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NP: Petricor (Ludovico Einaudi)

Just a single track - beautiful strings, violin solo part (Daniel Hope, I think) and piano. Typical Einaudi rhapsodic stuff - very lovely.

Next up: Peter Gregson - A little chaos. I didn't love the film (I'm a bit grouchy for that sort of thing), but I do love that it got Gregson into film scoring.

Since I consider Jerry Goldsmith a big black hole in my score-knowledge, I decided to finally sit down and listen to much of his work from start to finish. I mean, I’m currently only superficially familiair with his scores. I know his major titles, and of them I mostly know the highlight tracks. I’ve heard The Omen and Poltergeist, as well as some other classics, but I’m not as intimately familiar with his scores as I am with, say, John Williams or James Horner, even though he is considered by many as one of the greats. I have a fair amount of his CD’s, but I’ve always just skimmed through them, for some reason, or listened to them in the background, and kept returning to my favorite tracks. I’ll be listening to these in random order, depending on which I feel like listening to on the day.

Yesterday: THE SHADOW - Jerry Goldsmith

Listened to the Intrada Film Score presentation. The Shadow really benefits from one killer main theme, which is addictive and memorable as hell. It’s a good thing it gets quoted throughout, too, because whenever the theme does not show up, the score tends to drag a little. Maybe consecutive listens would bring out some other themes, but in my first full listen, it’s not always as engaging as I would like it to be. Still, the highlights are genuinely great, but I feel this might work better in its original album presentation and gets bogged down by its expandedness. 3.5*

Today: TOTAL RECALL - Jerry Goldsmith

The 77 minute version of the 30th Anniversary release for this one. This seemed to be the complete opposite as The Shadow, in that it is lacking a strong main theme (hell, the one the score opens with in The Dream is propulsive enough to set the tone, but doesn’t get a proper reprisal until well into the score in The Treatment), but is a lot more engaging in its compositions throughout. It’s propulsive, energetic and gives the orchestra a full workout - and yet, the lack of a strong and memorable theme makes this not as likeable as The Shadow. Guessing I won’t be returning to this one as much. Another 3.5*, but for different reasons.

I don't know where to start on Goldsmith, so I won't even try to give you some clues, since discovering your personal treasures on your own will be much more rewarding. He has been my favourite composer for a very, very long time, though I have been on and off with him in recent years. I've grown a bit more aware of some quirks in his style, be it the synthesizers or his unique scoring of hectic action. But man, when he goes all in and decides to write a really good theme, it will blow you away. I massively envy your journey of discovery, since there is SO MUCH awesomeness to discover, especially when you least expect it. Many of his scores have just one or two highlight tracks, but some are just relentless in providing one great track after another.

Please keep posting about your experiences. I'll be watching!

Today’s Goldsmith: THE WIND AND THE LION - Jerry Goldsmith

Listened to the 63 minute Complete Score Intrada presentation. When I first listened to this, which must have been over 10 years ago when I first purchased the CD, I thought the metal clanging that accompanied the main theme (and announces the Raisuli in the film, I believe) was shrill and distracted from the orchestra. Now, years later and listening to the score start to finish, I think it actually gives the work color and character. Goldsmith goes in full-on Maurice Jarre mode with great orchestral color to portray the Moroccan setting, multiple (memorable) themes and recurring motifs, and engaging compositions throughout. It’s quite a sweeping score with rousing percussion and brass and a touching love theme (The Legend). Glad I bought this one all those years ago. 4,5*

I've never listened to the full score of The Wind and the Lion, but Lionheart is one of my absolute favourites. When it came out I couldn't stop listening to it for months. Because of his friendship to the director, Goldsmith created a masterpiece of a score with enough thematic material to fill three movies with. And the way it all comes together in King Richard is simply amazing. What a fantastic listen. True, it has those synths Goldsmith was very fond of, which might turn away some listeners today - especially in a score for a medieval movie - but as a fan of his work I don't really care. He has used them in everything, and if you get used to it, you will find them an interesting addition. Now, Lionheart may be a really, really bad movie (trust me, it is), but it's easily one of his best scores for me. It's main theme is a massive motivational boost for every hero's journey, the love theme is beautiful and captivating, Mathilda's Theme gorgious, and the Black Prince is certainly blessed with a good baddie theme. You had a great pick there!

Today’s Goldsmith: TIMELINE - Jerry Goldsmith

When this first came out back in 2004 I was a big fan of Brian Tyler’s version, the fresh new sound from the up-and-coming composer, which may have clouded my judgement of Goldsmith’s approach a bit. I didn’t like the kazoo-like sounds during the action, and though I’ve come to appreciate several tracks over the years, I never really sat down to listen to it front to back ever since I had my first listen. Now that I did, I can recognize it as a solid score with a fine main theme (end of The Dig) and a lovely love theme on flute (Move On). It’s leaning a lot more towards action and suspense than Lionheart does, but whereas that score had a perfect balance in its themes, Timeline tends to overuse some of them. The climactic Prepare For Battle / Victory For Us is a thrilling finale to an entertaining score, but as a whole, this isn’t as exhilarating as the previous two. Something is keeping me from giving this a 4, so I’ll go with a solid 3.5*

Haha, I’m sure I’ll get to them! Probably going for a different sound and era tomorrow for variation.

Today’s Goldsmith: RUDY - Jerry Goldsmith

Now I know this one has quite a reputation, ending usually quite high on Best Of Goldsmith lists, which (I’m guessing) is because of the rousing Feel Good Moments. Which is precisely why I never made an effort to seek this one out, as sportsfilm-feel goodness usually doesn’t do it for me. If you want to tug on my heartstrings, you need to come with more tender, quiet drama. Which, I was pleased to see, Rudy has quite a few of as well - I especially dug the few moments the gentle choir kicks in, like in the lovely The Plaque. The whole thing shifts quite nicely between smaller renditions of its dramatic themes and the big bombastic ones. And even though the whole score comprises of constant renditions of its two main themes, they never start to grate and the whole thing balances out quite nicely. It’s a solid listen, I enjoyed its themes and I can see why people like it so much, but was I ever really moved? Nah, not really. I’m giving this a 4*, but I’m also bumping Lionheart and The Wind and the Lion to 4.5* since it doesn’t quite reach those highs.

The Blue Max? Now we are getting somewhere!

I think that I am more partial to his 'Sturm und Drang' (with a bit of his quieter moments).

Ferocious and inventive. And, what I particularly like, is that his use of the orchestra can be so sparing but achieve such a lot.

Take, for example, (a score just plucked out of the air) THE OMEN (which I watched again the other week) hasn't the largest orchestra but it ably copes with even the most aggressive and dramatic scenes. And, to think of what would happen today, most composers would choose to or be asked to throw masses of people at the music. IMO.

Certainly, which has probably to do with him starting out for a while with smaller orchestras in the beginning of his career, and the need to be inventive in his writing and orchestrations to get an adequate sound out of it.

Today’s Goldsmith: THE GREAT TRAIN ROBBERY - Jerry Goldsmith

Listened to the Varese Sarabande DeLuxe edition. I was already well aware of its incredibly energetic and infectious main theme, just hadn’t listened to the full score in ages (I just kept returning to the Main and End Titles and that’s it). Goldsmith certainly knows his way around a melody in this one. I love how he keeps making subtle allusions towards the main theme throughout (in tracks like No Respectable Gentlemen and Clues, but also during the more sinister moments in its second half) without overtly stating the theme. Or how he repackages the main theme into a waltz in Rotten Row - he’s clearly having fun with the material. It really gives the score its very own personality that is infused in every track, while never overusing its melodies. With 37 minutes this may be a short release, but it’s exactly what the material needs. It entertains throughout and never outstays its welcome. 4*

I understand The 13th Warrior and The Great Train Robbery may not be Top 10 material, but for what they need to do, they do it very well. Also, I’m aware I got some big classics coming up still, but I want to balance the bigger and the smaller ones out. Looking at every score in a positive way. And hey, that only means there’s apparently a ton of even better Goldsmith’s waiting!

What a great series of posts. It reminds me about how much material there is I never really got around to give a proper listening, too.

Of those you mentioned, The 13th Warrior, Rudy, and The Blue Max are among the most beloved by myself, though for completele different reasons.

The 13th Warrior is a great action score that gave birth to a fantastic Viking theme, and I return to it quite regularly. As a Gamemaster for tabletop RPGs I'm always looking for great scores to play in the background, and this is certainly one of them.

The Blue Max is something I rarely listen to on its own, but there's an immensely beautiful rerecording of a suite out there, as part of his Suites & Themes album, which I highly recommend. It has also one of the very few alternative recordings of the Lionheart theme, and several great suites of older movies and TV shows he composed for. I LOVE this album.

Rudy was a score I never listened to when Goldsmith was alive, and I never saw the movie. So when I gave it a listen a few years after his death, going through the whole thing, the album getting more and more rousing, the themes getting more spectacular versions, I definitely was in tears at the end of it. It was as if I had just found some kind of testament of the man whose music I had adored from very early on.

So yeah, Goldsmith still gets me, now and then. I hope there are many more treasures like these out there for me to find.