10 composers, 1 score each!

General Discussions » 10 composers, 1 score each! (Posts 1 to 30 of 44)

- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
A friend mine recently asked me to recommend 10 score albums by 10 different film composers, and it struck me as a fun challenge that I thought would be of interest here as well.

So here are the rules:

1. Using ten of your favourite composers, pick ONE album each that you want to represent said composer
2. One and ONLY ONE soundtrack album pr. composer
3. No combo albums or compilations or runner-ups allowed!
4. Feel free to choose personal favourites, not necessarily the most important or famous score by said composer
5. Feel free to add one single sentence about why you've chosen that score so that it's not just an anonymous list
6. Please note that we're talking soundtrack ALBUMS here, not necessarily how the score worked in the movie

Here are mine:

1. John Williams - JURASSIC PARK

Goosebumping awe & wonder, some suspense stuff and some excellent action music all combined into one of my alltime favourites.

2. Danny Elfman - EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

More awe & wonder with a christmassy feel. It goes straight to the emotional core.

3. Elliot Goldenthal - FINAL FANTASY: THE SPIRITS WITHIN

Normally a bit too bombastic for my taste these days, but has a massive scope in mood and styles.

4. Hans Zimmer - BEYOND RANGOON

Zimmer is best when he's in ethnic mode, and this is his most gorgeous of those.

5. Jerry Goldsmith - THE MUMMY

I love the meeting of arabic orchestrations and full-scale orchestra in a lush tonal language.

6. James Horner - AVATAR

Yeah, it has bowled me over; the adventure, the heart, the excitement.

7. James Newton Howard - WATERWORLD

It has everything - heroic action music, ethereal synths, exotic stuff, romance, religious sound.

8. Alan Silvestri - THE ABYSS

One of my alltime favs, mostly because of the majestic music towards the end

9. Basil Poledouris - CONAN THE BARBARIAN

A no-brainer.

10. Elmer Bernstein - TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD

Childlike perception through music - from innocence to horror.
I am extremely serious.
- CommentAuthorDemonStar
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Alan Menken - Hunchback Of Notre Dame

The sheer power of the choral material along with Alan's signature orchestral music make this, IMO, his finest score so far, matched only by "Storybook Ending" from Enchanted.

Alan Silvestri - Back To The Future

I feel this is the real breakthrough of Silvestri into the film scoring biz. Real fun score with a great theme and wonderful orchestral action music.

Alexandre Desplat - Girl With A Pearl Earring

I think Desplat's characterstic emotional music is remarkably showcased in this one. Griet's Theme is one of his finest pieces ever, too.

Danny Elfman - Batman

The dark gothic music of Elfman along with his trademark action music is nicely developed here even within the modern setting IMO. Love it.

Hans Zimmer - Gladiator

I think this is a powerful representative of the development of the modern day Zimmer sound, and with hints of his 90's material too. I'm also inclined to say Crimson Tide, but to choose one I'll go for Gladiator for now.

James Horner - Titanic

Although I'm not a fan of the synth choirs, I feel Horner's emotional material in cues like "Hymn To The Sea" is among his finest. The action cues are also wonderful, featuring his trademark powerful orchestrations.

James Newton Howard - Atlantis: The Lost Empire

It has almost everything I look for in a JNH score - powerful action and dramatic music, mellower emotional cues and terrific use of choir.

John Powell - Chicken Run

It's easily the one that began the trend of his modern animation scoring trends, all of whose traits are reflected here. For his live-action scoring, I'd go for the Bourne scores.

John Williams - Star Wars

I think all of the Star Wars scores, while being excellent themselves, are good representatives of what JW's overall orchestral scoring style is like.

Michael Giacchino - The Medal Of Honor scores

Among his finest orchestral works, the sound of which was further developed in his later film scores.
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Albums or scores?
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Steven wrote
Albums or scores?

ALBUMS, sorry. I'll edit the first post.
I am extremely serious.
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Hmm, albums you say. That's trickier, because a great score is a great score; a great album doesn't necessarily mean it's a great score, and a bad album doesn't necessarily mean it's a bad score - and everything in between.

I'm surprised you picked Jurassic Park as John Williams' top album, I've always found that one a little disjointed. It's better when it's ended with the concert version of the theme, and put into *prepare yourself for this, Thor* chronological order. I'm too familiar with the score in the film, so I prefer listening to it in film order.

I'd say one of his better albums is The Terminal. I actually enjoy the non-film order of the tracks. Another good example is The Phantom Menace where he puts the main themes at the start of the album. Plus it's just a bloody fantastic score.
- CommentAuthorBobdH
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Or The Lost World, which is, to my ears, a less disjointed listening experience than Jurassic Park, but still has the themes, the adventure, new themes and added jungly darkness. Even though JP has more of the nostalgia.

Will be giving my list soon!
- CommentAuthorBobdH
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
JOHN WILLIAMS - THE LOST WORLD
Probably should've said Raiders of the Lost Ark here, but Jurassic Park simply has a lot more nostalgia attached. Though it's the score for part 1 that will always be my first score-album, it's this sequelscore that has all the adventure, mixed with that thematic nostalgic feeling.

HANS ZIMMER - THE DA VINCI CODE
Yes, Thin Red Line is his most accomplished score, but let's not forget the utter beauty, darkness and thematic quality of his most accomplished work since TRL.

JAVIER NAVARRETE - PAN'S LABYRINTH
Oh yeah, baby. A masterpiece by one of the most exciting new talents, Pan has it all; brilliant orchestrations, compositions, themes, emotion... need to continue?

CLINT MANSELL - THE FOUNTAIN
A scoregasmic build-up and the best thing this man has done so far. Makes me long for another experience like this, by him.

ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL - INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE
Once again the first score I heard of him, and it still captures everything I love about the composer; the harsh, distorted tone, the classical influences and the crazy outbursts.

THOMAS NEWMAN - MEET JOE BLACK
Tommy is at his best when in melancholic mood, and Meet Joe Black is one of those albums that never disrupt this mood, unlike many of his source-songs plagued albums (Shawshank, Green Mile...). The jazzy parts are wonderful interludes.

JAMES NEWTON HOWARD - SNOW FALLING ON CEDARS
Out of this world beauty, a meditative and ethereal listening experience. Might be lacking the adventure of his other efforts, but that only enhances the dreamlike aural world created here.

JAMES HORNER - THE NEW WORLD
Casper loses out on the title due to the horrible love ballad and annoying Little Richard song, but The New World is a fine alternative. Relaxing from start to finish and although at times wrong for the film, and great listening experience on album nonetheless.

BERNARD HERRMANN - VERTIGO
Oh yeah, unashamed romantic lushness in a signature score from the guy. It's also not plagued my tons of short cues so it flows a lot better than, say, Psycho.

BASIL POLEDOURIS - FLESH+BLOOD
Awesomely masculine orchestral score, that I maybe even prefer over Conan (although when listening to Conan, I often think the opposite) because of its themes and purely orchestral style. Sometimes, not having a choir could be a plus.
- CommentAuthorjustin boggan
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Who is this list aimed at? A fellow score lover, or someone unfamiliar?
The views and opinions of Ford A. Thaxton are his own and do not necessarily reflect the ones of ANYONE else.
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
BobdH wrote
Or The Lost World, which is, to my ears, a less disjointed listening experience than Jurassic Park, but still has the themes, the adventure, new themes and added jungly darkness. Even though JP has more of the nostalgia.

I have a non-main theme chronological ordered playlist ( ) of the Jurassic Park album that I listen to when I want to hear the score without the main theme:

1. Opening Titles
2. Incident At Isla Nublar
3. Hatching Baby Raptor
4. Jurassic Park Gate
5. Dennis Steals The Embryo
6. A Tree For My Bed
7. Remembering Petticoat Lane
8. My Friend, The Brachiosaurus
9. High-Wire Stunts
10. Eye To Eye
11. The Raptor Attack
12. T-Rex Rescue & Finale

The reason being is that I've listened to the main theme so many times, I don't want to kill it every time I listen to this score since it's repeated quite often during the album. It's one of my favourite pieces of music ever composed, and ironically that's exactly why I listen to this version 99% of the time I want to listen to Jurassic Park the score, as opposed to Jurassic Park the theme. I savour the theme and particularly 'Journey To The Island' for special occasions (whatever they might be!?)
- CommentAuthorBobdH
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
I know exactly what you mean! It's probably the same reason why I tend to skip certain scores (my altime favorites) on my iPod whenever they come up while shuffling, or even mark them to be excluded in the shuffling, because I don't just want them as 'background noise' whenever I'm hurrying to work, or changing trains. I want to savor the moments I hear those exquisite moments, not get some overkill.
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
justin boggan wrote
Who is this list aimed at? A fellow score lover, or someone unfamiliar?

Welll, it was someone unfamiliar with film music who asked me to recommend something in the first place, but I just took his idea and ran with it. I don't really have him in mind when I give my list. It's basically just 10 scores by 10 of my favourite composers. So we aim these at at each other, I guess. The challenge is in narrowing things down without cheating.
I am extremely serious.
- CommentAuthorThor
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
BobdH wrote
I know exactly what you mean! It's probably the same reason why I tend to skip certain scores (my altime favorites) on my iPod whenever they come up while shuffling, or even mark them to be excluded in the shuffling, because I don't just want them as 'background noise' whenever I'm hurrying to work, or changing trains. I want to savor the moments I hear those exquisite moments, not get some overkill.

I agree with that as well. However, the album presentation of JURASSIC PARK was one I grew up with (first on cassette, then CD) in the early 90's and probably the score I know most by heart. I'm always anticipating the next track or movement in the music before it happens, and that's part of the gratification. I COULD mess around with it just to have a DIFFERENT take on it (like pressing the "random" button on your iPod), but it wouldn't be the same. I try not to overplay the theme too, but I solve it by not playing the JURASSIC PARK CD too often in the first place. Not anymore, anyway.
I am extremely serious.
- CommentAuthorTimon
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
1. Danny Elfman - Batman Returns
Some great themes here, a good and a very typical Elfman album, with a final confrontation, bells, choir, and gorgeous main title and and end credits music.
2. John Barry - Dances With Wolves
Probably the only "essential" album on my list. I was tempted to add OHMSS because that would be one of my favourite themes, but Dances With Wolves works better as an album listening experience.
3. John Williams - Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
I gues everybody has already heard the big theme of Star Wars (A New Hope) somewhere. This album shows that the modern John Williams remains the greatest and that after all these years he still delivers fresh and wonderful music with a heart and soul. The evolution of some tracks is just wonderful (Buckbeak's Flight!) the rich instrumental variation and the different musical structures are so suprising (Aunt Marge's Waltz!). Also one of the rare moments where I do like this sort of medevial touch in music. It helps that this remains my favourite film of the franchise. The reprises give you a fantastic album ending.
4. Gabriel Yared - The Talented Mr Ripley
Not really a popular album or well known music, but Yared remains a big name and this is a personal favourite. Masterpiece film, masterpiece score. Compare how perfect Yared turns Ripley's theme into madness in "Crazy Tom" and how lush and idyllic it is in "Italia". Together with a long, hauting theme that is introced in a unique title song sung by Sinead O'Connor, this is pure and timeless music. Very chilling and yet... very entertaining. The other songs on the album work well if you have seen the film.
5. Klaus Badelt - The Promise
In no ways a name as big as Goldsmith, Bernstein, Pouledouris, Glass, Vangelis or Herrmann, perhaps not even as well known as Thomas Newman, Silvestri, Desplat or Beltrami, but when I first heard clips and suites of this score, with the asian female solo singing, I thought I never really heard something like this before. And the rest of the score is easy to listen too.
6. James Horner - Legends of the Fall
Everything I like about Horner is in this score: His clear compositions, his sound, the thematic excellence, the engaging action music, and the emotional finales. Wether it is for Titanic, Braveheart, Apollo 13, the Mask of Zorro, or this favourite score, for me James Horner will always be the best of the 90's.
7. Hans Zimmer - Gladiator
A name that cannot be left on this sort of lists. Impressive to hear how big and epic film music can be. Never have I heard a score that had a hightlight in every single track. Easy to listen, easy to like, hard to forget. If Horner was the man of the 90's, I elect Zimmer as the composer from the noughties. Desplat for the next ten years.
8. James Newton Howard - Dinosaur
His fantastic collaborations with Shyamalan aside, I still had a hard time picking only one score of this guy. Here's is a fine example of 'ethnic influences' in film music. Consider only "the Egg Travels": James Newton Howard deserves to be in our collective musical memory with some sort of iconic franchise like James Bond, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, or Indiana Jones. (the new Batman films don't count, because they have no big musical thematic identity to me. At least, not yet, we can only hope...)
9. Charles Chaplin - City Lights
At the moment, I yet have to hear a re-recording of this score, but I just add this because it's important never to forget the elder classics and to give Chaplin some credit as a composer (what a genius). I adore his fanfare for this movie (heard during the opening scene and the boxing match) and it is a great example of pure, undisguised sentimental film music, when it was still acceptable.
10. Ennio Morricone - Novecento (1900)
Another legendary composer for a very classic film. It is incredible how many good and different themes and classic tunes this man came up with. Novecento is a typical romantic Morricone score, full of the big sweeping film music. Check out "Verdi e Morte" and "Polenta" asap.
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
High five to Timon for having the taste to include Barry, Morricone and Yared
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Yeah, Yared's not bad.
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Steven wrote
Yeah, Yared's not bad.

cock
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
- CommentAuthorErik Woods
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Thor wrote

justin boggan wrote
Who is this list aimed at? A fellow score lover, or someone unfamiliar?

Welll, it was someone unfamiliar with film music who asked me to recommend something in the first place, but I just took his idea and ran with it.

If I want to introduce people to film music I hand them this compilation.

I play this album quite a bit myself.

-Erik-
host and executive producer of THE CINEMATIC SOUND RADIO PODCAST | www.cinematicsound.net | www.facebook.com/cinematicsound | I HAVE TINNITUS!
- CommentAuthorSteven
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
Timmer wrote

Steven wrote
Yeah, Yared's not bad.

cock

That I am.
- CommentAuthorDemetris
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
He can write a decent tune or two.....
Love Maintitles. It's full of Wanders.
- CommentAuthorRalph Kruhm
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
Very interesting challenge.

I´ll write them down first, without looking at other choices made, to come up with the names and CDs that first cross my mind, and comment on your choices later.

1. John Williams - E.T. - The Extra-Terrestrial
That was a very hard choice, but ultimately I chose the album that has the biggest emotional effect on me.

2. Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek - The Motion Picture
Not an easy choice either, but ultimately unavoidable.

3. Basil Poledouris - Conan The Barbarian
Easiest choice.

4. James Horner - Star Trek II - The Wrath of Khan
No doubt there.

5. James Netwon Howard - Wyatt Earp
As much as I love his Shyamalan scores, this one is so full of beautiful themes and stuff it just screams #1 to me.

6. John Barry - The Last Valley
Yeah, I know, I´m a strange guy. But this has some huge personal value to me, so there you go. And you can´t go wrong with an odd choice along the way.

7. Hans Zimmer - Thin Red Line
Going with what he´s known for, and what is his best work, I decided for the latter.

8. John Debney - Cutthroat Island
I was going for The Passion of Christ for emotional response, but ultimately, this is his best work.

9. Trevor Jones - Merlin
That was a hard one, too, but I think it has one of the most beautiful themes ever composed.

10. Miklos Rosza - Ben-Hur
Currently, I prefer El Cid due to the rerecording, but Ben-Hur is probably the better work.

EDIT: Having read your choices, I´d like to say that...
Alan Silvestri´s Back to the Future is an easy and good choice,
between Waterworld and Atlantis for a JNH action score, I would choose Atlantis, but still go with Wyatt Earp,
Michael Giacchino would be nowhere near my Top 10,
between TRL and DVC, it depends on the day´s mood which one I´d choose,
Legends of the Fall is a great album, but still Trek is my favourite.
- CommentAuthorNautilus
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
1. Jerry Goldsmith - Total Recall

2. Hans Zimmer - The Da Vinci Code

3.John Powell - Happy Feet

4. John Debney - Lair

5. David Arnold - Stargate

6. James Newton Howard - Snow Falling On Cedars

7. Elioth Goldenthal - Final Fantasy

8. Michael Giacchino - Lost

9. Howard Shore - Return of the King

10. John Williams - Empire Strikes Back.
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
In no particular order...

The Last Valley - John Barry ( see Ralph, nothing odd about your choice )

A tough one, it was either this or OHMSS or The Lion In Winter...eeny, meeny minee mo...anyway, this is sublime choral writing and gorgeous themes in a genre that Barry excels.

Star Trek The Motion Picture - Jerry Goldsmith

Already a choice of others here, what more can I add.

Agnes of God - Georges Delerue

So beautiful it should render anyone speechless.

Conan The Barbarian - Basil Poledouris

Nuff said!

Krull - James Horner

I lovbe every second of this, exciting, thematic, horror, mystical....it's got everything.

E.T. The Extra Terrestrial - John Williams

How can anybody not like this brilliant score!?

Little Buddha - Ryuichi Sakamoto

IMO the very best blend of orchestral/ethnic scoring.

Scott of The Antarctic - Ralph Vaughan Williams

Great example of descriptive storytelling through music, an awesome score.

The Mission - Ennio Morricone

Not a wasted note, sublimely beautiful.

The Shawshank Redemption - Thomas Newman

Another tough choice, It was a toss up between this and Road To Perdition.
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
- CommentAuthorjustin boggan
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010
The list would be widely different for each target group. So, I would go with fellow score fans as the people.

Below are ten of my favorite composers, and ten scores I think are fairly "uncommon" amongst listners (some may not be, though); maybe you will all discover something new:

(IN NO ORDER)

1. "Star Trek: Insurrection"
(Jerry Goldsmith)

It's got a similar scoring style to "U.S. Marshals", but unlike that score, it works here and he pulls it off, and it's compositionally stronger, and offers more viriety. Maybe these cues will sell youy on it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLFnmtoigqE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mtc9vGa8B0c
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG44MRor … re=related

2. "The Touch"
(Basil Poledouris)

Three whole cues to hear on his site. Scroll down, it's the third film from the bottom:
http://www.basil-poledouris.com/basil/music.html

3. "The Journey of Natty Gann"
(James Horner)

Not enough can be said about this beautiful, wonderful score. It sold out from Intrada (3,000 copies, wasn't it?) fairly quickly. If ever a score needs another 3,000 copies, this is it. I defy you to listen to these cues and walk away feeling nothing (you'll hear the obviously occassional Copland nods):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHxJACJj … p;index=26
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5BAGwDq … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1btQA11 … re=related

4. "Something Wicked This Way Comes" (rejected score)
(Georges Delerue)

Sadly still unreleased. I recently got my hands on a very good sound quality boot (replacing the common crummy sound one) and it's been great to hear this in improved sound. Some emotion and attention really went into this score. Some of you don't trade unreleased scores, or haven't gotten around to this yet, so I present you original cues:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0fXe-it … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSv7W25N … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P_0_eIm … re=related

5. "Troy" (rejected score)
(Gabriel Yared)

A choral epic. A masterpiece. A score full of STRONG, well developed themes and motifs. A score I thought the chances of hearing in a Hollywood film again, were slim. Again, some of you folks dont' trade bootlegs, but a few months ago Yared told me a release was simply not going to happen, so do yourselves a favor, and get it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rercgjA0 … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2O007vSk … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQ7JRl1f … re=related

And Warner Bros. loss!!!

6. "Unbreakable"
(James Newton Howard)

A strongly emotional, moving score that can be light, sad, dark, evil ... extremely underrated, and sometimes just plain not known by some score fans
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2toqM6A2 … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dbVti3Y … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw1fWj4sG5g

7. "Black Beauty"
(Danny Elfman)

A different side of Elfman and suprisingly some fans haven't heard -- time to fix that:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3tZc1ut … p;index=13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6-ErkVWZV8

8. "The Quick and the Dead"
(Alan Silvestri)

The mods to Morricone, and the "Mars: Bringer of War" riffs aside, one of his best:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Plu_dOct … re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALKQ52DpwiI (this one is a ten minute suite, if you got the time and patience)

9. "Hannie Caulder"
(Ken Thorne)

A wonderful and emotional score:

I apologise -- not better clips or cues found:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFu8YGUZEpE

10. "Buffy the Vampire slayer" (TV series)
(Christophe Beck)

He scored half of season 2, all of 3 & 4, and one episode from 5, and one from 6. He won awards for his work, including an Emmy s I recall. Hopefully you'll enjoy:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Iuk_wb0OE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UACBTXJZaE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvlAyo7_fUo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwOmXwehvYw
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0bP6KI24YWM
The views and opinions of Ford A. Thaxton are his own and do not necessarily reflect the ones of ANYONE else.
- CommentAuthorKevin Scarlet
- CommentTimeMay 15th 2010 edited
1. Thomas Newman - Road to Perdition
The first score I've listened to from him and still, after listening to almost 30 of his works, my all-time favorite. It's the perfect tribute to him and the film.

2. James Horner - Avatar
This was an extremely difficult decision (close contenders were A Beautiful Mind, Apollo 13, and Enemy at the Gates among others), but I chose this album because it has everything I want in a score: large-scale drama, epic action, a choir, and a palpable sense of wonder with all the Pandora/Na'Vi music.

3. John Williams - War of the Worlds
A surprising choice, I'm sure. But I love the chaos and horror that he evoked with this film. So hopeless, yet still very beautiful. The Ferry Scene and Attack on the Car are some of the best action writing I've ever heard.

4. James Newton Howard - Unbreakable
I must agree with Justin. This was an absolute gem to watch and listen to. Heroic, tragic, and romantic. If only it weren't recorded so low...

5. Bernard Herrmann - Psycho
There's not much I can say about this that hasn't already been said. It's a classic for a reason.

6. Yoko Kanno - Wolf's Rain
Her magnum opus. Amazing music for one of my all-time favorite anime. So many genres are traversed, but the orchestral music is the highlight.

7. Alexandre Desplat - The Painted Veil
My first score from him, and I fell in love immediately. The River Waltz is one of my personal life themes.

8. Clint Mansell - Requiem for a Dream
One of those scores that are inseparable from the movie. It's amazing how much emotion he wringed from just a string quartet.

9. Joe Hisaishi - Spirited Away
Another of my all-time favorite anime, with one of the most lush, romantic scores I've ever heard. The Epilogue alone is worth the price of the album.

10. Hans Zimmer - Gladiator
One of the first scores I ever purchased. It was a tie between this and The Last Samurai but I gave this the nod because of the scale and ambition alone.

So there you go.
- CommentAuthorBhelPuri
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010
A list post by the great Thor himself? The world endeth.

Ennio Morricone - Mission to Mars
I thought of putting The Mission but then went with this one instead since it's my most played Morricone score. Brilliant is just understating it.

Georges Delerue - Joe Versus the Volcano
Melancholia and a gorgeous love theme.

Marco Frisina - Giovanni Paolo II
Passionate, religious score that leaves me emotionally drenched

Frederic Talgorn - Les Aiguilles Rouges
Stunning. So much melody. I melt.

Wojciech Kilar - Portrait of a Lady
Tough call among many other top works. I could easily swap it for Fantome avec Chaffeur or Koenig der Letzten Tage

Alexandre Desplat - Une Chance sur Deux
A brilliant action score. A genre that I'm generally not fond of. I could swap it with Nid de Guepes too.

Pino Donaggio - Il Grande Torino
Rich, gorgeous melodies. Donaggio outdid himself. The pinnacle of Pino scores.

Cyril Morin - Zaina, Cavaliere de l'Atlas
Everything that I love about Morin's sound is in here. Lush strings, ethnic instruments and vocals.

Armand Amar - Va, Vis et Deviens
Another tough decision from a boatload of great scores to choose from. I went with one that represents all aspects of Amar's sound that I like.

Adrian Johnston - Gideon's Daughter
I've lost count of the number of times I've played this. The album is coupled with a strong combo score of Friends and Crocodiles.

Apologies to John Scott, John Barry and Jan A P Kaczmarek for missing out.
- CommentAuthorsdtom
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010
This is something that is extremely difficult to do. I've missed so many.

1....King Kong/Max Steiner
2....Scott of the Antarctic/RVW
3....Best Years Of Our Lives/Hugo Friedhofer
4....Sunset Blvd/Franz Waxman
5....Road To Perdition/Thomas Newman
6....Signs/James Newton Howard
7....Big Country/Jerome Moross
8....The Red Pony/Aaron Copland
9....Spellbound/Miklos Rozsa
10..Victory At Sea/Richard Rodgers

Thomas
listen to more classical music!
- CommentAuthorBobdH
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010 edited
Ralph Kruhm wrote
6. John Barry - The Last Valley
Yeah, I know, I´m a strange guy. But this has some huge personal value to me, so there you go. And you can´t go wrong with an odd choice along the way.

Timmer wrote
The Last Valley - John Barry ( see Ralph, nothing odd about your choice )

A tough one, it was either this or OHMSS or The Lion In Winter...eeny, meeny minee mo...anyway, this is sublime choral writing and gorgeous themes in a genre that Barry excels.

This tempts me to buy the Intrada release, as part of my preparation for the Barry concert...
- CommentAuthorTimmer
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010
Bob, I would recommend the Silva re-recording over the original, not only is it a superb recording but it's complete too.
On Friday I ate a lot of dust and appeared orange near the end of the day ~ Bregt
- CommentAuthorBobdH
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010
Thanks for the advice - listening to clips from the Silva recording, and they sound really good indeed. Will make a comparison of the 2 and then see what the price differences are .
- CommentAuthorBregt
- CommentTimeMay 16th 2010
The Last Valley is awesome!

Voilà!
Kazoo

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10 composers, 1 score each!