Characterizing film composers

[Farawyn 0]

Each film score composer has his or her musical trademark, a particular "sound", something that he masters, that was a contribution to film scoring in general.

I tried to "summarize" the contributions of some composers (obviously this is very schematic).

Do you agree with these interpretations ? What do you think characterizes the "sound" of John Williams, Basil Poledouris, etc. ?

-Hans Zimmer : rythmic, heavy brass superposed with strings (Crimson Tide, The Rock, ...)

-Jerry Goldsmith : high-pitched violins with a counterpoint synthesized rythm (Legend, Total Recall, Basic Instinct...)

-James Horner : the four-note danger motif (just kidding )

-Thomas Newman :delicate piano notes over light strings (The Shawshank Redemption, Cinderella Man)

-John Barry : heavy layers of violins combined with brass instruments (Out of Africa, Dances With Wolves)

-Philip Glass : tense and jerky violins, often combined with piano (The Hours, The Illusionist)

-John Williams : closely-woven themes, often developed in poignant strings or rousing brass instruments (Schindler's List, Star Wars...)

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Bill Conti: funky synth brass over a jazz-disco beat

[SturgisPodmore 0]

James Newton Howard - chord changes featuring beautiful string swells underlined by subtle piano and harp.

~Sturgis

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

James Newton Howard - chord changes featuring beautiful string swells underlined by subtle piano and harp.

You forgot perfect harmony.

If you really want to give their music character:

-Hans Zimmer : Fun

-Jerry Goldsmith : Down to earth

-James Horner : Emotional

-Thomas Newman Neutral

-John Barry : Subtle Grandness

-Philip Glass : Spaztic

-John Williams : Arrogant

[SturgisPodmore 0]

Arrogant?

~Sturgis

[Red 75]

-John Williams : Arrogant

Come on!

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Oh come on....you can almost hear the music twirling its moustache! Saying "Hey look at me! I'm fancy music!"

I'm not saying it's a bad thing....

[bondo 33]

Alan Silvestri - Constant snare drum rhythms and big brassy themes (The Mummy Returns, Eraser, Judge Dredd, Van Helsing, Volcano, Predator, Back to the Future)

Christopher Young - Swirling strings, shrieking woodwinds (The Core, Spider-Man 3, Hard Rain, Murder at 1600)

Trevor Rabin - Choppy strings and electric guitar (Armageddon, Con Air, The 6th Day, Texas Rangers)

Hans Zimmer - Power anthems, brooding male choir-heavy string themes (Crimson Tide, The Peacemaker, The Rock, King Arthur)

John Powell - HAPPY music! (Antz, Chicken Run, Rat Race, Shrek, Happy Feet)

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

I see a lot of ignorance in this thread.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

I see a lot of gut in this picture.

[Marcus 390]

Oh come on....you can almost hear the music twirling its moustache! Saying "Hey look at me! I'm fancy music!"

I'm not saying it's a bad thing....

But it is an ill chosen adjective.. Perhaps you should opt for opulent? Grand? Arrogant is a bad thing, and implies an aloofness that I think is unfair in the case of John Williams, especially since he more than most composers is such a careful and considerate dramatist. What composer can score with more restraint than him? What composer underscores dialogue more carefully? Tha fact that his music is better music on its own than most other film music, the fact that he is a far better composer than other film composers, doesn't make his music arrogant.

Your post, however, is arrogant (as is mine).

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

What composer can score with more restraint than him? What composer underscores dialogue more carefully?

Jerry Goldsmith.

[Richard Penna 3,686]

I'd say Newman's pretty good at underscoring dialogue...

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

What composer can score with more restraint than him? What composer underscores dialogue more carefully?

Jerry Goldsmith.

Wrong, but thanks for playing.

But hey there's nothing wrong with being the 2nd greatest film composer in history.

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

In your opinion, which has been proven to be wrong at times.

[Eric_JWFAN 11]

In your opinion, which has been proven to be wrong at times.

How can an opinion be proven wrong? It's an opinion.

[SturgisPodmore 0]

I see a lot of ignorance in this thread.

Well, you have to kind of generalize the composer, so I guess it's "what one kind of music characterizes them best?"

Assuming you meant people were ignorant in their descriptions, that is.

~Sturgis

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

I'm surprised no one's done Elfman yet...I suppose he'd be best characterized by constantly shifting and unexpected chords under those trademark swirling strings, accented by wordless children's chorus.

Ray Barnsbury

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

How can an opinion be wrong? It's an opinion.

It's difficult, but yet you manage it!

[bondo 33]

How do you guys manage to screw up a thread like this?

[Admiral Holdo 16]

I think in this case, your ego has to be bigger than a third-world country.