What Is The Last Score You Listened To? (older scores)

[gkgyver 1,645]

I love Pan's Labyrinth for exactly that morbid atmosphere. A fantasy score without a twinkle in the eye.

A full 5 out of 5.

[Maglorfin 196]

Bedřich Smetana - Má vlast

Lots of great music in this cycle of symphonic poems - not only the endlessly popular Vltava. I'm glad I also have a great performance of the entire cycle, recorded live on Prague Spring Festival in 1990 and conducted by no other than Rafael Kubelík!

[Incanus 5,713]

Bedřich Smetana - Má vlast

Lots of great music in this cycle of symphonic poems - not only the endlessly popular Vltava. I'm glad I also have a great performance of the entire cycle, recorded live on Prague Spring Festival in 1990 and conducted by no other than Rafael Kubelík!

Indeed. The entire cycle is really wonderful although I have a childhood nostalgia connected to Moldau, a piece I fell in love with when I was in the first or second grade of elementary school.

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

Bedřich Smetana - Má vlast

Lots of great music in this cycle of symphonic poems - not only the endlessly popular Vltava. I'm glad I also have a great performance of the entire cycle, recorded live on Prague Spring Festival in 1990 and conducted by no other than Rafael Kubelík!

Yay!

I wonder how many recordings there are by Kubelik. Probably dozens. I have two, but not the one you mentioned. I'd love to hear this live sometime.

[Incanus 5,713]

Bedřich Smetana - Má vlast

Lots of great music in this cycle of symphonic poems - not only the endlessly popular Vltava. I'm glad I also have a great performance of the entire cycle, recorded live on Prague Spring Festival in 1990 and conducted by no other than Rafael Kubelík!

Yay!

I wonder how many recordings there are by Kubelik. Probably dozens. I have two, but not the one you mentioned. I'd love to hear this live sometime.

As I have mentioned before I heard this live by the Helsinki Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Paavo Berglund a few years back. It was marvellous.

[lonzoe 18]

Chris Bacon - Source Code

One of the best main titles in a long time! I immediately noticed it when watching the movie and I enjoy it everytime I listen to separately as well. The rest of the score it perfectly enjoyable and has good moments of action, suspense, and drama. Even though nothing else is as good as the main titles, its still a good listen. I think Chris P Bacon is a composer to watch!

I found "Frozen Moment" to be just as good as the "Source Code Main Title" , which also impressed me when I first watched the movie. I strongly agree about Bacon being a composer to watch as well.

[Richard Penna 3,662]

I find most of the body of the score pretty interesting, although the main titles definitely stand out (not like they have a choice... they're all you hear for the first 2 minutes of the film).

And it's pretty awesome to have such a traditional score for a genre like this.

[indy4 155]

I listened to None but the Brave. It's not the easiest listen, but there are some cool moments, and being Wlliams' first dramatic film score it is historically and very interesting work. I also think I heard the prelude to two of William's most identifiable trademarks: boom-tzzzz and the synchornized flute/xylophone hit (neither are present exactly as they are in his later works, but I think you can hear where the evolution started).

[Matt C 452]

Graeme Revell - Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: The Movie

My favorite Revell score so far... it just feels like a completely different side to him that we rarely get to see (since he mostly does horror and suspense films). You get some of the horn trills and string runs from Child's Play 2 in "Ivan Ooze" and "The Tengu's Attack", but he mainly opts for a more harmonic and orchestra-dominated sound. It's actually quite refreshing for the most part, and the soundtrack album is well-structured as a listening experience. (I do wish the album included the show-styled electric guitar cues for the Rangers' fight in the construction site.)

The lousy recording and mastering by Dan Wallin puts a damper on it, though. People who complained about Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol sounding bad... it has nothing on Mighty Morphin.

[Incanus 5,713]

A.I. - Artificial Intelligence by John Williams: A beautiful and compelling score full of relatively new techniques in Williams' ouvre alongside his classic sound. The score on the whole is a moody, lyrical and ruminative affair with a few blasts of larger orchestral scoring thrown into the mix but Williams really explores the humane aspect of the story in all three acts of the film. Despite being a combination of several musical impulses, which I see as a slight nod to Stanley Kubrick and his sensiblities, Williams ties them all together into a coherent whole, helped by the unifying strong thematic material.

The soprano soloist Barbara Bonney brings a warm and superbly spiritual dimension to the music in the latter half of the score, the soloist moment in The Search for the Blue Fairy being a brilliant highlight full of sadness and beauty and the end credits piece, Where Dreams Are Born offering a sweet and beatific farewell to the story in a gentle and poetic performance of Monica's Theme by Bonney.

One of my favourite Williams scores, period.

[ZackR 95]

The Goonies and The 'Burbs (Deluxe)

I am sometimes critical of Varese and some of their presentations but i couldn't love these two any more. They're just wonderful to me and both bring a huge grin to my face.

[Jay 37,249]

Jerry Goldsmith - The Shadow (Intrada 2CD)

Note: I listened to the main score presentation and bonus tracks, but not the OST presentation. Overall, I was not very impressed! I love a lot of Goldsmith scores, but he has many, many I have never heard before. I was quite excited to check this out one, was fully expecting to like it a lot, but... just didn't do much for me. I was doing a million things while listening, so that could be a part of it, I dunno. I will definitely give it a second chance soon.

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

It's a fine score. Nothing special in any big way, but good solid 90's Goldsmith with a memorable theme, good action writing and some badass percussion writing. The heavy use of percussion in some cues is also its main distinguishing point.

Not first rate Goldsmith. But something I've been waiting for for a long time (I only had a CDR of the original album), and certainly one I'll be playing every once in a while.

[Matt C 452]

I listened to the LLL release of Green Lantern: The Animated Series again. I'm really warming up to it, and Frederik Widemann's themes are really well-done. Fun stuff.

[Jilal 569]

Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers

[Jay 37,249]

Danny Elfman - Iris

Super fun CD! I've never seen the Cirque De Soleil show this scored, but it doesn't matter. This is just a fun CD full of one Elfman-ism after another for an hour or so. But its not a chaotic mess at all, its a strong listening experience. I have a feeling it will take many listens to fully get everything I heard here. Glad I picked it up (I don't generally make blind buys but this one seemed to be a pretty safe bet for me)

[MrJosh 892]

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.

I'm so sad that more cues don't feature Fawkes' theme. It has such an innocence and beauty to its soaring melody...we only get a little taste.

Moaning Myrtle's theme is dorky and annoying but I guess that's appropriate for her annoying character.

[Jay 37,249]

I am more sad that the terrific Chamber theme didn't get used more, and doesn't appear on the OST (outside of the concert arrangement) at all!

[Maglorfin 196]

Bedřich Smetana - Má vlast

Lots of great music in this cycle of symphonic poems - not only the endlessly popular Vltava. I'm glad I also have a great performance of the entire cycle, recorded live on Prague Spring Festival in 1990 and conducted by no other than Rafael Kubelík!

Yay!

I wonder how many recordings there are by Kubelik. Probably dozens. I have two, but not the one you mentioned. I'd love to hear this live sometime.

The Prague Spring Festival recording is pretty famous, I guess - to the point that it made it into The Gramophone Classical Music Guide (which I often rely on and trust) where it has a great review as "an outstanding performance". Sure, Kubelík must've done a lot of recordings of Má vlast but the only one I myself know is the one I've got. The GCMG also mentions a recording with the Bavarian RSO which is also supposed to be great. Is this maybe one of the two you've got?

Unfortunately, until now I have not yet had a chance to hear the whole thing live, but I have of course heard Vltava several times - and even played it!

[Koray Savas 2,251]

Danny Elfman - Iris

Super fun CD! I've never seen the Cirque De Soleil show this scored, but it doesn't matter. This is just a fun CD full of one Elfman-ism after another for an hour or so. But its not a chaotic mess at all, its a strong listening experience. I have a feeling it will take many listens to fully get everything I heard here. Glad I picked it up (I don't generally make blind buys but this one seemed to be a pretty safe bet for me)

It's Elfman's best in awhile. It has all his signature stylings, but with a much greater sense of maturity in the writing. It's hard to describe, but I love it.

[Jay 37,249]

I like that he gets to develop his ideas into full pieces instead of being limited to the timings of a film

[Koray Savas 2,251]

That and the 4 years he took to compose it all really add to something special. It was one of my favorites from last year.

[indy4 155]

Iris is great. My only complaint are the really obvious synths that sometimes pop up. There's one section in particular that sounds really cheesy.

[MrJosh 892]

I am more sad that the terrific Chamber theme didn't get used more, and doesn't appear on the OST (outside of the concert arrangement) at all!

Good point, Jason. It's a tragedy!The Chamber theme is wicked cool.

[Jilal 569]

The Empire Strikes Back

Ah, this score gives me goosebumps. I swear i can hear the millenium falcon fail to start at appr. 13:32 in "The Battle of Hoth".

[crocodile 7,973]

I like that he gets to develop his ideas into full pieces instead of being limited to the timings of a film

That and the 4 years he took to compose it all really add to something special. It was one of my favorites from last year.

Yes, Elfman obviously works best when he's allowed to work and create on his own. I like this album a lot myself.

Karol

[Jay 37,249]

I am more sad that the terrific Chamber theme didn't get used more, and doesn't appear on the OST (outside of the concert arrangement) at all!

Good point, Jason. It's a tragedy!The Chamber theme is wicked cool.

It really is, and I love its subtle, mysterious variations used in the underscore more than the bomastic concert arrangement version

[Marc 758]

[Marian Schedenig 8,153]

I am more sad that the terrific Chamber theme didn't get used more, and doesn't appear on the OST (outside of the concert arrangement) at all!

That.

The Prague Spring Festival recording is pretty famous, I guess - to the point that it made it into The Gramophone Classical Music Guide (which I often rely on and trust) where it has a great review as "an outstanding performance". Sure, Kubelík must've done a lot of recordings of Má vlast but the only one I myself know is the one I've got. The GCMG also mentions a recording with the Bavarian RSO which is also supposed to be great. Is this maybe one of the two you've got?

Nope. I have a VPO recording from the late 50s and a BSO from a few years later. Kubelik did great things with his Bavarians though, so it's no surprise he recorded it there as well.

[Incanus 5,713]

Danny Elfman - Iris

Super fun CD! I've never seen the Cirque De Soleil show this scored, but it doesn't matter. This is just a fun CD full of one Elfman-ism after another for an hour or so. But its not a chaotic mess at all, its a strong listening experience. I have a feeling it will take many listens to fully get everything I heard here. Glad I picked it up (I don't generally make blind buys but this one seemed to be a pretty safe bet for me)

I just took a listen and Iris truly blends Elfman's different facets together, spanning in sound and styles his whole career. And the album doesn't sound tired or worn for it but rather like a composer using his distinctive voice and palette to its fullest extent, exploring more freely a range of colorful ideas within the framework of this piece.

The effect is almost the same as with Serenada Schizophrana but Iris is perhaps even more eclectic and sudden in its shift of tones. This does not make it any worse though, the energy of the music never grinding to a halt or the shifts of gears becoming too abrupt. There is definitely a sense occasion and spectacle in the music, a gleeful energy and joy and zaniness of the best possible calibre all exhibited here.

I can't profess to being a supreme Elfman fan or expert but spotting his classic techniques and sounds in the piece is fun as to my ear they never become heavily derivative of his past works in anything but genral style and sound. I can hear faint echoes of the Wolfman in there as an example of his more recent scores and the same slightly melancholy and gothic beauty of Edward Scissorhands, Nightmare Before Christmas and many of his early scores, part lullaby part goofy mad dash adventure.

I like that he gets to develop his ideas into full pieces instead of being limited to the timings of a film

That and the 4 years he took to compose it all really add to something special. It was one of my favorites from last year.

Yes, Elfman obviously works best when he's allowed to work and create on his own. I like this album a lot myself.

Karol

I am glad I took a listen since this is highly fun at times wonderfully beautiful and joyous piece of work. Definitely one of the best Elfman albums in a while for me. I look forward to exploring this album on subsequent listens more as I am sure it will reveal more suprises and connections the more you listen.

[KK 3,307]

Iris is a wonderful score that encompasses the various facets of Elfman's large career. It's great to hear him develop those ideas further. I don't think its quite as good as Seranada Schizophrana, but its still great stuff.

[publicist 4,643]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LUbuUP2SFMo

GABY by MAURICE JARRE.

A nice melodic outing from jarre with an oriental slant. It's 80's flirring-synth-hell, but quite nice melodically.

[crocodile 7,973]

The Fly and Hugo by Howard Shore

Jaws by John Williams

Karol

[Jay 37,249]

James Newton Howard - Dinosaur (OST)

Eh.... this one didn't do much for me. However, I was doing a bunch of stuff while it was on, and I had to break it up into two different listening times (separated by a week). I remembering liking the earlier tracks, especially The Egg Travels and then a lot of the rest sounding the same. On my list of score to give another listen to someday.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Don Juan DeMarco - Michael Kamen

Oh... oh man. Dammit Kamen, why did you have to die?

[KK 3,307]

The Fly and Hugo by Howard Shore

Jaws by John Williams

Karol

Gooood...very goood...

[Incanus 5,713]

The Fly and Hugo by Howard Shore

Jaws by John Williams

Karol

Good stuff although I still have hard time getting into Hugo for some reason.

James Newton Howard - Dinosaur (OST)

Eh.... this one didn't do much for me. However, I was doing a bunch of stuff while it was on, and I had to break it up into two different listening times (separated by a week). I remembering liking the earlier tracks, especially The Egg Travels and then a lot of the rest sounding the same. On my list of score to give another listen to someday.

You should take a more concentrated listen next time as the score is pretty impressive and colorful affair. For me the only distraction is the African vocals and the score could do without them since Lebo M. always reminds me of the Lion King. Also JNH doesn't, perhaps out of necessity, use the wonderful main theme (The Egg Travels) very much in the score proper but some of the set pieces are thoroughly enjoyable.

Don Juan DeMarco - Michael Kamen

Oh... oh man. Dammit Kamen, why did you have to die?

Yes it is sad when you think how much he still could have contributed to music. As a composer when he was inspired it was a joy to hear and experience.

[KK 3,307]

The Fly and Hugo by Howard Shore

Jaws by John Williams

Karol

Good stuff although I still have hard time getting into Hugo for some reason.

[Incanus 5,713]

Harsh man, harsh!

The Hounds of Sumner from Rosewood

[Richard Penna 3,662]

James Newton Howard - Dinosaur (OST)

Eh.... this one didn't do much for me. However, I was doing a bunch of stuff while it was on, and I had to break it up into two different listening times (separated by a week). I remembering liking the earlier tracks, especially The Egg Travels and then a lot of the rest sounding the same. On my list of score to give another listen to someday.

It's not among my absolute favourites of JNH. I don't actually find the main theme particularly memorable, so the middle part of The Egg Travels is the more interesting bit (the percussion at the start of that cue also seems to go on forever). There are some good highlights in the rest of the score, but marred by a few 'misjudgements' - Breakout for example. I don't particularly like the counterpoints he uses for most of that cue, although it does end in pretty spectacular fashion.

I tried listening to the promo once and it just dragged.

[Incanus 5,713]

I think Dinosaur suffers from what I would call JNHs setpiece syndrome, where he relies more on the individual setpiece melodies and devices and forgets the main theme of the score for long periods of time. It happens elsewhere like in Water World where the heroic theme appears a scant few times and most of the album relies on individual moods and action set pieces which diminishes overall thematic unity and I think memorability. Even though it might be a crass generalization it seems like he has started writing more fully thematically driven scores at the turn of the 2000's although there are some of those in his prior output (e.g. Wyatt Earp). Whether it was due to some insistence by film makers or his own development I heartily welcome it.

Stepmom by John Williams

Journey by Austin Wintory

Guild Wars by Jeremy Soule

[tannhauser 101]

Sherlock Holmes by Hans Zimmer

Fresh, fun score, and I feel his strongest work of the past 3 or 4 years.

[MrJosh 892]

Sherlock Holmes by Hans Zimmer

Fresh, fun score, and I feel his strongest work of the past 3 or 4 years.

I actually just watched Sherlock Holmes last week for the first time ( behind the times iknow!) And was surprised by the score...I agree with you.

[Matt C 452]

Carter Burwell - Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1

I really like how more warmer and harmonic Burwell's score is, compared to his score for the first film. He does a more neater and smoother integration of his earlier sound and Desplat's classical sound -- and Bella's Lullaby is better arranged throughout. Like Desplat's score for the second film, it does a lot of heavy lifting in the film itself. "Bella Reborn" is the best cue in the album, and it gives weight to the final scene in the film.

[Naïve Old Fart 9,488]

After missing it the first time around, I finally caught up with "The Incredibles". This is a briliant bon-bon of a score, rich in orchestration, melody, and utter class! There's a little Horner, here, and a lot of Barry, there, but it all adds up to a very satisfying listen. I'd say that this score is incredible, but that would just be a cliche, wouldn't it..?

[Jay 37,249]

Where do you hear Horner in that score?

[Naïve Old Fart 9,488]

There was a descending motif (first heard in "Brainstorm"), but I coludn't tell you exactly where. I'll listen to it again, and let you know.

[crocodile 7,973]

You can hear some shards of Horner in a few Giacchino's works. John Carter would be the most obvious example.

Karol

[Jay 37,249]

Really? What parts of John Carter do you think sound like Horner?

[crocodile 7,973]

Both John's and Dejah's themes. The first one more than the other one. I'm not saying it's a rip-off but I just can't help hearing this:

[media=]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2ykpyxdEUg

Karol