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  1. In Memory of LAJ_FETT: Please share your remembrances and condolences HERE

Your Top Ten (or five) Composers

Discussion in 'Star Wars And Film Music' started by Darth_Vader-Anakin, Aug 5, 2007.

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  1. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    List your favorite film composers and what score introduced you to them or which score really made you appreciate their work and actively seek out their other scores.

    1. Basil Poledouris - Farewell to the King
    2. Jerry Goldsmith - Medicine Man
    3. John Williams - Star Wars
    4. Joe Hisaishi - Spirited Away
    5. Patrick Doyle - A Little Princess
    6. Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy the Spirits Within
    7. James Newton Howard - Dinosaur
    8. Elmer Bernstein - The Magnificent Seven
    9. John Barry - The Living Daylights
    10. Hans Zimmer - The Prince of Egypt
     
  2. Robi-Wan

    Robi-Wan Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Oct 11, 2006
    I've always felt something special about filmmusic, but after I saw Spider-Man in the cinema and heard the theme at the beginning, I knew what I wanted to do the rest of my life. That really opened the door to filmmusic for me.


    1. Danny Elfman - Spider-Man
    2. Hans Zimmer - Batman Begins
    3. John Williams - Star Wars saga
    4. Don Davis - The Matrix trilogy
    5. Klaus Badelt - Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
    6. Howard Shore - LOTR trilogy

     
  3. Miana Kenobi

    Miana Kenobi Admin Emeritus star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Apr 5, 2000
    1. John Williams - Star Wars
    2. Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings
    3. James Horner - The Perfect Storm
    4. Hans Zimmer - Gladiator
    5. Danny Elfman - Batman
     
  4. andy1044

    andy1044 Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2006
    1. Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings
    2. Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    3. John Williams - Jurassic Park
    4. James Newton Howard - Blood Diamond
    5. Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia
    6. Erich Wolfgang Korngold - The Adventures of Robin Hood
    7. Elmer Bernstein - The Magnificent Seven
    8. Hans Zimmer - A World Apart
    9. Danny Elfman - Mars Attacks (haha, true story)
    10. Basil Poleduoris - The Hunt for Red October

    Howard Shore was the composer who inspired me to pursue a career as a film composer. I still remember which cue did it for me as well. The way he scored Theoden rallying the Rohirrim before the Battle of the Pellanor in The Return of the King spoke to me in a way nothing else had and convinced me that I had to become a film composer as well.
     
  5. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    That certainly is a fantastically scored sequence.
     
  6. HL&S

    HL&S Magistrate Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

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    Oct 30, 2001
    1. John Williams - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
    2. Bernard Herrmann - The Ghost and Mrs Muir
    3. John Barry - The Lion In Winter
    4. Ennio Morricone - Cinema Paradiso
    5. Danny Elfman - Batman
    6. Elmer Bernstein - To Kill A Mockingbird
    7. James Horner - Krull
    8. Franz Waxman - A Place In The Sun
    9. Jerry Goldsmith - The Omen
    10. Erich Wolfgang Korngold - The Adventures of Robin Hood



    At the moment, that's what I could come up with.
     
  7. Cerrabore

    Cerrabore Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 17, 2004
    No particular order.

    John Williams - Star Wars
    Patrick Doyle - A Little Princess or Henry V
    Erich Wolfgang Korngold - Kings Row
    Alan Menken - Aladdin
    Philip Glass - The Fog of War: Eleven Lessons from the Life of Robert S. McNamara
     
  8. Trentman359

    Trentman359 Jedi Youngling star 2

    Registered:
    Oct 18, 2002
    John Williams Star Wars
    Jerry Goldsmith Planet of the Apes
    James Horner Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
    Howard Shore Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
    Hans Zimmer The Lion King
    Danny Elfman Batman
    Christopher Franke Babylon 5

    Great thread by the way!!!
     
  9. Indiana_Fett

    Indiana_Fett Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 12, 2004
    Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    John Williams - Home Alone
    Danny Elfman - The Nightmare Before christmas (I saw this when I was 3 or 4)
    James Horner - Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan
    Hans Zimmer - The Critic theme
     
  10. elemental_fantasy

    elemental_fantasy Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Mar 6, 2006
    Hans Zimmer
    Harry Gregson-Williams
    steve jablonsky
    trevor rabin
    craig armstrong
    nick glennie-smith
    john williams
    Danny elfman
    James horner


    I know I am skipping a few, but yeah, have Bob Badami do a lil music mixin to there scores, now were talkin. : )
     
  11. General Kenobi

    General Kenobi Administrator Emeritus star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Dec 31, 1998
    John Williams - Star Wars
    Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    Howard Shore - The Two Towers
    John Barry - A View To A Kill

    I can't really decide on a fifth right now.
     
  12. DarthButt

    DarthButt Manager Emeritus star 5 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 11, 2003
    John Williams - SW Saga
    Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: First Contact
    James Horner - Star Trek: II & III
    Danny Elfman - Batman
    Howard Shore - LOTR
    Bill Conti - Rocky

    Edit: Thanks for reminding me about Bill Conti s_g. :)
     
  13. snowspeeder_gunner

    snowspeeder_gunner Jedi Padawan star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 10, 2007
    Harry Gregson-Williams - The Chronicles of Narnia
    John Williams- SW
    Bill Conti- Rocky II
    Howard Shore- LOTR
    Michael Gore- Terms of Endearment

    I'm also partial to the Space Jam soundtrack.
     
  14. Well_Of_Souls

    Well_Of_Souls Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2001
    Top 5:
    John Williams - Superman: The Movie
    Danny Elfman - Batman
    Jerry Goldsmith - Alien
    James Newton Howard - Waterworld
    Elliot Goldenthal - Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within

    Honorable Mention:
    Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring
    Basil Poledouris - Conan the Barbarian

    Maybe 5 years ago I would have had James Horner in there somewhere, too, but he and I had a bit of a falling out somewhere along the line. ;)
     
  15. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    I remember the exact moment when I stopped respecting Horner: Bicentennial Man...
     
  16. Jackalope

    Jackalope Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    May 21, 2005
    My Favorite Film Composers (with favorite score(s) by that composer):

    1. John Williams - Raiders of the Lost Ark; The Empire Strikes Back
    2. Joe Hisaishi - Spirited Away; Laputa: Castle in the Sky
    3. John Barry - On Her Majesty's Secret Service; You Only Live Twice
    4. Ennio Morricone - The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
    5. Elmer Bernstein - The Magnificent Seven
    6. Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    7. James Horner - Rocketeer
    8. Howard Shore - The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King
    9. Danny Elfman - Batman
    10. Tan Dun - Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
     
  17. EllenRipley

    EllenRipley Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 24, 2007
    1. Jerry Goldsmith - Star Trek: The Motion Picture
    2. John Williams - Star Wars and Indy
    3. James Horner - Star Trek 2/Krull
    4. Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings
    5. David Arnold - Stargate
    6. Basil Poledouris - Robocop
    7. Elmer Bernstein - Ghostbusters
    8. Danny Elfman - Batman
    9. Alan Silvestri - The Abyss
    10. Michael Kamen - Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves
     
  18. halibut

    halibut Ex-Mod star 8 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Aug 27, 2000
    Interesting that everyone is picking LOTR for Howard Shore. For me, he became a "great" composer after Silence of the Lambs. A wonderful score.

    And thank you to whoever mentioned Christopher Franke :)
     
  19. EllenRipley

    EllenRipley Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Aug 24, 2007
    LotR is a great gateway. I couldn't "get" anything by Shore beforehand, but everything I've heard since has been good.
     
  20. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    I'm quite surprised that only three of us have mentioned James Newton Howard. I figured he would be a shoe in.
     
  21. VADERVADERVADERVADER

    VADERVADERVADERVADER Jedi Youngling

    Registered:
    Sep 20, 2004
    1.John Williams - Star Wars!!!! 'NUFF SAID!!!!! AND Harry Potter AND Indiana Jones AND Jurassic Park etc. etc. ..........
    2.Howard Shore - Lord of the Rings
    3.Hans Zimmer - Pirates
    4.James Newton Howard - King Kong
    5.Harry-Gregson Williams - Narnia
    6.Danny Elfman - Spider-Man
    7.Alan Silvestri - Back to the Future
    8.Steve Jablonsky - Transformers
    9.Christopher Young - Ghost Rider
    10.Trevor Rabin - National Treasure

    I also love Patrick Doyle, Nicholas Hooper, John Ottoman, John Powell, Klaus Badelt, Jerry Goldsmith, etc. I could go on and on!
     
  22. Well_Of_Souls

    Well_Of_Souls Jedi Master star 5

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2001
    He's underrated on this board it seems. He's been one of my favorites ever since Waterworld. And his score for Signs is one of the best thriller scores of all time, right up there with Jaws and Psycho for me.
     
  23. Darth_Vader-Anakin

    Darth_Vader-Anakin Jedi Youngling star 3

    Registered:
    Jul 22, 2002
    Agreed. He's also a strong thematic composer which I figured would have made him popular here.
     
  24. andy1044

    andy1044 Jedi Master star 2

    Registered:
    Aug 26, 2006
    JNH is fast becoming one of my favorite composers. As you said, his use of strong themes as well as original writing make him a force to be reckoned with in the scoring world. Also, his tasteful use of percussion in some of his scores is quite nice. It's never too over the top and complements the rest of the music very well.
     
  25. Mastadge

    Mastadge Manager Emeritus star 7 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jun 4, 1999
    JNH is good. Waterworld is great, Lady in the Water is lovely. Peter Pan has some great material. But he's also got a whole lot of stuff that doesn't particularly do anything for me. He's consistently pretty strong, but not a favorite of mine.
     
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