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Iconic Composers i.e. The Most Recognizable?
General Discussions » Iconic Composers i.e. The Most Recognizable? (Posts 1 to 23 of 23)
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- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018 edited
I'm thinking about working on an art project that features some of our favorite composers. I'd like to narrow it down to 8 that represent the film score world well, but are also easily recognizable or have an iconic look or identifiable features. I'd love your help in naming who of the composers do you think are most easily recognizable?
So far, I'm thinking about including, but need to narrow the list down or swap some out depending on your feedback:
John Williams
Hans Zimmer
Elmer Bernstein
Ennio Morricone
Jerry Goldsmith
James Horner
Alan Silvestri
Rachel Portman
James Newton Howard
Danny Elfman
I'd love to hear your thoughts! Thanks so much! -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018
Bernard Herrmann.
Lots more. I'll chime in later.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018 edited
If you want a selection that would represent filmmusic as a whole, my first thought would be that your current selection contains composers that mainly seem to be from roughly the same era (even though Goldsmith and Elmer Bernstein represent both old-fashioned and modern scoring), are largely American (despite Morricone), and work within a certain style. Not enough time right now to seriously give it a thought, but I would start by broadening on these fields; like Thor said, Bernard Herrmann from a different era of scoring, or Cliff Martinez to represent a more electronic approach, Michael Nyman or Philip Glass from a more modern-classical point of view, and so forth?
Mind you, you might need to sacrifice some of your modern favourites for this, if you really want to maintain 8 composers in total . -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018
Bernard Herrmann is my vote too.listen to more classical music! -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018
Perhaps:
Sergei Prokofiev - Alexander Newski
Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Robin Hood
Bernard Herrmann - North by Northwest
The Good, the Bad and the Ugly - Ennio Morricone
Jaws - John Williams
Das Boot - Klaus Doldinger (electronic music)
The Rock - The Zimmer Cooperative
Princess Mononoke - Joe HisaishiBach's music is vibrant and inspired. -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018 edited
Sounds like a cool project!
You might want to include one of the "fathers of film music" like Steiner or Alfred Newman or Korngold. Their faces certainly aren't as familiar to film music fans today, but I think one of them ought to be on it. I like including Herrmann. You also might think about including Rosza, maybe?
As for the list you initially included, I might not include Silvestri, Portman, or Howard. Although they have written some undeniably great music, I'm not sure their influence has been as significant as the other composers we've been talking about. Although, then you would have only men on this thing, which would also be kind of sad, so maybe you should include Portman, as she's probably the most influential female film composer? Maybe take her over Elfman?
As for Bob's contention that more international composers should be included, I'm not so sure. I've you're going for the most identifiable and influential composers, I just don't know any composers outside the States that have had the same kind of impact. Delerue, maybe? Desplat is huge recently. Hisaishi is huge in Japan. Rahman in India. Would Korngold count?
I wouldn't include Martinez, Nyman, or Glass. While their contributions to film music have been very distinct, I don't think they've made enough of a splash.
All of this is, of course, my own opinion. In the end, this is your project! Choose whoever you want! You could pick your 8 favorite composers and that would be great. -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018 edited
This is of great help, thanks so much! Not sure why I totally blanked on Herrmann, but he HAS to be in it! Thanks for the suggestion from several of you. The reason I picked 8, is so that it's not quite as overwhelming of a project.
My newly revised and edited list is:
John Williams
Hans Zimmer
Elmer Bernstein
Ennio Morricone
Jerry Goldsmith
James Horner
Erich Wolfgang Korngold or Alfred Newman (can't quite decide - but Newman seems more recognizable to me)
Bernard Herrmann -
- CommentTimeMar 22nd 2018 edited
Do they have to be from the entirety of the last 100+ years of film music or can they be from the same era?
Herrmann for sure if we are including dead composers - he is easily one of the most distinct and original film composers of all time.
Out of living film composers the eight most recognizable to me would be:
John Williams
Ennio Morricone
Joe Hisaishi
Howard Shore
Elliot Goldenthal
Thomas Newman
Vangelis
Hans Zimmer
Note, these are not nessicarily the best living film composers (even if all of them except Zimmer are), but all have distinct things about them, probably more than any other living film composers. I am not counting Philip Glass here - he is more of a concert composer who has written film music rather than a film composer primarily.
As for the ten names you mentioned, I agree with Williams, Zimmer, Bernstein, Morricone and Goldsmith but probably not on the others even if some of them do have some quite distinct features, not in my opinion it is not enough to be ranked with the most distinctive/recognizable film composers.
If the entirety of film music has the be represented (and not just eight living composers) then the eight would probably be:
Hans Zimmer
John Williams
Jerry Goldsmith
Nino Rota
Thomas Newman
Bernard Herrmann
Alex North
Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Although you can come up with quite a few variations on the list. You could easily include composers like Hisaishi, Morricone and Shore etc instead of some of the names I have mentioned above. Eight names is a bit too little, I would have made it top 10 most recognizable living film composers or alternatively the top 20 most recognizable film composers of all time. -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
This is a great starting point and I'll see how it goes with my drawing. If I have the energy or need to add more faces as it goes along, I definitely will. -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018 edited
OK, I'm back and hung over.
Filmscoregirl, you might find some interest in a quiz I did in January. It was for fellow Norwegian film critic colleagues, and it was about recognizing composer sounds rather than the name of the film (which in all cases was too obscure for them to catch). As such, their sound had to be recognizable, even for those that are "only" film critics, not hardcore film music fans like us. So it's kinda relevant to what you're asking for.
These were the selections I made:
John Williams - "Sunday Night Football"
Abel Korzeniowski - "Charm/Cartier Montage" - W.E.
Bernard Herrmann - "Overture" - THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY
Cliff Martinez - "Involunatry Man Slaughter" - ARBITRAGE
Danny Elfman - "Tales from the Crypt"
Elliot Goldenthal - "Arrow of the Gods" - TITUS
Ennio Morricone - "The Lady Caliph" - LA CALIFFA
Georges Delerue - "Main Title" - LE JOUR DE DAUPHIN
Giorgio Moroder - "Rotwang's Party" - METROPOLIS
Hans Zimmer - "I Dreamt I Woke Up" - BEYOND RANGOON
Henry Mancini - "Theme" - A SHOT IN THE DARK
James Horner - "Ride of the Firemares" - KRULL
Miklos Rozsa - "Prelude" - KING OF KINGS
Randy Newman - "Track 4" - THE NATURAL
Tangerine Dream - "After the Call" - MIRACLE MILE
Jerry Goldsmith - "Hot Water" - OUTLAND
Thomas Newman - "Theme" - THE MAN WITH ONE RED SHOE
Vangelis - "La Mort Du Loup" - L'APOCALYPSE DES ANIMAUX
Philip Glass - "Opening" - O APOSTOLO
Howard Shore - "Elevator" - PANIC ROOM
Joe Hisaishi - "Kiseki No Ringo" - MIRACLE APPLES
Michel Legrand - "Chanson de Lola" - LOLA
Also:
Elmer Bernstein
He's recognizable to us, but he's not the composer whose sound is the most recognizble "in general", I think.
Erich Wolfgang Korngold or Alfred Newman (can't quite decide - but Newman seems more recognizable to me)
Again, none of these are particularly recognizable "in general", IMO (especially not Newman).I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
Alfred Newman=Street Scene
Elmer Bernstein=Magnificent Sevenlisten to more classical music! -
- CommentAuthorEdmund Meinerts
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018 edited
Bernstein is absolutely recognizable "in general" - he and Morricone between them basically defined Western music. Play some random snippets of Bernstein to the average cinemagoer and they might not be able to tell you who wrote it, but you'll at least get an "I dunno, some John Wayne cowboy movie?" response and that's pretty significant.
Eh, since everyone else did it, my eight:
John Williams
Hans Zimmer
Ennio Morricone
Bernard Herrmann
Jerry Goldsmith
James Horner
Elmer Bernstein
Danny Elfman (or maybe Thomas Newman...Tough between the two of them) -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018 edited
Edmund Meinerts wrote
Bernstein is absolutely recognizable "in general" - he and Morricone between them basically defined Western music. Play some random snippets of Bernstein to the average cinemagoer and they might not be able to tell you who wrote it, but you'll at least get an "I dunno, some John Wayne cowboy movie?" response and that's pretty significant.
You missed my point. Of course, Bernstein has several famous themes that most people will recognize or even identify, but not even my film critic colleagues are able to differentiate between a Bernstein western score 'sound' and one by someone else.
We who are hardcore fans can hear some Bernstein trademarks -- like the 'cloppetyclop' rhythmic figure, the ondes martenot and so on, but of the big famous composers of that generation, I'd argue that he has one of the least recognizable 'sounds'. I didn't include him in my aforementioned quiz for a reason.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentAuthorEdmund Meinerts
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
Thor wrote
but not even my film critic colleagues are able to differentiate between a Bernstein western score and one by someone else.
And sometimes it's hard to tell Zimmer from his imitators and vice versa, but that doesn't make him any less iconic either. Bernstein INVENTED that Western style (well...with a lot of help from Mr. Copland). -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
You're right again Thor
Bernstein, Goldsmith are very diffiult to pick out. I could say Magnificent Seen was Moross and some would believe me. Got your point.listen to more classical music! -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
Edmund Meinerts wrote
Thor wrote
but not even my film critic colleagues are able to differentiate between a Bernstein western score and one by someone else.
And sometimes it's hard to tell Zimmer from his imitators and vice versa, but that doesn't make him any less iconic either. Bernstein INVENTED that Western style (well...with a lot of help from Mr. Copland).
I don't disagree with you. Bernstein is as iconic as it gets -- as an influence, 'figure' and as a composer. But I've tried to quiz people about him before, and no one was able to get him the way they were with some of the other composers mentioned earlier.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
Thor wrote
Again, none of these are particularly recognizable "in general", IMO (especially not Newman).
I think there's been some confusion about what I was asking initially, haha. Rereading my question, it's totally my fault - sorry about that! I was originally asking about faces actually - which composers would you most recognize in a drawing and who are also very influential to the world of film music.
It's cool that we're now talking about the iconic sounds of composers or who has the most most recognizable sound outside of film music fans - that's a very interesting topic too. -
- CommentTimeMar 23rd 2018
whole different situation!listen to more classical music! -
- CommentTimeApr 13th 2019
I'm so excited that I finally finished my film composer art project! (More than a year later, wow!) Now I just have to figure out how to show it to you all! It's a pen and ink drawing of 12 portraits of the most influential/famous/favorite film composers. And also have to figure out if I want to make an art print to sell (and I want one for my living room), notecards, tea towel, iPhone case, tote bag, etc. - what say you? If you wanted to get someone a film-composer-fan related gift, what would it be (besides music) or what type of item with film composers on it would you hope to receive? -
- CommentTimeApr 14th 2019 edited
That's great, Filmscoregirl. I had no idea you worked on a project like that. I assume you're familiar with Paul Shipper's painting? https://thumbs.imagekind.com/1424828_65 … 1491966013
Is it something like that? Who do you have on it? I'm guessing Mark Isham is there, since you have him in your profile pic.
Either way, I have no tips for you as in how to promote it, other than the usual channels. I'll let you know if I come up with some great idea.I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeApr 14th 2019 edited
Thanks Thor! Yes, I am familiar with Paul Shipper’s painting and have always loved it! But mine is in a much different style - a more minimalist, black & white, field guide style. I made a small version to hang near my piano but I’d love to get nice prints made in 11 x 14 and 16 x 20 sizes and hopefully sell them on my Etsy shop. I am open to other cool ideas if you get any! I love giving gifts and pen & ink, and have always wanted to make a gift-able item for fellow film music fans too.
Let me know what you think! http://alpenglowmanor.com/wp-content/up … 527986.jpg
On it are:
Alfred Newman
Ennio Morricone
James Horner
Hans Zimmer
Bernard Herrmann
John Williams
Elmer Bernstein
James Newton Howard
Jerry Goldsmith
Alan Silvestri
Rachel Portman
Thomas Newman
It's been such a long project, in my excitement, I really wanted to share with all of you! -
- CommentTimeApr 14th 2019
That's nice. You have this sort of naïvistic style, somewhere between charicature and portrait. Well done!I am extremely serious. -
- CommentTimeApr 14th 2019
Cool! That's totally the style I was going for! I didn't want any shading and wanted clean lines, but wanted them to look like themselves and not over exaggerated. I normally draw animals and mountains in this style (for woodburning), so drawing people in this way and have them look somewhat familiar was a real stretch for me!
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