHEL BURKE GILBERT - The Detective ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD - Escape Me Never DIMITRI TIOMKIN - The Corsican Brothers HANS SALTER - Creature from the Black Lagoon FRANK SKINNER - Arabian Nights ANGELO FRANCESCO LAVAGNINO - Naked Maya ELMER BERNSTEIN - Sudden Fear HUGO FRIEDHOFER - The Lodger RONALD STEIN - The Terror WERNER HEYMANN - Ninotchka ALEX NORTH - Death Of A Salesman I hope it is OK with you that i mention some pioneers...
posted 07-26-2002 12:32 AM PT (US)

Graham Watt Goldmember	That's a very personal choice, Mr Greek! What's your criteria? Are these your own personal unsung faves of those composers? I've no idea what BLOCKADE sounds like, but when people whisper the name "Victor Young" in my ear, I immediately think of AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS or THE QUIET MAN or SHANE. Not that people go around whispering "Victor Young" in my ear. And if you say "Herschel Burke Gilbert", I think RIOT IN CELL BLOCK 11, and not that thing you mentioned that nobody's ever heard of. Max Steiner? CASABLANCA or KING KONG surely. Bernard Herrmann? PSYCHO or VERTIGO maybe. Etc. But if you're mentioning things that spring to mind because they have a special place in your heart, well good!
posted 07-28-2002 02:55 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Goldmember	Ah, Greek, now I understand! Let me think - the first Rozsa that made an indelible impression on me was neither BEN-HUR nor EL CID, but probably THE POWER. Alf Newman - THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD Jerry Goldsmith - THE OMEN I think, but maybe PAPILLON... Bernard Herrmann - SEVENTH VOYAGE OF SINBAD? Gil Mell� ( I had to mention him, the composer who really really caused me to be open-mouthed with awe at the wonder of film music, and all because of his awesome FRANKENSTEIN: THE TRUE STORY). James Horner - no jokes please... maybe WOLFEN or BATTLE BEYOND THE STARS. Before STAR TREK 2. James Bernard - DRACULA. My first exposure to him, and still possibly his greatest score. John Williams - JAWS. I was actually disappointed with STAR WARS. Thought it would be electronic! Maurice Jarre - Never liked anything of his. Marlin Skiles - THE MAZE. Don't know much else by him, but that froggy classic had great music. Les Baxter - PIT AND THE PENDULUM I'll remember more. Hope I got the hang of the game!
posted 07-28-2002 03:17 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Goldmember	Graham, never liked ANYTHING of Jarre's? I shake my head in disbelief.
posted 07-29-2002 12:40 AM PT (US)

THE GREEK Goldmember	Hey Graham The criteria of my list are strictly personal and the point is that most of these scores have never found their way to the recording studio as LPs or CDs in their original form. BLOCKADE is a William Dieterle movie about a romance in the Spanish Civil War, 5 years before FOR WHOM THE BELL TOLLS. Young's music is superb and shows his talent and abilities in all their glory! It is a personal favourite and i hope that some day it will be released on CD... I believe that Steiner has never reached the peaks of his music for THE TREASURE OF THE SIERRA MADRE. His music is liberated from all his previous forms and cliches and this is easily recognisable by the first notes of the main title. KING KONG is surelly a masterpiece and a landmark of film scoring but TREASURE is in my opinion his absolute work, a unique achievment that noone dared to compose those old days... About GILBERT, i made a mistake of confusion. It is not THE DETECTIVE, but THE THIEF, a 1952 movie by Russell Rouse with Ray Milland as a scientist who sells secret to Soviets! The movie has no dialogue at all(!!!) and Gilbert's music is really an achievment...Sorry for the confusion pal... HERRMANN'S THE GHOST AND MRS MUIR is a perfect score in all aspects, a romantic and eerie composition that improves the film. Very underrated unfortunatelly and the first Herrmann score, in my opinion, that shows all his talent in following the film narrative. In GHOST AND MRS MUIR Herrmann first revealed what would follow in movies like VERTIGO... I didn't include Goldsmith in my list but if i had to choose i would pick THE BLUE MAX, Willams IMAGES, and about BAXTER and BERNARD i would agree with your picks. Marvellous works. I don't like Horner at all, except for KRULL for its orchestrations.
posted 07-29-2002 12:44 AM PT (US)

THE GREEK Goldmember	Jarre's music is definatelly not my kind of listening but i must admit that LAWRENCE OF ARABIA is a real masterpiece..a fantastic piece of music that Jarre unfortunatelly was never again able to repeat. I certainly like many of his scores like THE MAN WHO WOULD BE KING, LIFE AND TIMES OF JUDGE ROY BEAN, VENERDI U LA VIE SAUVAGE, THE COLLECTOR, THE NIGHT OF THE GENERALS and if i had to choose my favourite and most distinguished work of his i would pick YEUX SANS VISAGE, a fantastic work for a French obscurity directed by Georges Franju in 1959(great movie!). The fact is that there are many (and i mean many!) works of his that are really awfull! THE TRAIN (absolute flatness..), THE PROFFESSIONALS (far away from the movie's scope), VILLA RIDES (dispeakable!), UNA STAGIONE AL INFERNO (dull routine), RYAN'S DAUGHTER, not to mention his 80ies works...
posted 07-29-2002 01:01 AM PT (US)

jeffy Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Graham Watt: I was actually disappointed with STAR WARS. Thought it would be electronic! That's the first time I ever heard anyone saying they expected it to be electronic. For what reasons, may I ask? Because most space movies before it had electronic scores? I can't even imagine (nor do I want to imagine) that music played on synthesizer.
posted 07-29-2002 08:45 AM PT (US)

Ken S Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Spicy Ramen: Not neccessarily their breakout score, but that one score that runs to your head when a name like Jerry Goldsmith, David Arnold, or John Williams is mentioned. John Williams - (I should say DRACULA but...) E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL Jerry Goldsmith - POLTERGEIST Danny Elfman - BEETLEJUICE Alan Silvestri - FATHER OF THE BRIDE Bruce Broughton - MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET Joel McNeely - IRON WILL John Debney - HOCUS POCUS James Horner - HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS Franz Waxman - THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN Miklos Rozsa - SPELLBOUND Max Steiner - GULLIVER'S TRAVELS Lee Holdridge - TRANSYLVANIA 6-5000 John Barry - SOMEWHERE IN TIME Henry Mancini - THE GREAT MOUSE DETECTIVE David Shire - RETURN TO OZ Elmer Bernstein - THE BLACK CAULDRON Alfred Newman - THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK Charles Chaplin - MODERN TIMES Frank Churchill - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Leigh Harline - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Paul J. Smith - SNOW WHITE AND THE SEVEN DWARFS Oliver Wallace - CINDERELLA George Bruns - SLEEPING BEAUTY (from Tchaikovsky's original material) Bernard Herrmann - PSYCHO James Bernard - HORROR OF DRACULA (Greetings, Graham !!) Les Baxter - THE RAVEN Alan Menken - THE LITTLE MERMAID Don Davis - PETER BENCHLEY'S THE BEAST Patrick Doyle - MARY SHELLEY'S FRANKENSTEIN George Fenton - HIGH SPIRITS Elliot Goldenthal - INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE Trevor Jones - CLIFFHANGER Richard Rodgers - THE SOUND OF MUSIC Enough, KEN
posted 07-29-2002 04:07 PM PT (US)

Spicy Ramen Goldmember	quote: That's the first time I ever heard anyone saying they expected it to be electronic. For what reasons, may I ask? Because most space movies before it had electronic scores? I can't even imagine (nor do I want to imagine) that music played on synthesizer. Yes, one of the reasons why I think Star Wars managed to stick out from other space movies was its use of an orchestra. I mean think about it, your scoring a movie which is based on hi-tech weaponry and galaxy colonizations, yet accompanying all this is some good ol' fashion instruments!
posted 07-30-2002 04:20 AM PT (US)

John Zimmer Goldmember	Williams - Star Wars / Jaws Zimmer - The Lion King / Gladiator I only care about those two. Jz
posted 07-30-2002 04:34 AM PT (US)

Bradley Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by jeffy: Bradley, Would you say "The Rocketeer" truly defines Horner's career? It's a fine score and all, but will his obiutary list that film? jeffy, Perhaps and perhaps not, but it was this score that really impressed me and got me to look (and go back to look) for other Horner scores. My second choice would have been The Wrath of Khan, Braveheart, or Apollo 13. Some may say it's Titanic or The Perfect Storm. Is there truly a right or wrong answer? Only James Horner can say. Besides, it's just my opinion. Bradley [Message edited by Bradley on 07-30-2002]
posted 07-30-2002 06:17 AM PT (US)

Ken S Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Bradley: jeffy, Perhaps and perhaps not, but it was this score that really impressed me and got me to look (and go back to look) for other Horner scores. My second choice would have been The Wrath of Khan, Braveheart, or Apollo 13. Some may say it's Titanic or The Perfect Storm. Is there truly a right or wrong answer? Only James Horner can say. Besides, it's just my opinion. Bradley [Message edited by Bradley on 07-30-2002][/B] Exactly why I chose Horner's HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS, because prior to that score I didn't care almost at all Horner's "lazy" style on scores like AN AMERICAN TAIL, THE LAND BEFORE TIME, WILLOW - and even on THE ROCKETEER - but after hearing the marvelous score for HONEY, I somehow started listening all Horner's previous stuff with a completely different ear and started enjoying all of the stuff I didn't care for previously. Wasn't this what Spicy Ramen suggested with this thread in the first place - the scores that got us interested of a certain composer ? KEN
posted 07-30-2002 04:03 PM PT (US)

Graham Watt Goldmember	I think that's what Spicey was originally implying, Ken, though maybe the scores that spring to mind when a composer's name is mentioned are his worst in some cases. Like word association: "Jerry Goldsmith" - "Rent-A-Cop, sorry doc". But let's assume that Spicey was talking about good ones. Lou and The G, I think that Jarre has perpetrated some horrors on us throughout his long career. Distinguished career too, but in general I never liked his key changes. Leonard Rosenman (I think) called them "wrong notes". I do however like some of his themes, like for JESUS OF NAZARETH, THE COLLECTOR (odd at some parts of the film though), that thing with Ellen Burstyn (RESURRECTION maybe?), and two jazz scores nobody ever mentions - PLAZA SUITE and THE ONLY GAME IN TOWN. Oh, and THE PRINCE AND THE PAUPER (also known as, I believe, CROSSED SWORDS - great end titles). But in general, Maurice is a bit weird. I've said this before, but it was actually my brother and I who composed the theme for FIREFOX or FOXFIRE or whatever it was called. I'm not joking - we were hill-climbing one day, and to keep our spirits up we started whistling made-up tunes in the style of Jarre, for some reason. Then we went home and watched the Eastwood movie on TV and it had our music! jeffy, at the time of STAR WAR's release I was sort of youngish (but old enough to know better than to want an electronic score, I suppose). But electronics were cool at the time. I hasten to add that my disappointment only lasted for a couple of minutes. Greekie, so those are your fave Hershy B. Gilbs and Vickey Youngs. Good, good to see dead, great composers mentioned here!
posted 07-30-2002 04:37 PM PT (US)

HadrianD Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Ken S: Exactly why I chose Horner's HONEY I SHRUNK THE KIDS, because prior to that score I didn't care almost at all Horner's "lazy" style on scores like AN AMERICAN TAIL, THE LAND BEFORE TIME, WILLOW - and even on THE ROCKETEER - but after hearing the marvelous score for HONEY, I somehow started listening all Horner's previous stuff with a completely different ear and started enjoying all of the stuff I didn't care for previously. KEN Honey! I Shrunk The Kids is a good score? Wasn't HOrner SUEDfor copying a bunch of classical music for that score?
posted 07-30-2002 06:57 PM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Goldmember	I know it's all a matter of taste, but it does genuinely surprise me that Jarre is so dismissed and vilified by most of the people here on the board. I love his stuff so much. I can't believe people don't get it. Of course, maybe the problem lies with me. As for the topic question, I'll have to think about it. It's not your favorite or the one you think is best even. It's the one that has to represent the composer best, the quintessential one. That could mean a score that isn't the greatest but has the most range or the best expression of the composer's sound. Some are easy. Not only is The Big Country my favorite and in my opinion the best of the Moross scores, it's the one which best sums up his Americana sound as well. But Herrmann, that's tougher because he has different sides and styles that range from the lushly romantic side to the most horrific. And I'm not sure one score captures the range. It's easy to say Vertigo or Ghost & Mrs. Muir but that doesn't speak for all of Herrmann and I'm not sure you can define him well through just one score. I think Steiner, Newman, and Korngold can be defined by single scores, Tiomkin too once you determine which one it is. Waxman is tougher. Friedhofer isn't: Best Years. Williams could be summed up by Star Wars, but he has other facets and sounds. North is tough because he has this jazzy side and then there's Spartacus. But Fielding can be defined by The Wild Bunch even though he did jazz and electronics. You can define Morricone by one of the spaghetti westerns but that leaves his romantic and psychedelic styles out. Delerue and Sarde can be summed up by single scores. Arnold can be defined by nearly every one of his scores since in a way they all have the same sound and are a continuation of each other or some grand epic sound that just varies a bit from picture to picture. Rozsa can be summed up by one score but like Herrmann picking one means rejecting scores that cover different facets of his range. The same could be said for Barry since picking say Thunderball leaves out Dances With Wolves and vice versa and both represent a distinct side of Barry's sound. And so it goes.............
posted 07-31-2002 03:01 AM PT (US)

THE GREEK Goldmember	quote: Originally posted by Lou Goldberg: [B]Sarde can be summed up by single score. B] If you had listened at half of Sarde's work for cinema then you would realize that you are making a big mistake summing all these magnificent achievments in one single work. Philipe Sarde is in my opinion one of the very very few composers in the history of the movies that didn't follow a specific musical form in his compositions. Every one of his scores was a surprise... Just watch the following movies and you'll understand: LES CHOSES DE LA VIE (1970) VINCENT FRANCOIS PAUL ET LES AUTRES(1974) THE TENANT (1976) MADAME ROZA (1977) BAROCCO (1976) LE SEINS DE GLACE (1974) LE MORT D'UN POURRI (1975) LE GUERRE DE FOU (1981) DEUX HOMMES DANS LA VILLE (1974) LE CHOC (1980) L'OURS (1989) LORD OF THE FLIES and many many others... None of the above has a moment or an instrumentation or an orchestration that reminds another... Just listen and then give me your opinion
posted 07-31-2002 04:26 AM PT (US)

Lou Goldberg Goldmember	No offense Greek, but Sarde does have a basic sound that can be summed up with a single score. He has range: jazz, electronics, chamber music, etc. It would be hard to say the composer of UN SAC DE BILLES is the same guy who did EVE OF DESTRUCTION, nevertheless there is a series of scores by Sarde that are unmistakably his and no one elses. What the one score might be might take a bit, is it TESS or LA PIRATE or LE TRAIN or one of the Sautet scores, but once picked, I'm sure you could say it covers most of the ground Sarde treads.
posted 07-31-2002 09:31 PM PT (US)

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