Top five movie composers
I would like to know what Movie Composer's are people's favourites. Because I don't have a huge knowledge of movie music, I have limited myself to five, but if you want to include ten, by all means do. My Five, in no particular order, are:
John Williams
Howard Shore
Maurice Jarre
Michael Nyman
Nigel Westlake
Wojciech Kilar
Jan A. P. Kaczmarek
Zbigniew Preisner
Ennio Morricone
John Williams
These, in no special order, are my favorites, though I'd also consider Herrmann and Korngold as deserving a place on any shortlist of the best film composers.
1) Erich Wolfgang Korngold
2) Gottfried Huppertz
3) Bernard Herrmann
4) Jerry Goldsmith
5) (tie) Dmitri Tiomkin/Miklos Rosza
It's hard to make a good Top 5, here. However, for over a decade now I have gathered a plethora of film score albums and these 5 have never disappointed me (even when, on many occasions, the actual films did):
(as before, no particular ranking)
John Williams
Bernard Herrmann
Bruce Broughton
Basil Poledouris
Jerry Goldsmith
Op. 109
Yay! Another Poledouris fan.Originally Posted by Rondo
Here are mine -- leaving out composers who are better known for other things such as Prokofiev. I'll mention my favorite scores too.
Bernard Herrmann - The Day the Earth Stood Still / North By Northwest
Basil Poledouris - Conan, the Barbarian
Miklos Rosza - Ben Hur / King of Kings
Mario Nascimbene - One Million Years BC (silly movie - AMAZING score.)
John Barry - The Lion in Winter
Well, I'm not so sure about the last one. I might have put James Horner for Brainstorm instead.
That's a good one. Some other good ones that come to mind are Robocop, Starship Troopers and...Cherry 2000---but, to reiterate:...never disappointed me (even when, on many occasions, the actual films did
Op. 109
[Chuckles] Let it be duly noted that Rondo's tastes do not normally run to cheesy sci-fi flicks.
I haven't seen Cherry 2000, but Wikipedia does state it is best known for the Poledouris score and the limited press CD once brought US$2500 on eBay! I may have to give that a try on some lazy Sunday afternoon.
1. Danny Elfman
2. John Williams
3. Hans Zimmer
4. Thomas Newman
5. Undecided
And favourite score of all time goes to LOTR: Return of the King
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John Williams
Bernard Herrmann
Howard Shore
Ennio Morricone
I can't think of a good 5th composer.
At first, I recognized this name but couldn't figure out what films he composed for. Then a quick search revealed. He composed one of the most popular segments of film music ever written (you'll know it when you hear it).
Op. 109
I would like to point out that Alfred Newman won nine Oscars and was nominated more than 40 times. These are more nominations and wins than anybody else regardless of category.
I am surprised no one has yet mentioned the brilliant Laurence Rosenthal, whose score for Clash of the Titans is one of the all-time great heroic movie themes.
But John Williams is the film score composer par excellence, and IMHO deserves a place among the greatest composers. Absolute genius!
Elmer Bernstein
Miklos Rozsa
Maurice Jarre
Oscar Hammerstein
John Williams
Well, imagine MY surprise at the fact that no-one has mentioned...
1. Serge Prokofiev!
2. Erich Korngold
3. Ennio Morricone
4. John Williams
5. Miklós Rózsa(?)
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