Who is your favourite film composer

So, Young Composers. Who do you consider to be your favourite film composers.

OR

If you can't name just one, name as many as you want.

I think mine are:

Hans Zimmer

James Horner

Howard Shore

Michael Giacchino

Michael Giacchino, Ennio Morricone, John Williams and Michael Nyman.

Dmitri Shostakovich and George Antheil

What did Antheil do? I know him mainly for his Ballet Meccanique (correct me if I misspelt it).

My favorites are:

-Eric Korngold

-Miklos Rosza

-Bernard Hermann

-Max Steiner

-Franz Waxman

-John Williams

-Thomas Newman

Hermann's soundtrack to "Vertigo" is possibly my favorite! :toothygrin:

Italians and Japanese mostly:

Ennio Morricone

Toru Takemitsu

Nino Rota

Joe Hisaishi

Bernard Herrmann

I can't believe I forgot Joe Hisaishi! And since when did Takemitsu write film music?

Since 1955 or so. He did something like 100 films.

These are some of my favourites that are on youtube:

The Man without a Map

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_nLJ1CCuq4

Hymn to a Tired Man

Ran

Crazed Fruit

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0LWJU3uajo this one reminds me of Mingus, weirdly

Woman of the Dunes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ceienj-4QfQ

John Williams. I learned about orchestration from him!

Saint-Saens.

I like his film compositions as well, although I think his Danse Macabre is his best work.

I could divide my answers in 2:

Great overall musicians who also scored specifically for movies:

In this cathegory, my hands-down favs are Saint-Saëns and Shostakovich.

Composers mainly known for their movie scores:

Here my favs would be:

1) John Williams

2) Ennio Morricone

3) Miklos Rosza

4) Hans Zimmer

5) Nino Rota

John Williams

Hermann

Takemitsu

- Jerry Goldsmiths original planet of the apes is incredible

Not an insult to williams as he can make a cracking theme tune - but nearly everyone starts with an ascending fifth... jurassic park, star wars, ET, indiana jones and i think even harry potter

Well those are just ones people remember more easily

Hermann

Takemitsu

- Jerry Goldsmiths original planet of the apes is incredible

Not an insult to williams as he can make a cracking theme tune - but nearly everyone starts with an ascending fifth... jurassic park, star wars, ET, indiana jones and i think even harry potter

Harry Potter is an ascending fourth. ;)

Almost all the triumphant themes have a rising fourth (sol-do) in the beginning, e.g. Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones. The love themes tend to have the ascending major sixth like the second theme of the Dvorak Cello concerto 1st movement (Star Wars, Indiana Jones). Menacing themes have dissonant elements like tritones and minor seconds (Imperial March, Jaws).

That pretty much sums up John Williams.

Almost all the triumphant themes have a rising fourth (sol-do) in the beginning, e.g. Jurassic Park, Star Wars, Indiana Jones. The love themes tend to have the ascending major sixth like the second theme of the Dvorak Cello concerto 1st movement (Star Wars, Indiana Jones). Menacing themes have dissonant elements like tritones and minor seconds (Imperial March, Jaws).

That pretty much sums up John Williams.

That suggests any of us could have used these kind of intervals and the resulting tune would be as wonderful and memorable. Then I could as easily equal Williams. But heck, why just Williams? If it's that easy, I'd go Tchaikovsky. Or Mahler...

Toru Takemitsu

Krzysztof Penderecki

Bernard Herrmann

There are more, but I'm bad at names.

I've found it constructive to listen to gotradio's The Big Score on the internet and determine what I don't like about many of the current Hollywood film composers. They play Herrmann as well, and the difference is clear.

Not sure that I have a favorite per se, but the local Symphony Orchestra is playing John Williams tonight, and I will be attending. :-)

I also really like Joel Goldsmith's theme for Stargate SG-1 (based on David Arnold's music for the film). To the point where I practiced my ear-training and mock-up skills with

You know. I do like Howard Shore a lot. He seems so much more "versatile" than Williams.

Yes, Howard Shore's scores are very interesting. And for a huge fan of Lord of the Rings like you seem to be, having composed its soundtrack certainly didn't hurt (I own the Return of the King CD :toothygrin:).

If you haven't seen it yet, this is a good site cataloging Shore's usage of leitmotifs throughout the LOTR trilogy.

I actually bought this recently: http://www.amazon.com/Music-Lord-Rings-Films-Comprehensive/dp/0739071572/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1325315533&sr=8-2

Which basically does the same thing. But, I got to see Shore's actual scores and themes drawn out for me. LOVE.

@Austenite, ;) You noticed.

• Toru Takemitsu
  
• John Zorn