Who should score The Hobbit?

[indy4 155]

This was a really, really, really really, really hard decision for me. Probably the only score in the world were JW wasn't my first choice. Howard Shore was amazing w/ the LOTR, but overall, he is not nearly as good of a composer as John Williams.

In the end, I'll have to go with Howard Shore, because of what he did on the LOTR trilogy, keeping in mind that any other score, I'd pick JW as number 1. But I'd still love to hear JW.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

The only person who should score The Hobbit is Howard Shore.

I don't even know why you'd think Williams would, or should.

[oierem 152]

I'd also say Shore. He did a superb job with TLOTR, and created a specific sound for the Middle Earth. He would be a good option to do the hobbit.

[Neimoidian 14]

I'd very much like JW to score a movie like "LotR" (or "Hobbit"), but given the Shore's extrordinary input in creating a soundscape for Middle-Earth, he is the only person who should score that movie (if it eventualy comes to production).

[Quintus 5,399]

Here we go again.

[fommes 153]

Should new members have a limited amount of new topics they can start? Let's take a vote.

[Marcus 390]

Well, considering I'm very unimpressed with Shore's work...

[#SnowyVernalSpringsEternal 10,265]

Oh please.....

[Richard Penna 3,694]

The only person who should score The Hobbit is Howard Shore.I don't even know why you'd think Williams would, or should.

Precisely my thoughts. Just sounds like fanboyism to me, that JW should be considered to take over from Shore after what he's already done for Middle-Earth.

Well, considering I'm very unimpressed with Shore's work...

Me too, for his recent output. I still stand by my opinion though.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Shore Should.

As Williams should do all his series: SW, JP, HP... oh wait

Writing this i realised one thing. Most think Shore is the only one to do Middle Earth.

But what about Harry Potter? It was Williams. Now it isnt. And those scores even get praise!

So if another composer did Hobbit... would he be praised?

[Neimoidian 14]

He would, if the score were good. Still, discussing whether other people than JW or HS can write decent music for a particular movie ("Hobbit" in this case) is pointless. They could, their scores might be very good. It doesn't however change the fact, that as much as I cannot imagine another composer than JW writing for Star Wars, the same is with Middle-Earth movie and shore (especially if it's directed by Jackson; somebody else's movie might on the other hand lend itself to completele different musical approach).

[Joe Brausam 214]

Shore without a doubt. The musical feel of Middle-Earth has been established, it only makes sense for him to do it. I wouldn't even WANT anyone else to attempt it.

[oierem 152]

Shore Should.

As Williams should do all his series: SW, JP, HP... oh wait

Writing this i realised one thing. Most think Shore is the only one to do Middle Earth.

But what about Harry Potter? It was Williams. Now it isnt. And those scores even get praise!

So if another composer did Hobbit... would he be praised?

Shore created an specific sound for each culture of Middle Earth, and there are quite a lot. That was his main achievement. The magical world of Harry Potter doesn't have different cultures. It has a magical world, paralel to the english "muggle" world. And so it is musicaly. JW created a "magical-feeling" music, but nothing more. And he chosed to go in a very different direction in Azkaban. So, even if I'd like Williams to do all Potter scores, it is not the same as TLOTR.

P.S. Centaurs, elfs, goblins, trolls... They are different "cultures" that appear in HP, but they are not portrayed musically.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Shore.

He created tens of themes for LOTR trilogy which are all very forgettable.

I hope he'll continue his 'good' work in that hobbit thingy.

[bondo 33]

Shore

This was not a difficult choice...

[Elmo Lewis 6]

So the board has come to this.

[Goldsmithfan 6]

I vote for Elliot Goldenthal!

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Why are you people bitching about posts like this?

You eat threads of these up, thread after thread. They go 0 to 40 posts in one day.

[John Crichton 4]

Silly question. Of course I'd love to hear a Williams take on Middle-Earth, and am always up for another Williams fantasy score. But it's only right and proper that Shore get to finish the job he started. There is no one else.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

It only makes sense for Shore to score it, of course. But I would (will?) still have absolutely no interest in it.

Ray Barnsbury

[Mr. Breathmask 555]

Shore, obviously.

[Admiral Holdo 16]

Leonard Rosenman.

[ChuckM 1]

Howard Shore, no question. JW would do a great job of course, but Shore has already defined the sound of Middle Earth, and anything else just wouldn't be right.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

*Lights a match*

You know what we do to witches, Mr. Movies?

[ChuckM 1]

But what about Harry Potter? It was Williams. Now it isnt. And those scores even get praise!

So if another composer did Hobbit... would he be praised?

It's not that another composer couldn't do a good job for The Hobbit, but just that Shore would be the best choice. Just like it would have been much better for JW to stick with HP. Even though the other HP scores are pretty good, they are just not quite as good as I think JW would have done.

[Henry B 50]

Shore, of course, but it shouldn't sound like his Rings scores. The Hobbit is a simpler, more innocent tale.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Luke, your argument is moot.

John Williams didn't set up a soundscape for Harry Potter ala Howard Shore did for the Lord of the Rings.

Just compare Sorcerer's Stone with Prisoner of Azkaban. Biigg difference.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Shore Should.

As Williams should do all his series: SW, JP, HP... oh wait

Writing this i realised one thing. Most think Shore is the only one to do Middle Earth.

But what about Harry Potter? It was Williams. Now it isnt. And those scores even get praise!

So if another composer did Hobbit... would he be praised?

Shore created an specific sound for each culture of Middle Earth, and there are quite a lot. That was his main achievement. The magical world of Harry Potter doesn't have different cultures. It has a magical world, paralel to the english "muggle" world. And so it is musicaly. JW created a "magical-feeling" music, but nothing more. And he chosed to go in a very different direction in Azkaban. So, even if I'd like Williams to do all Potter scores, it is not the same as TLOTR.

P.S. Centaurs, elfs, goblins, trolls... They are different "cultures" that appear in HP, but they are not portrayed musically.

In my opinion is more diffcult to emulate Willams 'Magical' music than the cultures in LOTR. I mean for example since those cultures are more or less based in real cultures, if they want to write a rohan theme with nordic feeling, anybody can do it. One will sound better than others, but the 'sound', since they would use similar ethnic instruments, would be similar.

But anyway, Williams is versatile enough to create different cultures, if asked. That if he had scored the movies he would have done something different (more like SW), its more than possible.

I would still chose shore for hobbit anyways.

[indy4 155]

So which 3 of you voted for Williams...?

[Admiral Holdo 16]

*Lights a match*

You know what we do to witches, Mr. Movies?

Well, if Monty Python and the Holy Grail is any indication... (God forbid you should have taken me seriously in that post. I couldn't care less about this whole endeavor, I just liked Rosenman's score for LOTR.)

lol...DA-NA-NA-NA-NA-NAAAAA *MIDDLE-EAARRRRRRRRRRTTTH!*

[Richard Penna 3,694]

So which 3 of you voted for Williams...?

King Mark would be my first guess.

[Quintus 5,399]

Yeah defo. And perhaps the guy with the Jaws 2 AV, I think his name is Joe.

Those two users are easily miserable enough to wish JW would take the reins from HS.

[Ray Barnsbury 8]

Or perhaps they simply enjoy Williams' music more?

Ray Barnsbury

[Elmo Lewis 6]

Yeah defo. And perhaps the guy with the Jaws 2 AV, I think his name is Joe.

Those two users are easily miserable enough to wish JW would take the reins from HS.

Bad guess. It seems you don't know Joe at all.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Joe is always surprising. That's why I love the guy.

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

Shore, if it's done by Jackson or in a similar way. Otherwise, Williams is one of a few composers who'd be great.

Writing this i realised one thing. Most think Shore is the only one to do Middle Earth.

There's also Rosenman and De Meij.

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Oooh!

I would actually be very interested to see what De Meij would come up with.

No he shouldn't score Hobbit because his interpretations are waaaay off from Howard Shore...

But they work.

[Danielle 0]

Writing this i realised one thing. Most think Shore is the only one to do Middle Earth.

But what about Harry Potter? It was Williams. Now it isnt. And those scores even get praise!

So if another composer did Hobbit... would he be praised?

The situation isn't comparable. Harry Potter, while having an underlying continuing story that becomes more important with each installment, is a series of separate stories, most of which differ drastically from one another in terms of style. The HP movies are a revolving door for directors, and the look and feel has already been substantially altered several times. Williams himself dramatically shifted styles within the series. Lord of the Rings, on the other hand, is one story, and the films reflect this. They continue directly into each other, and no single chapter can be called complete on its own the way (for example) Philosopher's Stone could. Shore's music is far more important to a unified and stylistically consistent Middle-Earth than Williams's Potter scores are to those films (and I don't mean this as a reflection upon the quality of the music at all).

[Marian Schedenig 8,200]

I think Fenton could do some great stuff.

[Red 75]

Howard Shore.

End of discussion.

[gkgyver 1,645]

That about says it.

[Joni Wiljami 1,206]

Not really Newman , I would like to hear some fresh touch.

[gkgyver 1,645]

I'm quite confident that Howard Shore is the best person to know what to do with his own music.

A new composer would likely be asked to use some of Shore's themes anyway, so why not go with the real deal in the first place?

It's nice that you want a fresh approach, but that's irrelevant. What counts is what's best for the film. Batman Begins was also "fresh".

[Red 75]

Danny Elfman's theme(s) wouldn't have worked in Begins.

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

No, but neither did Zimmer/Howard's "themes".

[BLUMENKOHL 1,068]

Uh...yeah they did.

Elfman worked for Tim Burton marvelously.

Zimmer and Howard worked for Nolan marvelously.

Of course a vocal minority wanted Batman to take flight with swirly strings and xylophones playing in the background in Begins.

So when they got an industrial sound, they slit their wrists.

[indy4 155]

Love the new sig.

[Luke Skywalker 1,795]

Yeah. Funny thing is.. its more or less a 'Horner' statement...

[Elmo Lewis 6]

What isn't nowadays?

[Docteur Qui 1,544]

Yeah, Horner circa Wrath or Khan. Fresh and inspiring.