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Composers who are either one-sided or 3-dimensional for you?

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Author	Topic: Composers who are either one-sided or 3-dimensional for you?

TV's Frank Goldmember	I thought this would be an interesting topic. I was thinking recently about who my favorite composers were and the differences between what my favorite scores are. I was listening to one of my John Barry compilations and realized how once I delved further into his range of scores, he became one of my top 3 favorite composers. Fifteen years ago I was only interested in his Bond scores and other 80's era scores from him, but then I discovered THE KNACK and LION IN WINTER and this opened a whole new world of Barry for me. I realized how much the man is capable of and now it doesn't matter what the score is or what decade it is from, if it is Barry I will check it out! The same thing with Goldsmith and Williams - the score or genre no longer matter as it did when I was starting out as a collector, now I simply enjoy what these guys accomplish musically in all film genres. This is what I would call knowing a composer's work to an extent that they are 3-dimensional. I was contrasting this to a composer such as Alan Silvestri. The man is very talented, we all agree, yet I can only get into his music for the sci-fi/action genres. His scores for the PREDATOR and BACK TO THE FUTURE series are among my fav's, as well as JUDGE DREDD, THE ABYSS and MUMMY RETURNS. However, I have often tried his scores for other genres such as comedies and dramas and they always fall flat for me. Same man, same styles and such, yet I just cannot get into it like I can for the aforementioned scores. Some of Silvestri's scores are on my all-time favorites list, yet Silvestri himself is not one of my favoriet composers. Odd? This would be knowing a composer only as one-sided. I just thought it intriguing how I can love any Goldsmith for any genre (except MR BASEBALL!) or any Barry tune for any genre (though "Wednesday's Child I never really liked), but for other composers I am limited in what I will enjoy from them. Any examples from you guys?
posted 09-05-2002 12:14 PM PT (US)

SBD Goldmember	In terms of three-dimensional: No matter what genre (comedy, horror, fantasy), a David Newman score is (forgive the pun) music to my ears. For something more one-dimensional: I love James Newton Howard's action/adventure scores, but his work in other genres is less impressive to me. About Silvestri: Have you tried "Mouse Hunt"? It's his best comedy score, IMO. To say the Varese CD fails to do it justice is an understatement.
posted 09-05-2002 04:02 PM PT (US)

joan hue Goldmember	What you call three dimensional I refer to as versatile. Some composers can compose for any film genre and sound completely different in each film. Eventually, you’ll hear signature trademarks, but an A composer can compose for any type of film. An older composer who always amazes me is Dimitri Tiomkin. Play The Thing, Friendly Persuasion, and Giant, and it is hard to tell that they were composed by the same guy. I think Bernstein’s westerns beginning with Magnificent Seven have signature rhythms and orchestrations. Then contrast those to The Ten Commandments, To Kill a Mockingbird and Age of Innocence. Goldsmith’s Powder doesn’t sound like POTA or Star Trek. I won’t post a negative comment about a few composers I think tend to repeat themselves too often; those composers just make me appreciate the versatility or three dimensionality of our outstanding composers. I think one composer who was unfairly pigeonholed into a soft sound song writer was Henry Mancini. He became associated with the Moon River-Days of Wine and Roses sound. Try Lifeforce for a change.
posted 09-05-2002 04:58 PM PT (US)

TV's Frank Goldmember	I do agree that you could see three dimensional as being versatile, Goldsmith, Tiomkin, Bernstein all have (or had) that talent in spades. I guess what I thought odd is that with someone like Silvestri, who is also a very versatile composer (from full electronic scores to his wacky comedic scores and onto his saccharine dramatic scores), only his music for certain genres garners any interest from me. I'm sure there are those who enjoy his work FATHER OF THE BRIDE or RICHIE RICH, but to me they just don't have the substance of a PREDATOR or JUDGE DREDD. And I found this in contrast to someone like Barry, where I find substance in all his scores, whether it be THE KNACK, GAME OF DEATH or LAST VALLEY. Still, fine examples Joan, thanks!
posted 09-05-2002 05:07 PM PT (US)

nightwing Goldmember	Frank, have you ever heard Back to the Future? Probably his best theme. Forrest Gump is another good drama score from Silvestri.
posted 09-05-2002 08:57 PM PT (US)

ESB Minimember	Actually I think Alan Silvestri is one of the most versatile composers. And he's also one of the most consistent composers. One of the very, very few who always delivers interesting themes. That's what I admire most of a composer, the ability to somehow 'see' those razor sharp melodies. That's something magical that can't be learned. There are a lot of composers out there who are technically good but never produce melodies like for instance the Back to the Future theme. Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against such composers, but I will never admire them like Silvestri. Goldsmith is also such a magical composer who produces consistently melodies that leave me in amazement every time. Somehow Silvestri's CDs wind up more in my CD player than for instance the legendary John Williams (although Goldsmith is hard to beat). His music is in a way more fun, varied and dynamic. I agree his best works come from sci-fi films, with Dredd still as his mind boggling masterpiece. But he's also in my opinion the best in frantic comedy scores. I just saw Stuart Little 2 and WOW!, man what a talent. A sheer genius in micky mousing (although Alan's score selections on the Stuart Little 2 song album was a joke, as usual). With his new big Disney assignment, Pirates of the Carribean, for 2003 I'm hoping he will build a strong relationship with Disney. -- Emile [Message edited by ESB on 09-06-2002]
posted 09-06-2002 03:18 AM PT (US)

justin boggan Goldmember	I kind of started off the same way. In the begining all i listened to was star trek music and then slowly things by star trek composers. Finally i started listening to more by say, Goldsmith and it became 3-D. From ST: TMP to Outland, from Papillion to Link. My favorite composers went from Jerry Goldsmith Ron Jones James Horner to even more: Christophe Beck Mark Snow Graeme Revell James Newton Howard Alan Silvestri Dennis McCarthy and many more.
posted 09-06-2002 04:40 AM PT (US)

tesmith719 Minimember	Hello Brian...I thought your choice of topics was interesting. Horner would definitely be the composer with whom I am most familiar and so he would be that example of three dimensional personality of whom you were speaking. As for other composers that are three dimensional for me...Jerry Goldsmith....yeah sure. Danny Elfman and James Newton Howard fall under that aegis as well. But not to the extent that I know Horner and his body of work. Even though he has not created a score that I have liked in a really long time. Sorry I haven't written or emailed....the computer's hard-drive went down and we were without services for quite a while. I am still playing catch-up. By the way, did you ever notice how many snot-nose young punks there are on these sites spewing glib commentary when you as a fan fail to realize the significance of a score they think is the best thing since sliced bread. God that annoys me!
posted 09-10-2002 06:20 PM PT (US)

Morn Minimember	No one has said Williams? Compare Images with Ce3k with ANH with Schindler's List etc.
posted 09-11-2002 09:31 AM PT (US)

TV's Frank Goldmember	Hey, Todd! Glad to hear from ya and I am sorry about your PC problems. I thought maybe I'd offended you somehow and you had written me off! There's lots we gotta catch up on, such as what did you think of Signs? And yes, I find those snot-nosed comments highly annoying, but then I'm sure I was similarly annoying when I was their age and touting the work of the young James Horner while the old Korngold fans shook their fists at me!
posted 09-11-2002 11:24 AM PT (US)

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