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The Single Greatest Melody/Theme/Motif Ever


BLUMENKOHL

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In your personal opinion of course...

It can be anything from the Oscar-Meyer Wiener jingle, to the Imperial March. Just any order of notes you find to be the most breathtaking you've heard...

So name yours!

I had to think about this for a while, but I think I can firmly say:

Conquest of Paradise - Vangelis (from 1492: Conquest of Paradise)

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What does "greatest" mean? Answers to the topic will only be meaningful to others if the word "greatest" is defined in some way.

But having said that, probably: mi-mi-fa-so/so-fa-mi-re/do-do-re-mi/mi-re-re.../

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If we are talking ever, probably something like Beethoven's Fifth takes it.

In terms of film music, I would go for the Force Theme.

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I have many favorite melodies, and I think the simple beauty of the Jurassic Park theme will never be beat in my book, but I have to admit that there is something about the waltz melody 4 minutes 12 seconds (4:12) into "The Battle" on the Gladiator soundtrack that is really exciting to me. When I first heard it so many years ago, I just melted... literally...

~Conor

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an impossible question, but as of 1545 GMT May 29th 2006, its Bee Gee's Staying Alive for me.

OK I give that a firm #2. :|

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I am tempted to say "The Force Theme". Which I think is far superior to the thematic content of Beethoven's 5th, even if this, as I've come to understand, is a very unpopular view.

It is very hard to give an honest answer; I'm so very torn between so much great music. But I will say, that in my mind, it must have been penned by Williams, Mozart, Schubert or possibly Poulenc. Tchaikovsky could write decent tunes too.

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Raiders March, anyone? :roll:

Pretty hard question, really. There are so ridiculously many good themes. Most of them written by good not-so-old John Williams.

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Tough question-- and greatest should be defined indeed: "the best written from a musical standpoint", or "the one that achieves the most emotional impact", or just "the coolest"?

"The Enterprise"-- elegant, noble, with two nice build-ups; often cited as one of Goldsmith's very best.

"Flying" (criminally left out of the anniversary editions): beautiful, uplifting, unpretentious, triumphant, and one of the best association of visuals and music.

"Always a Winner" / "When You've Gone Away" from Babe, and "The Fields of Ambrosia" from The Travelling Executioner: beautiful, deeply moving music; delicate and melancoly, without being over-the-top sad.

"Theme from Schindler's List": again, most beautiful and poignant music that doesn't verge on the unbearable and easy melodramatic.

"The Inner Light (Orcherstral Suite)" (Star Trek: The Next Generation, Jay Chattaway): the same kind of simple and very elegant beauty as the Goldsmith cues I've just listed.

"Love Theme from Superman": my favorite love theme; there's something light and sweeping about it (which perfectly suits the flying sequence); a natural flow.

"Pillow Talk" (Basic Instinct): my favorite physical love theme; sizzling eroticism, sultry sexuality, but with class (and without any annoying and oh-so cliché saxophone); suspense, tension; a wonderful, physical, breathing, living rhythm.

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Dum dum...dum dum...dum dum...

The... OPENING SEQUENCE OF ROTS! Im amazed :|

   

the waltz melody 4 minutes 12 seconds (4:12) into "The Battle" on the Gladiator soundtrack that is really exciting to me. When I first heard it so many years ago, I just melted... literally...

Hear Mars, the bringer of War and melt, and this time you wont feel filthy afterwards ;)

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Oh, please. The single greatest melody ever? Give me a break. THERE IS NO SUCH THING.

In my book, most of the melodies mentioned above are strong contenders (with a couple of exceptions ;)), but there are so many more. Bottom line, there is no one greatest tune. And so I refuse to give an answer to this question. :)

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I'm not sure which the best is, but "Scene d'Amour" from Vertigo ranks pretty highly.

That might be one of the loveliest ever...

Dum dum...dum dum...dum dum...

I will agree with Jaws 2 director Jeanot Schwarc when he said that the Jaws theme rivals the opening notes of Beethoven's Fifth, at least in recognizability. Now, regarding greatness, that's tough.

Maybe we should reword this question: If we were going to shoot out a probe into outer space with a cd player in it, and it could only play ONE TUNE, for the aliens to hear, that would represent the human race, what would it be?

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Ecstasy of Gold, or The Superman fanfare - the one that plays when he rips open his shirt and not the one that says the word.

Off the top of my head of course.

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I've always liked the first motif that starts the Tannhauser opera, as heard in the overture, especially the choral version in the Pilgrim's Chorus.

Tim

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Maybe we should reword this question: If we were going to shoot out a probe into outer space with a cd player in it, and it could only play ONE TUNE, for the aliens to hear, that would represent the human race, what would it be?

The five note motif from CE3K. Duh.

:)

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It's hard to put a single theme ahead of others,but the Han Solo and the Princess theme from ESB comes close.The was it's used through out the score...

K.M.

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Maybe we should reword this question: If we were going to shoot out a probe into outer space with a cd player in it, and it could only play ONE TUNE, for the aliens to hear, that would represent the human race, what would it be?

The five note motif from CE3K. Duh.

ROTFLMAO

Brilliant. Of course.

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There is so single greatest IMO. There are too many, loads of different styles, different ways of 'rating' them. I don't think it can be done.

However, my recent favourites have been the dinosaurs theme from Jurassic (J 2 the Island 6:18-) and Joe Hisaishi's theme to Princess Mononoke.

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After further thought, I also choose Newman's 20th Century Fox Fanfare as a tie with my previous vote of Dvorak's Going Home theme from his New World Symphony.

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The Force theme wins, floowed by:

Goldsmith's main Star Trek theme (also gotta love the Klingon theme--perfectly fitting at the very least).

Any theme from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly. They're all great.

Fawkes the Phoenix.

Eleanor Rigby. ROTFLMAO

EDIT: I can't believe I forgot the middle section of Jupiter. It's what got me into orchestral music in the first place.

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It's certainly not the greatest, but "Fanfare (Rondeau)", by Jean-Joseph Mouret, from his "Suite of Symphonies for brass, strings & timpani No. 1", which is most famously used as the theme for Masterpiece Theatre. That thing is catchy!

Tim

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I'm addicted to many of the themes from Hook. I don't know if they are the absolute best, but I enjoy them nonetheless.

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