What is the greatest film score ever written?

Yet another difficult poll in that I'll nominate one and then think of 20 scores I prefer. I guess we are referring to music written for a film without that film being a musical. So I guess Brief Encounters does not couts as Rachmaninov didn't write it for the film and Rocky Horror Show doesn't count because that was a musical. So I'll nominate

The Wicker Man (Paul Giovanni)
Live and Let Die (Paul McCartney)
200 Motels (Frank Zappa) - didn't like the film
Tonight Lets Make Love In London (Syd Barrett) - didn't like the film
Up The Junction (Manfred Mann)

Korngold, Rósza or Hermann usually do it for me and some of John Barry's stuff is none too shabby - I love the soundtrack to Zulu, but maybe that confession should be in one of the other threads here

quote:

Originally posted by Huwge:
Korngold, Rósza or Hermann usually do it for me and some of John Barry's stuff is none too shabby - I love the soundtrack to Zulu, but maybe that confession should be in one of the other threads here

Yes, absolutely agree on all that. I think I first became aware of film music with Korngold (Sea Hawks). Rosza (Ben Hur)and Hermann (Vertigo)wrote many fine scores and John Barry too (loved Dances with wolves)and as for Zulu - nothing to be ashamed of in my view.

quote:

Originally posted by ROTF:
Up The Junction (Manfred Mann)

Good call. I can't think of a score that better captures 1960's London. A little piece of magic.
I think Randy Newman's songs in the Toy Story films were perfect and I can't imagine anything in their place. I love those films.
Paris, Texas worked pretty well too, although that's an obvious choice.

I think Ennio Morricone has enhanced many exceptional films with his music. "The Mission" is a special favourite.

quote:

Originally posted by Chris Kelly:
I think Ennio Morricone has enhanced many exceptional films with his music. "The Mission" is a special favourite.

Agreed. Incredibly proflific composer. The Mission is indeed very worthy. I also like 'cinema Paradiso' (my favourite film of all time) and 'Malena' another favourite film (I think he got an oscar for that one?)

Dear Erik,

I missed this, and posted about film music after your comments on the DVD Cell (or whatever its called), but film music is splendid as far as I am concerned. Sorry about the muck up. Fredrik

I've got three scores that I would nominate:

Paris Texas - Ry Cooder (as already mentioned)
One From The Heart (Francis Coppola)- Tom Waits & Crystal Gayle
The Silent Partner - Oscar Peterson (Starring Elliot Gould, Christopher Plummer & Susannah York).

Strangely, I have never seen any of the three films concerned.

Regards

Nic

A Clockwork Orange (if just fits the film so perfectly, I especially like the electronic reworking of Purcell's music for queen mary's funeral - in fact, all of Kubrik's films have pretty good sound tracks).

The Royal Tenenbaums (and Wes Andersons other films, particularly The Life Aquatic).

Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon.

I'm also tempted to nominate the two film scores Miles Davis did (Ascenseur pour l'echafaud and Jack Johnson) both of which are stunningly good albums in their own rights. However, not having heard them in the context of the film, I can't really say if they're good soundtracks.

regards, Tam

quote:

Originally posted by Fredrik_Fiske:
Dear Erik,

I missed this, and posted about film music after your comments on the DVD Cell (or whatever its called), but film music is splendid as far as I am concerned. Sorry about the muck up. Fredrik

No problem Fredrik. I got the idea for this thread having posted my reply to the 'what was the last DVD you watched?' in the home theatre forum. I am anticipating some good posts here. I studied 'Film Appreciation' for 2 years at school (about 100 years ago) and our teacher was a film score nut/buff so he tended to spend alot of time on the subject which I always enjoyed.

Blade Runner - Vangelis.

One of my faves.

Lawrence of Arabia - Maurice Jarre

Jarre took the commission to score the film at the last moment, after Sir William Walton turned it down; one of the most breathtaking and varied scores ever written (and this in the filmography of a director whose films are loaded with memorable music). Lawrence is my personal favourite film, which (along with living in India) kindled my study of Middle East (and British Empire) history; it's impossible to imagine it without that grand, and also intimate, music.

I hesitate to name the greatest - but I am happy to mention film scores I like:

Highlander - Queen
The Arisocats - various

Mark Knopfler does a fine job with his film scores, Local Hero for example comes to mind.

The Mission - Ennio Morricone.

Dune - Toto/Brian Eno.

The Starwars soundtracks - John Williams (LSO?)

B

Odds against Tomorrow by Modern Jazz Quartet captures the mood of the film.

The soundtrack for O Brother Where Art Thou is a sublime recapturing of the music of the time.

David Holmes also adds an extra dimension to the remake of Oceans 11.

Jono

Ten I love....(or at least can think of at this moment!)

Paris texas - Desert music for the heart.

Blade Runner- Music to attack ships off the shoulder of Orion to!

Taxi Driver- sexy, brooding and damaged.

2001 - majestic

Lawrence of Arabia - wide screen music!

Alfie - Sonny Rollins playing is sublime

Long good friday - Gangster seventies with panache.

Withnail and I - beautiful, sad and very English

Koyaanasquatsi - Phillip glass delivers the apocalypse

American Beauty - Seamless integration into the film

One from the heart - As it says!

Oops - 11.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Simon Matthews:

American Beauty - Seamless integration into the film
[QUOTE]

Aaaahhh! I forgot that one, also Quadrophenia, but not so keen on Tommy.

Jono

I love works by Zbigniew Preisner - Three Colours Blue, White, Red and the Double Life of Veronique - wonderful, atmospheric stuff.

Also Cinema Paradiso - Morricone - tear jerker

Philip Glass - Koyaanisqatsi, Powaquatsi, Naqoyqatsi, The Hours

ascenseur pour le chauffaud
once upon a time in america
chi mai

blade runner - agreed !

regards - blackforest

I can't disagree with any of the above, but I am surprised noy to see the name of Malcolm Arnold. The Saint Trinnians films, Whistle Down The Wind, Hobson's Choice, The Bridge on the River Kwai, and so many others.

The most memorable musical moment in a film was for me, the scene in an American war film (can't remember its name) where as a pathetic young WW2 soldier is being executed for cowardice, Frank Sinatra sings "Have Youself a Merry Little Christmas". It could easily have been trite, but in the event, it was just very moving.

As a "compilation" soundtrack, Thelma and Louise takes some beating.

Film scores are really important to perception and mood of the scenes. We seem to be getting more of the abstract scores for added tension in dramas, sometimes that's good, or bad and over powering. What I hate are those films that take a scattered approach to soundtracks of pop/rock hits so they can market a CD too. Often they only have a few bars and then fade it into the background. That said, there was a British Christmas ensemble film a few years back that used covers of lots of songs and one was a new recording of Joni Mitchell's Both Sides Now while Emma Thompson was crying and it was really heartbreaking. Increadible reading as it differs so much from her first recording 30 years ago.

everything written for the films of peter greenaway - by michael nyman. it really goes perfect together with the film!

regards - blackforest

"brother" by takeshi kitano with some fantastic music by joe hisaishi comes to mind.

the soundtracks for "hannabe" and "sonatine" are equally great.


the soundtrack for in the "mood for love" by wong kar wei is really one of my favourites and a must buy for every music nut in my opion +!

regards - bf.

quote:

I think Ennio Morricone has enhanced many exceptional films with his music. "The Mission" is a special favourite.

Ennio Morricone, Sergio Leone *and* Bob: 'Once Upon a Time in America' do anything for you Chris?

C

Another vote for "A Clockwork Orange " the Purcell is amazing !