163 replies to this topic

[Stefancos]

Get the Elfman/Bartek version.

[king mark]

I listened to a few Herrmann scores. Not many individual cues get re-play value. I find more stuff I like in random videogame scores

[Prometheus]

I listened to a few Herrmann scores. Not many individual cues get re-play value. I find more stuff I like in random videogame scores

That says it all.

[king mark]

I do. there's more music I like in Final Fantasy than whatever Herrmann composed

I'll even put Giacchino way ahead of Herrmann in terms of listenability

[Koray Savas]

I really don't see why some find Herrmann's music any less accessible than Williams'.

It's just...not. Period

That's because Herrmann's music doesn't have quite the same popular appeal as Williams's does, who is arguably the most familiar to the general public, along with Zimmer,

I don't think you can start putting Zimmer in the same bag as Williams either, because Zimmer is garbage and Williams music is at classical music level.

Herrmann= Complex music best suited for film only and not concert performances
Williams= Film Music at the level of standard classical music and can be played in concerts as such . I think Raiders March or Adventures on Earth will extend beyond "Boston Pops performances" eventually
Zimmer= Crap that doesn't deserve to be played in a classical concert

What is with you and this classical music/concert hall standard all of a sudden? Zimmer has every right to be mentioned in the same breath as Williams... when it comes to appeal, which is what Prometheus was talking about. Herrmann is just as good as Williams when it comes to film scoring, he just isn't as melodic and "loud." Much more subtle of a composer, which can often be more effective.

[Quint]

KM's just being typically overzealous in his endless and completely unnecessary crusade to create an actual physical divide between King Williams and "The Others". It's been a little while since he's reminded us how glorious John is and so I guess we were due another sermon around about now.

[Wojo]

Well, he works in the medical field. I'm sure there's a clinically sound explanation as to why his perception of a completely opinionated artform such as film scoring is best.

[MSM]

KM's just being typically overzealous in his endless and completely unnecessary crusade to create an actual physical divide between King Williams and "The Others". It's been a little while since he's reminded us how glorious John is and so I guess we were due another sermon around about now.

No need for ad hominems.

As Koray said, Zimmer is immensely popular because it speaks to the main public in the big concert hall. Whether we like it or not this is an important factor for music to survive (although of course no guarantee). Herrmann wil be remembered by a select group of insiders but lacks the overall appeal to stand time IMO. Zimmer won't stand the test of time because of lack of musical quality I think, on the other hand.

Korngold (and Steiner to a lesser extent) are timeless, and musically solid. Williams is both too popular and musically solid to be forgotten. Herrmann (but others as well, like Thomas Newman, Alex North) i have to see. I hope he won't be forgotten. But to draw a comparison with classical music, see howmany good composers have fallen into total obscurity. Only a few dozen are performed and remembered. It's easy to get forgotten.

[Quint]

There is every need!

Without it this forum would be dull dull dull!

[Wojo]

But to draw a comparison with classical music, see howmany good composers have fallen into total obscurity. Only a few dozen are performed and remembered. It's easy to get forgotten.

Like?

[Stefancos]

MSM is wrong. Time filters out the clear water from the pondscum!

[MSM]

But to draw a comparison with classical music, see howmany good composers have fallen into total obscurity. Only a few dozen are performed and remembered. It's easy to get forgotten.

Like?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_classical_music_composers_by_era

and those are only the prominant ones.

[Wojo]

I'm sorry. I had forgotten how uniquely qualified you are to pass judgment on what will and won't be forgotten in five decades. My bad.

[Prometheus]

KM's just being typically overzealous in his endless and completely unnecessary crusade to create an actual physical divide between King Williams and "The Others". It's been a little while since he's reminded us how glorious John is and so I guess we were due another sermon around about now.

No need for ad hominems.

As Koray said, Zimmer is immensely popular because it speaks to the main public in the big concert hall. Whether we like it or not this is an important factor for music to survive (although of course no guarantee). Herrmann wil be remembered by a select group of insiders but lacks the overall appeal to stand time IMO. Zimmer won't stand the test of time because of lack of musical quality I think, on the other hand.

Korngold (and Steiner to a lesser extent) are timeless, and musically solid.

I don't agree here. Herrmann (through PSYCHO, VERTIGO and TAXI DRIVER) is much well known to the general public than Korngold's ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, THE SEA HAWK, KING'S ROW or CAPTAIN BLOOD. KING'S ROW you could say is remembered by many, but only via-proxy through Williams and STAR WARS.

Korngold's film scores are Ok, IMHO, but his concert work's much more interesting. Herrmann's more "musically solid", timeless and less derivative of the Viennese romantics (more unique) in my book, and I mean that with a certain degree of objectivity.

There's a lot of reverence towards the Golden Age that gets a bit warped.

[MSM]

KM's just being typically overzealous in his endless and completely unnecessary crusade to create an actual physical divide between King Williams and "The Others". It's been a little while since he's reminded us how glorious John is and so I guess we were due another sermon around about now.

No need for ad hominems.

As Koray said, Zimmer is immensely popular because it speaks to the main public in the big concert hall. Whether we like it or not this is an important factor for music to survive (although of course no guarantee). Herrmann wil be remembered by a select group of insiders but lacks the overall appeal to stand time IMO. Zimmer won't stand the test of time because of lack of musical quality I think, on the other hand.

Korngold (and Steiner to a lesser extent) are timeless, and musically solid.

I don't agree here. Herrmann (through PSYCHO, VERTIGO and TAXI DRIVER) is much well known to the general public than Korngold's ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD, THE SEA HAWK, KING'S ROW or CAPTAIN BLOOD. KING'S ROW you could say is remembered by many, but only via-proxy through Williams and STAR WARS.

Korngold's film scores are Ok, IMHO, but his concert work's much more interesting. Herrmann's more "musically solid", timeless and less derivative of the Viennese romantics (more unique) in my book, and I mean that with a certain degree of objectivity.

There's a lot of reverence towards the Golden Age that gets a bit warped.

So? Korngold's concert works are also Korngold's. And less derivative is not a guarantee to be remembered, even on the contrary I would say.

Anyway we clearly see things differently and we don't need to agree.

[BloodBoal]

Anyway we clearly see things differently and we don't need to agree.

No, but you can kick each other's ass!

FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

[TheHouseholdCat]

Bernard Herrmann > All film composers.

Even Williams would admit that.

No, he wouldn't. He just stated that he has been inspired by Herrmann. In 50 years Herrmann will be forgotten.

You mean like Thomas Newman?

I don't think you could compare Herrmann to John Williams, because their styles are so different. Williams is good at what he does, so was Herrmann.

Obviously, John Williams' scores are easily accessible, but that doesn't mean a score that is not is bad.

[Pieter_Boelen]

There are a lot of scores by other composers that I consider to be just as good as John Williams' greatest scores.
Chief amongst them would be Cutthroat Island, Independence Day, El Cid and several of Jerry Goldsmith's scores.

But there is no composer who wrote SO much of my favourite music on his own. It is hard to top Indiana Jones + Star Wars + Jurassic Park + Harry Potter + Hook + Far and Away.
And that is not even counting the incredible excellence in John Williams' other scores. Almost all of them have at least one track of sheer brilliance, many have more then one.

So based on sheer volume of great work, I'm probably going to have to go with "I prefer JW over every other film composer combined.".
However, I would be quite happy to welcome more great scores by other composers. I'm always looking for more.

[Wojo]

If I had to choose between getting to keep all of my John Williams music or all of my music by other folks, I would hope all the John Williams music would go to a good home.

[Salacius]

John Williams is the best out of everybody by a long shot, for far too many reasons, there are people who do well
but let's be honest, they are all fighting for second best.

[Chaac]

The poll of this thread is quite stoopid.

[BloodBoal]

Says the guy with the stoopidest signature I've seen in a while. Elvish translated into Euskera, really?

[Wojo]

John Williams is the best out of everybody by a long shot, for far too many reasons

"Salacius says so" isn't one of them.

[Chaac]

Says the guy with the stoopidest signature I've seen in a while. Elvish translated into Euskera, really?

Basque is a really cool language! I'm learning it.

[BloodBoal]

John Williams is the best out of everybody by a long shot, for far too many reasons

"Salacius says so" isn't one of them.

KNEEL BEFORE SALACIUS!

Says the guy with the stoopidest signature I've seen in a while. Elvish translated into Euskera, really?

Hey, it's a cool language.

It's the poor man's Spanish.

[Chaac]

Says the guy with the stoopidest signature I've seen in a while. Elvish translated into Euskera, really?

Hey, it's a cool language.

It's the poor man's Spanish.

No, it's unrelated to Castilian.

Just go play with the Catalans.

[Koray Savas]

If I had to choose between getting to keep all of my John Williams music or all of my music by other folks, I would hope all the John Williams music would go to a good home.

[Mark Olivarez]

John Williams probably makes up an 1/8 of my collection.

So I'll miss him but have much more to chose from.

[Joey]

There are only a handfull of scores by non John William composers that rank with John's best. Almost all of those composers are worm food now.

[BloodBoal]

Says the guy with the stoopidest signature I've seen in a while. Elvish translated into Euskera, really?

Hey, it's a cool language.

It's the poor man's Spanish.

It's unrelated to Castilian.

Just go play with the Catalans.

Catalan. Now, THAT is a beautiful language.

[Chaac]

Pfffft. Not a fan. Portuguese blows it away. And of course the grammar awesomeness of Basque cannot be surpased by Catalan lol

[Salacius]

John Williams is the best out of everybody by a long shot, for far too many reasons

"Salacius says so" isn't one of them.

KNEEL BEFORE SALACIUS!

Damn straight XD

[dfenton85]

It is a very difficult question to answer because there is so many excellent non-Williams scores of various different style, but JW is by far my favourite composer. I live in Ireland and he is the only composer that I am willing to travel to America to see in concert, and I have done so twice (Tanglewood in 2005 and New York in 2011). Hopefully, I'll see a third concert in next year.

[Pasi Tiitinen]

This is an old thread and I'm surprised that t didn't bring my exhaustive answer.

I'm am primarily a JW's fan, a fan of his film scores, a fan of his concertos and mostly a fan his musicianship/personality.

[Hlao-roo]

This is an old thread and I'm surprised that t didn't bring my exhaustive answer.

I'm am primarily a JW's fan, a fan of his film scores, a fan of his concertos and mostly a fan his musicianship/personality.

How about his looks?

[Blumenkohl]

Best neckbeard.

[Koray Savas]

To me this question is kinda like, would you rather have the 1% or the 99%.

[BloodBoal]

Yeah, but which is which?

[KK.]

The poll of this thread is quite stoopid.

[alicebrallice]

don't hate the poll! hate the votes!