Albaicin

The 1956/1958 title could be something by Herrmann. For example 'Vertigo' (1958), which has been previously released by Varese, both the OST and the wonderful McNeely re-recording. If the 1956 coupling is also by Herrmann, I don't think that it would be 'The Wrong Man', because it has been recently released by FSM. Instead we could have 'The Man Who Knew Too Much', the other Hitch' thriller from 1956. I don't think that it fits in the CD, so maybe they give us the re-orchestration of the Arthur Benjamin 'Cantata' which Herrmann himself arranged and conducted at the climax of the movie. The other Herrmann scores from 1956 are 'The Man in the Grey Flanel Suit' and 'Williamsburg', which have been previously re-recorded. Maybe the filler is from one of these.

My guess for the Golden Age score is 'Quo Vadis', marking the 60th anniversary (in 2011, actually), and given that the overture and another track did appear during last restoration. However, if it has to be coupled with another score, I'm not sure if that could be possible. The other score should be a short one, for example "Providence" (although this one is from 1977, its style is clearly 'Golden Age'). My second guess and wish for the 80's title is 'Young Sherlock Holmes', although a Goldsmith Grial would be enormously welcome: 'Gremlins'? 'Lionheart'?

M E R R Y C H R I S T M A S T O Y O U A L L ! ! ! ! I wish that the big stocky guy with the white beard and the red long coat, bring a great bunch of musical gifts to you all !!!!! (¡ ¡ ¡ F E L I Z N A V I D A D ! ! ! )

Quote: "Maybe you could do one for crappy cues found in good scores" (Mark Olivarez) That sounds just a bit more interesting. For example, "We don't wanna grow up" in JW's "Hook".

As of the least discussed score by John Williams, I'd point out "Sleepers". Maybe it is because it is the one in which I am least interested on. By the way, I agree with the list of four scores that have been proposed as absolute master pieces: - The Empire Strikes Back - Superman: The Movie - E.T. - Hook But I'd rather have "Raiders of the Lost Ark" instead of "Hook". The latter is great but has some weak moments, wheras "Raiders" is, scene by scene, the perfect score for providing a perfect musical background to what we see in the movie, just as ESB, STM and E.T. My only problem is that I think that "Jaws", "Close Encounters", "Schindler's List", "A.I.", "Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom", "Memoirs of a Geisha", "Seven Years in Tibet" should also be among the "TOP FOUR" ... ... ... this is "jwfan" you know!!

To me, the definitive narration-free "Peter and the Wolf" is done by Lenny Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic, which can be found on Sony Classical, in the Edition sponsored by the Prince of Wales. This is coupled with Dukas' "The Sorcier's Apprentice", Saint-Saëns' "The Carnival of the Animals" and "Danse Macabre" and Mussorgsky's "Night on Bald Mountain".

You can expect a glorious Introduction to the first movement, with a charismatic first theme, followed by a rhythmic music charged with brass outburst here and there. The scherzo (2nd movement) is marvelous and linked to the third movement, which is as noble as the trios from the "Pomp and Circumstance" marches. I find the Finale the weakest part of the symphony, although the orchestration and rhythms are excellent and sumptous. I think that Williams was fond not only of Elgar's music, but of Dvorak's, Stravinsky's and, especially, Tchaikovsky's. Anyway, Williams' language for the cinema owes almost everything to past masters as Korngold, Waxman, Rozsa and Herrmann.

Though I don't think that Peter Jackson is more than just average as director, it's undeniable that the LOTR project owes him everything, and will be a 'classic' trilogy in the years to come. I would have liked to see him at least as a producer or as a co-screenwriter. With "two projects" I guess that they refer to the idea of lilming "The Hobbit" into two movies. I supose that they pretended to ocupy two Christmas seasons with just one big budgeted movie. As a possible solution for "The Hobbit", I suggest: Option a) Producer/Director: Quentin Tarantino Bilbo: Harvey Keitel Gandalf: Samuel L. Jackson The action would take place in modern L.A. and the orks and goblins would be policemen and F.B.I. agents, respectively. The dwarfs would be characters taken from "Reservoir Dogs" and so, "The Hobbit" would be its prequel. Option B) Producer/Director: Woody Allen Bilbo: Scarlett Johanson (a feminized version of "The Hobbit") Smaug: Woody Allen The action would take place in modern New York City; the Tolkienesque character of the Dragon would be transformed into a Doctor in Psychiatry, and so, the dialog between Frodo and Smaug, when the former creeps down the tunnel, would take place at the psychiatrist's; the dwarfs from the book would be turned into Scarletts's former family-in-law (she is a widow), all of which are typical freakies from modern life (including some John Williams-fans). Option c) Producer/Director: Clin Eastwood Bilbo: Clint Eastwood Gandalf: Morgan Freeman Smaug: Gene Hackman At the end of the movie, Bilbo kills everybody, including the dwarfs, the elves, the Goblin-King (played by Scott Glenn), Smaug and Gandalf; he recovers the mountain-treasure and opens a fast-food restaurant in a highway that has just been built in The Shire.

I'm Sorry. Evidently (and fortunately), Rozsa did not score "The World is not Enough" (now, that's a mistake!!) And perhaps I have been a bit 'arbitrary' with the rating. With 55 for "The Phantom Menace" I was thinking that it looks like half as good (more or less) than "Empire Strikes Back", for example. But now I see that the problem is that I have rated Horner's Braveheart (to name just but one) over "The Phanton Menace" (now, that's another great mistake!!).

2005 MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 65 WAR OF THE WORLDS By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 70 2004 HARRY POTTER AND THE PRISONER OF AZKABAN By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 60 2003 THE RETURN OF THE KING By HOWARD SHORE Rating: 80 2002 CATCH ME IF YOU CAN By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 50 MINORITY REPORT By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 45 THE TWO TOWERS By HOWARD SHORE Rating: 80 2001 A.I. ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 80 HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 75 THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING By HOWARD SHORE Rating: 80 1999 SW EPISODE I - THE PHANTOM MENACE By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 55 ANGELA'S ASHES By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 85 THE MUMMY By JERRY GOLDMITH Rating: 75 THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH By MIKLOS ROZSA Rating: 65 1997 TOMORROW NEVER DIES By DAVID ARNOLD Rating: 80 1995 FIRST KNIGHT By JERRY GOLDMITH Rating: 75 BRAVEHEART By JAMES HORNER Rating: 75 1994 STARGATE By DAVID ARNOLD Rating: 70 1993 SCHINDLER'S LIST By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 85 THE FIRM By DAVE GRUSIN Rating: 65 CUTTHROAT ISLAND By JOHN DEBNEY Rating: 85 Comments: Great!! 1992 FAR AND AWAY By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 75 DRACULA By WOJCIECH KILAR Rating: 65 1991 HOOK By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 85 ROBIN HOOD, PRINCE OF THIEVES By MICHAEL KAMEN Rating: 70 1990 DANCES WITH WOLVES By JOHN BARRY Rating: 85 EDWARD SCISSORHANDS By DANNY ELFMAN Rating: 75 1989 BATMAN By DANNY ELFMAN Rating: 85 THE ABYSS By ALAN SILVESTRI Rating: 65 1988 WILLOW By JAMES HORNER Rating: 85 Comments: Near Perfection 1986 YOUNG SHERLOCK HOLMES By BRUCE BROUGHTON Rating: 85 1985 LEGEND By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 90 Comments: A masterpiece BACK TO THE FUTURE By ALAN SILVESTRI Rating: 85 SILVERADO By BRUCE BROUGHTON Rating: 70 Comments: Underrated 1984 INDIANA JONES AND THE TEMPLE OF DOOM By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 85 1983 UNDER FIRE By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 70 KRULL By JAMES HORNER Rating: 75 1982 E.T. THE EXTRATERRESTRIAL By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 80 POLTERGEIST By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 85 CONAN THE BARBARIAN By BASIL POLEDOURIS Rating: 70 1981 RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 85 1980 THE EMPIRE STRIKED BACK By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 90 1979 1941 By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 70 DRACULA By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 75 STAR TREK: THE MOTION PICTURE By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 85 ALIEN By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 90 1978 SUPERMAN By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 90 1977 CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 90 STAR WARS By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 95 Comments: THE magnum opus 1976 THE OMEN By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 90 LOGAN'S RUN By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 50 1975 THE WIND AND THE LION By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 80 JAWS By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 90 1974 THE TOWERING INFERNO By JOHN WILLIAMS Rating: 75 Comments: specially, because of the perfect 'Main Title' scoring 1970 PATTON By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 80 RIO LOBO By JERRY GOLDSMITH Rating: 65 1968 BULLIT By LALO SCHIFRIN Rating: 60 1967 COOL HAND LUKE By LALO SCHIFRIN Rating: 85 1965 THE GREATEST STORY EVER TOLD By ALFRED NEWMAN Rating: 75 FLIGHT OF THE PHOENIX By FRANK DE VOL Rating: 60 Comments: A splendid 'Main Theme' DOCTOR ZHIVAGO By MAURICE JARRE Rating: 75 1964 PINK PANTHER By HENRY MANCINI Rating: 75 1963 IRMA LA DOUCE By ANDRE PREVIN Rating: 50 Comments: The themes are not original THE GREAT SCAPE By ELMER BERNSTEIN Rating: 85 1962 LAWRENCE OF ARABIA By MAURICE JARRE Rating: 95 1961 EL CID By MIKLOS ROZSA Rating: 75 KING OF KINGS By MIKLOS ROZSA Rating: 80 CAPE FEAR By BERNARD HERRMANN Rating: 85 1960 THE MAGNIFICENT SEVEN By ELMER BERNSTEIN Rating: 85 1959 BEN-HUR By MIKLOS ROZSA Rating: 90 NORTH BY NORTHWEST By BERNARD HERRMANN Rating: 80 1958 VERTIGO By BERNARD HERRMANN Rating: 100 Comments: THE TOP!!!! THE BIG COUNTRY By JEROME MOROSS Rating: 90 1956 AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS By VICTOR YOUNG Rating: 75 THE TEN COMMANDMENTS By ELMER BERNSTEIN Rating: 55 1954 PRINCE VALIANT By FRANZ WAXMAN Rating: 80 1953 THE ROBE By ALFRED NEWMAN Rating: 70 1952 SCARAMOUCHE By VICTOR YOUNG Rating: 85 1951 QUO VADIS By MIKLOS ROZSA Rating: 80 1950 SUNSET BOULEVARD By FRANZ WAXMAN Rating: 85 1940 REBECCA By FRANZ WAXMAN Rating: 95 THE SEA HAWK By ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD Rating: 80 1938 THE ADVENTURES OF ROBIN HOOD By ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD Rating: 95 Comments: The milestone of the 'Golden' soundtrack scoring

Let me see ... the last score I listened to ... 'Young Sherlock Holmes' by Bruce Broughton, Promotional 2 CD Edition. Simply outstanding... ... scores do not grow like that one any more ...

No, it's not ironic. Most film composers "steal" snippets of other's works. The problem with Horner is his lack of reworking on those themes borrowed from others. The four-note "danger" motiv, which opens "Willow" and is used ostinato in "Troy" (to mention only two examples) is taken from Rachmaninov's first symphony. The problem is not the borrowing (actually it's only four notes) but Horner's obsesion with that melody, which appears in most of his action scores. I am not sure, but the fanfare-like theme used in "Troy" is an intelligent rework of the trumpet melody that Shostakovich used in his Fifth symphony, and it is my favorite "stealing" by Horner. When Williams borrows musical ideas, he disguises them with contemporary harmonies, rythms and orchestrations, but Horner usually leaves them just as he found them.

Dear Ricard: I'm sorry for your loss and I'd like to send comfort and my condolences to you and your family. Borja Varona

I agree that Abbado's recording with the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus is excellent and the recorded sound is great. The drawbacks are that it's the cantata (38 minutes long) and the recording is analogue. Yuri Termikanov and Valéry Gergiev have both recorded the complete soundtrack.

1. The Omen 2. Patton 3. Alien 4. Star Trek: The Movie 5. Poltergeist No one is going to choose "First Blood"?