I know, I am stretching the boundaries of what constitutes 'classical music', but where else could I ask this question? In the latest edition of one of the professional music magazines here in the UK is a list of what one person considers his ten favourite film scores. Three of them are not actually original scores at all, but use music by classical composers. Two of these are film versions of operas and so I think should not have been included (it being a different genre of film-making, surely).
My question: what are your favourite film scores (whether by accepted 'classical' composers or not)?
The ten from the magazine (not necessarily in order of preference as far as I can tell):
King Kong (1933) - Max Steiner Psycho (1960) - Bernard Herrmann Batman (1989) - Danny Elfman The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966) - Ennio Morricone On the Waterfront (1954) - Leonard Bernstein The Shawshank Redemption (1994) - Thomas Newman (with a tiny bit of help from WA Mozart) Brief Encounter (1945) - Sergei Rakhmaninov A Clockwork Orange (1971) - Various (see below) The Magic Flute (1975 Ingmar Bergman film) - WA Mozart Carmen (1984 Francesco Rossi film) - Georges Bizet
A Clockwork Orange: The Funeral of Queen Mary - Henry Purcell/Walter (now Wendy) Carlos The Thieving Magpie - Rossini Theme from A Clockwork Orange (Beethoviana) - Walter (now Wendy) Carlos Symphony No 9 (Scherzo and Finale) - Beethoven (with some arrangements by Walter (now Wendy) Carlos and Rachel Elkind) William Tell Overture - Rossini/Walter (now Wendy) Carlos Pomp and Circumstance Marches Nos 1 and 4 - Elgar Timesteps - Walter (now Wendy) Carlos Overture to the Sun - Terry Tucker I Want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper" - Erika Eigen Singin' in the Rain - Nacio Herb Brown/Arthur Freed, sung by Gene Kelly
Let's hope this question doesn't get deleted like my last one for not being 'question'-y enough!
2011-03-28T08:53:26Z
Nick: Do you mean the original 1998 Japanese film 'Ring' with music by Kenji Kanawa, or the rather poor Hollywood remake with Hans Zimmer's music?
2011-03-28T09:07:55Z
i.jones: Not my choices, but those of the author in the music magazine I refer to. Haven't had time to think-up mine yet!
joshuacharlesmorris2011-03-28T09:35:48Z
Favorite Answer
Top of my list: Lifeboat - Directed by Hitchcock - film score by Hugo Friedhofer The use of music in this film epitomizes the restraint I think most directors need in their use of film music. Film music should enhance and aid in telling the story, but not be a crutch to save a poorly written or acted moment
Solaris - (1972) directed by Tarkovsky - Original Music by Eduard Artemiev Also fantastic use of Bach throughout. You could understand the film from only the images and the music without any of the dialog.
Pi - Directed by Darren Aaronofsky - film score by Clint Mansell I must say I preferred his style on this film to what he would do later on. The selectivity of when he used sound made its effect that much more powerful when it came in.
Eraserhead - directed by David Lynch - Soundtrack by David Lynch and Alan Splet
Mullholland Drive - directed by David Lynch - Score by Angelo Badalamenti
On the Waterfront - Score by Lenny Bernstein
Brother from another planet - score by Martin Brody and Mason Daring. This ones definitely not classical and there are a few 80s pop songs that have fallen out of style, but otherwise a very enjoyable experience.
Un Chien Andalou - Music by Luis Buñue and a bit of Wagner spliced in there.
Didn't Carter Burwell get his start with The Coen Brothers on "Blood Simple" and has scored all of their films? Graeme Revell also does some really nice "incidental" music on the Rock soundtrack for "S.F.W." ...and Hal Hartley both Directs & Scores his films -- mostly independant, but totally quirky ( see "Henry Fool" ) So many great soundtracks have "catchy" themes & Grandiose orchestrations. I am more attracted to compositions that have a quirky, odd nature about them -- sometimes a "spaciness"... sometimes iwth "tinkley" percussion. I like those composers who can combine this "quirkiness" with music where things seem "odd"... a subtle soundtrack that denotes that.... something is not quite "right" :) It's so interesting to hear these people and see the similarities in style, appear in all of this movies!! Other than that... my faves -- David Byrne -- The Last Emperor (1987) Mark Knopfler ( Dire Straits ) -- Local Hero (1983) // The Princess Bride (1987) Vangelis -- Chariots of Fire (1981) // Bladerunner (1982) // Year of Living Dangerously (w/ Maurice Jarre, 1983) Tangerine Dream -- Sorcerer (1977) // Thief (1981) // Risky Business (1983) // Wavelength (1983) // Firestarter (1984) // Legend (1985) // Three O'Clock High (1987) // Near Dark (1988) Maurice Jarre ( Father of Jean-Michel Jarre ) -- Ryan's Daughter (1970) // The Year of Living Dangerously (1983) // A Passage to India (1984) // Witness (1985) // The Mosquito Coast (1986) // Dead Poets Society (1989) // Ghost (1990) // Fearless (1993) Rachel Portman -- Life Is Sweet (1991) // Where Angels Fear to Tread (1991) // Benny & Joon (1993) // The Joy Luck Club (1993) // Sirens (1993) // The Road to Wellville (1994) // Emma (1996) // The Cider House Rules (1999) // Chocolat (2000) Richard Robbins -- The Bostonians (1984) // A Room with a View (1985) // Howards End (1992) // The Remains of the Day (1993) { my all=time fave soundtrack !! :} // The Golden Bowl (2000) Thomas Newman -- Men Don't Leave (1990) // The Rapture (1991) // Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) // Scent of a Woman (1992) // How to Make an American Quilt (1995) // American Beauty (1999) // Pay It Forward (2000) // Road to Perdition (2002) // Angels in America (2003) // Finding Nemo (2003) // Cinderella Man (2005) // Jarhead (2005) // Revolutionary Road (2008) Edit -- ...and Carter Burwell :) Blood Simple (1984) // Raising Arizona (1987) // Miller's Crossing (1990) // Barton Fink (1991) // Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1992) // Kalifornia (1993) // The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) // Rob Roy (1995) // Fargo (1996) // Conspiracy Theory (1997) // The Big Lebowski (1998) // Gods and Monsters (1998) // Mystery, Alaska (1999) // Three Kings (1999) // Being John Malkovich (1999) // Before Night Falls (2000) // Hamlet (2000) // A Knight's Tale (2001) // The Man Who Wasn't There (2002) // Adaptation. (2002) // Intolerable Cruelty (2003) // The Ladykillers (2004) // No Country for Old Men (2007) // Burn After Reading (2008) // Twilight (2008) // A Serious Man (2009) // Where the Wild Things Are (2009)
This was somewhat difficult.. I could agree with Psycho, On the Waterfront and of course A Clockwork Orange but I would substitute the latter for The Shining (1980) of course not really a score as such, Tarantino works the same wonders of arrangement with Pulp Fiction (1994) obviously not classical in the least mind but definitely a favourite. I don't know what the rules be ? City Lights (1931) magical, I'm a big Chaplin fan ( : Morricone's Once Upon a Time in America (1984) and Bernard Hermann's score to Taxi Driver (1976) are probably my two favourite scores. The Thin Red Line (1998), Schindler's List (1993), Mulholland Drive (2001), Alien (1979).
My favorite film score by a quote--classical--unquote composer is Alexander Nevsky by Prokofieff. Second would probably be The Red Pony by Aaron Copland.
I'm surprised that the list included The Good, The Bad, and They Ugly by Ennio Morricone but not the other two great spaghetti Westerns.
I agree with Nick that the Harry Potter music is nice. As I have indicated in reply to earlier questions, John Williams borrows ideas from earlier composers, but he does so with good effect.
The Umbrellas of Cherbourg is nice. The theme song is ingenious in that the intervals are complex until the last phrase, where the intervals are more simple. It is more common for the last phrase to be more complex in some way.
How about the famous guitar solo in Les Jeux Interdits (Forbidden Games). Tchaikovsky often gets praised for the second movement of his Fourth Symphony, in which he writes a lovely melody on straight eighth notes. The same can be said for this melody, which is straight quarter notes in 3/4 time.
Okay, I'll bite. I like movies too. My favorite film scores (no particular order)--or at least ones that seem to be iconic and memorable
The Magnificent Seven--Elmer Bernstein (also his theme for The Great Escape) Bridge on the River Kwai--Malcolm Arnold (who adapted "Colonel Bogey March" by F.J. Ricketts (under Kenneth Alford) Lawrence of Arabia--Maurice Jarre Psycho-Bernard Hermann The Mission--Ennio Morricone The Godfather--Nino Rota (who also scored Zeffirelli's Romeo and Juliet) Goldfinger--James Barry--who gets a special "shoutout" for all his other James Bond themes Breakfast at Tiffany's--Henry Mancini The Pink Panther--Henry Mancini Star Wars--John Williams
I realized I really kind of have about 12 there, but I could have listed even more memorable themes that have entered pop culture.
A special honorable mention should go to "2001: A Space Odyssey" for its use of Richard Strauss's "And Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (Also Sprach Zarathustra) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWnmCu3U09w&feature=related