David Coscina

I cannot decide which one looks more like Lucifer.

Your first remark I can appreciate . Your second one should be discussed in a special thread...I am aware of Berlioz' reputation and his place in music history regarding orchstration, but to be honest I have never been convinced by his orchestrations. I would go with Ravel or Mahler actually

What's interesting is that both Prokofiev and Williams admit to using the piano too much in their compositional/orchestration process. Prokofiev's Symphony #1 was the only instance where he divorced himself from writing at the piano. Regardless, both have tremendous sense's of orchestral coloration. I have been listening to a lot of Bartok today and his Piano Concertos are really interesting- percussive rather than fluid and lyrical. Prokofiev's Piano Concerto #2 is my all time fave concerto for that instrument. The final mvmt is scary good and Vladmir Feltsman's reading with Tilson Thomas as conductor is mezmerising. Dave

Since my last poll was rather lopsided, I figured I would do one where the outcome isn't so clear. I love both composers' music although I would give Prokofiev the edge since pieces like Alexander Nevsky, his Third Symphony, Fourth Symphony, Fifth Symphony, Prodigal Son, Piano Concerto #2, Ivan the Terrible, Romeo and Juliet and Lt. Kije are absolutely faves of mine. For Bartok, I love his Concerto for Orchestra, Bluebeard's Castle, Music for Strings, Percussion and Celeste, The Wooden Prince, Miraculous Mandarin, Dance Suite, and his Piano concertos. I think Prokofiev has a slightly greater range of style- he can do romantic, lyricism, ballsy action scoring, pretty much everything. Bartok has some lyrical moments but I find is very cerebral. I do enjoy both though.

I don't understand why this score is considered 'great' in Zimmer's catalogue. For me, the album splits between cues such as Coral Atoll and Village, and the more rhythmic, harsher cues such as Journey to the Line (one of the most boring and droning cues I've ever heard) and Air. I rarely listen to the latter half. It's a very hypnotic score and it's not bad at all. But I wouldn't put it up against some of Elfman's best. Heck, compare Dick Tracy with A League of Their Own since they both use period jazz big band and Elfman still comes on top with his ode to Gershwin. I can't remember the cue but there's one terrific piece where there's an odd meter like 7/8 or something. Great, now I need to go back and listen to all of my Elfman. That's a lot. My Zimmer collection would take about 2 hours to listen to in its entirety.

Let's see how much flack I get for saying this: IMO, he's a modern-day Bernard Herrmann. Uh. no. Not anywhere near the same league. Even Shore would tell you that himself. He's close to Barry in how he plays through the action but without the tuneful thematic abilities.

Corigliano by a mile. I'm not saying it would have been infinitely better but I think it would have been much different than what Shore would provide. to be honest, I find Shore's writing to be a tad clunky at times. Like everything moves in a very blocky manner. I don't know if it's just the orchestration of something more endemic with his compositional style. It's very jagged. I know a couple other folks on this forum also thought that. I'm not all lovey dovey on Corigliano's film output but I do like his concert works a whole lot and would have enjoyed hearing his take on this dark subject matter. Hopefully some label will pick this up so we can all hear and compare the final products.

So you can insert whatever score you think is their best and then compare them. For me, Elfman's best will always be Edward Scissorhands. It's an amazing score that influenced the industry so much (how many heavenly choirs did we hear after this? A million). Nightmare Before Christmas is a very close second. Brilliant score. Batman is also amazing. HULK opening credits are seriously in contention for Best Credits of the Decade in my books. And I love what he did with Brad Fiedel's Terminator theme in Salvation. Zimmer has done some things I admire and enjoy. I like The Thin Red Line. I really enjoy parts of Last Samurai. Parts of As Good As it Gets. Thelma and Louise is awesome. I don't care for his bruckeheimer sound like POTC and the like though. And with Zimmer, it's always moments rather than entire scores. This is why Elfman gets my vote. I can listen through a score of his. I also love his concert work Sereneda Schizophrana. Even something fun like Midnight Run is a blast. Oh, and I think Oingo Boingo is better than The Buggles too. Elfman rocks!

I like what I've heard. I particularly enjoy the solo cello writing. Someone on another forum complained about the "small" sound but I like that it's contained yet big insofar as the writing is concerned. Tight, controlled bigness rather than sloppy gargantuan forces. I dunno if it's just me but Zimmer's Sherlock Holmes sounds a lot like this. And no one can say Elfman copied Zimmer because he finished this score well before Sherlock Holmes came out. And Elfman thinks Zimmer sucks. Okay, that last part was made up.

I put on The Phantom Menace after many many years have passed and what struck me was how amazing Anakin's theme is. This is really a wonderfully composed theme. in fact there's a lot to like in the entire score of TPM. I don't think it's any better or worse than the subsequent prequel scores in fact.

This is but one example of why Mr Williams has expressed so much admiration for this composer moving beyond words.

I think that cue "Married life" really cemented it for Giacchino. one, because the director did something composers rarely get the opportunity to do- score a montage sequence. It's a wonderful film technique and UP! distilled everything that was precious to the lead character in this touching sequence. Like many reviewers said, that one section had more heart and dramatic movement than entire films. I'm also impressed that Giacchino has gotten so much notice for such a regressive music style. I wouldn't expect too many people to actually make an emotional association with this style of music because it's so far from the norm these days. It speaks volumes IMO. Good for you Michael!

I would also like to see Lincoln. As long as it isn't like Amistad. That was a let down.

This sounds like a great film regardless of whether Williams score it or not. Gershwin's life was quite interesting and tragic in the way he died (an undiagnosed brain tumor). His music is virtuosic and moving not to mention incredibly difficult to play and a delight to study. I want to say something else but I've got to rein myself in.....I will just add a big "sigh" as a response to some posts above and leave it at that.

Is the score any good? Well, allow me to answer this. For people who like brash, bold themes, lush if not atypical orchestrations, complex meters (time signatures) and yearning love themes, yes. Spartacus is ground in the harmonies of the time period. For some, it's a sentimental wonderfulness. For newbies to film scoring, or folks not familiar with the '60s, or modernist orchestral music, North's score might not delight. When I was younger, I couldn't get into the film nor score. Dragonslayer changed my view of North although I would actually say the haunting elegy from Good Morning Viet Nam really did it (I hope someone releases that score too some day). North's approach on the surface seemed antithetical to today's mandate of subtle invisible underscore. It grabbed you by the balls and said "ahem, hi there, I am your score for this film and I'm a character just like the actors, set design, lighting, etc. are". To each his or her own though. I don't expect everyone to fawn over this as others do. My feeling is, their loss. But most definitely our gain.

Great news. Great score. I'm sure Olivarez is psyched about this one too.

I think his waltz for the Voltaire is terrific

Yes, I whole heartedly agree. Runner Ups: Confluence (Memoirs of a Geisha) Future Prospectors (there Will be Blood) Up from the Well (Mao's Last Dancer) Ballet for Brawlers (The Red Canvas)

Damn you! Good choice though.

Seriously? Wow, that's cool. I would love to hear a new Barry score! And man can this guy write romance. Somewhere in Time, Frances, High Road to China, Out of Africa, Dances with Wolves....terrific!

That's quite true. You have a good point. I shouldn't be upset at a Shore score. I'm pleased with Desplat scoring Harry Potter. I do think we're finally coming out of the dark ages of film scoring when guys like this are landing primo assignments. In fact, I'm ecstatic. I know a lot of grown ups that enjoyed the first Twilight and thought it was better than they expected. I thought so too. It's far from perfect but how many vampire films are sub-standard dreck? too many to mention. I did like Daybreakers but it's on the other end of the vampire scale. Grim, gory and gritty. But too short. I have seen parts of New Moon but not all the way through. I don't think much of Pattenson or whatever the guy who plays Edward name is. The werewolf sub-plot is more interesting but also not developed enough. I don't think Meyer is a good author and so it's hard to adapt her stuff eloquently to film. Just glad the Twilight series doesn't have an R-C score to it. Ahhhh, I just had to say it. p.s. I think Yared would have been a prime choice for this kind of film in the late '90s had it been made then. And he would have given us an amazing score too.

I'm actually not that enthused with this choice. Seems like a mismatch. I would have liked Desplat for another chapter to develop his themes that he introduced in New Moon.

Really guys? You don't like Sean's Theme, Everybody Runs (awesome action cue), Anderton's Great Escape, etc? I think it's a very good score.

I actually like more of SPR than just Hymn to the Fallen. Omaha Beach is a wonderful cue and introduces the main theme so nicely.

I have been going back through New Moon since I dismissed it far too quickly. I still do not care for the main theme but the Dreamcatcher theme is very lovely and well developed. This is the kind of music Desplat excels at. THere's also some terrific action scoring towards the end of the soundtrack CD that some might have passed over due to the programming of earlier less inspired tracks. I would say from track 15 onward, there are some exceptional moments, worthy of Williams and certainly worthy of Harry Potter. I think this news is actually pretty decent compared to what we could have gotten: Trevor Rabin Brian Tyler Klaus Badelt John Ottman and the list goes on and on. Desplat can write themes and delicate melodies which seems to suit the Potter franchise. Didn't care for Hopper's Potter nor Doyle's even though both are British.