chuck 154 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Hi, I'm new here. First of all I've been a fan of John Williams since I've begun to notice film music. In fact John Williams is the reason why I've started to listen to film music. He's my first and foremost favorite composer, and my first awareness of him was when I've watched The Phantom Menace. That's when I've looked up the name and found out he also composed for films like Jurassic Park, Home Alone, and Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (basically my childhood).Now he was my first composer but I noticed that there are many others who composed notable music. The second composer that have also gotten my attention was Jerry Goldsmith. I don't know how it came to be, but after listening to some scores by Jerry Goldsmith I've become a huge fan (Leviathan and The Swarm are huge favorites of mine). That was in 2008, and to my utter dismay, I found out he has long passed away in 2004. I looked that up when I was perusing news articles about Jerry Goldsmith's death and I also found out that that year saw the passing of not only Goldsmith but also of Elmer Bernstein. Curious, I looked up Elmer Bernstein and was shocked to realized he was the composer of that familiar music which I've always heard in the commercials long time ago. Then I've tried searching and listening to his works and was amazed at his versatility (The Hallelujah Trail and Far From Heaven are just some of my favorite Bernstein scores).As my film score vocabulary grew, I realized how some of my favorite film scores came from composers that are now long gone. John Williams is the only one left who came from that same gang of composers still alive and working. The other day I was thinking: If you were given the chance to pick ONE COMPOSER to resurrect from the dead just to work on films again who would you choose and WHY? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlucky Bastard 7,782 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Maybe Goldsmith or Herrmann, but after a short look at how films are scored these days, they'd probably rather be where they are. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 Maybe you're right. They can't compete with the likes of Remote Control, or Reznor/Ross. And seeing as how Bruckheimer likes them loud and brass-driven. Still, I just wished Goldsmith was still alive. In my opinion, he's the only composer from the past who can thrive in that kind of environment and still churn out unique and varied sound from synthesizers and computers. Look no further than Hoosiers to find out. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Once 605 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Instead of resurrecting a dead composer, just give Williams another 80 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charlie Brigden 7 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Goldsmith for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Prokofiev Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharpdevenport 4 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Goldsmith first place.Shirley Walker and Basil Poledouris tied for second.Herrman would tell Harvey Weinstein to fuck off. That might be worth it alone.I wouldn't go with any older composers, since I would not want them to see the sorry state of films and scoring now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricard 2,245 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Michael Kamen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trent B 337 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Jerry Goldsmith since he was (still is) my favorite composer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Faleel 5,359 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 70's/80's John Williams!oh...Jerry Goldsmith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ricard 2,245 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 70's/80's John Williams! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marian Schedenig 8,207 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 The other day I was thinking: If you were given the chance to pick ONE COMPOSER to resurrect from the dead just to work on films again who would you choose?Goldsmith, simply because he's tied with Williams as my favourite film composer. Of those you didn't list, Korngold. He would be completely unable to work in today's film industry, of course. Poledouris might still fare well.PS: My favourite Bernstein score is The Hallelujah Trail. Shame most of it is lost.PPS: The correct adjective is "decomposing". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 The other day I was thinking: If you were given the chance to pick ONE COMPOSER to resurrect from the dead just to work on films again who would you choose?Goldsmith, simply because he's tied with Williams as my favourite film composer. Of those you didn't list, Korngold. He would be completely unable to work in today's film industry, of course. Poledouris might still fare well.PS: My favourite Bernstein score is The Hallelujah Trail. Shame most of it is lost.PPS: The correct adjective is "decomposing".Goldsmith, simply because he's tied with Williams as my favourite film composer. Of those you didn't list, Korngold. He would be completely unable to work in today's film industry, of course. Poledouris might still fare well.-- You forgot the other two pioneers of film composing: Steiner and Newman. Most definitely their styles won't work on today's environment of film music.PS: My favourite Bernstein score is The Hallelujah Trail. Shame most of it is lost.-- Yeah. Still here's the chorus to tide us in: PPS: The correct adjective is "decomposing".-- ProkofievWhy Prokofiev? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 My top film composers and top classical composers (minus John Williams) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 I guess pick one is a really hard question. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 Well, it is pretty much the same as my fav composers list:2) Antonín Dvorák3) Sergei Prokofiev4) Erich Wolfgang Korngold5) Richard Strauss6) Gustav Mahler7) Gustav Holst8) William Walton9) Leonard Bernstein10) Dmitri Shostakovitch11) Sergei Rachmaninoff12) Giacomo Puccini13) Pjotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky14) Arnold Schoenberg15) Béla Bartók16) Camille Saint Saëns17) Edward Elgar...25) Maurice Ravel (would be an interesting film composer)Film composers:2) Erich Wolfgang Korngold3) Jerry Goldsmith4) Elmer Bernstein5) Maurice Jarre6) Dmitri Tiomkin7) Victor Young8) David Raksin9) Max Steiner10) Jerome Moross11) Anton Profes Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 19, 2012 Author Share Posted January 19, 2012 90% of those composers couldn't fit in today's film music climate, though it would be interesting to see how Max Steiner would score say, "The Dark Knight." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 90% of those composers couldn't fit in today's film music climate, though it would be interesting to see how Max Steiner would score say, "The Dark Knight."I don't care, because I don't like today's film climate. At least would add some quality to the crap that is being made today. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Not Mr. Big 4,639 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 John Williams. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Datameister 2,044 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 70's/80's John Williams!oh...Jerry Goldsmith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tharpdevenport 4 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 PPS: The correct adjective is "decomposing".http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Ut3BRGKD2w4/TgM87vvQF9I/AAAAAAAAAFI/CvqrsLoMZ-o/s400/decomposing_maestro.jpg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Romão 2,274 Posted January 19, 2012 Share Posted January 19, 2012 ProkofievWhy Prokofiev?The few scores he wrote are among the greatest ever written. Even today they sound sophisticated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrJosh 892 Posted January 21, 2012 Share Posted January 21, 2012 Well, it is pretty much the same as my fav composers list:2) Antonín Dvorák3) Sergei Prokofiev4) Erich Wolfgang Korngold5) Richard Strauss6) Gustav Mahler7) Gustav Holst8) William Walton9) Leonard Bernstein10) Dmitri Shostakovitch11) Sergei Rachmaninoff12) Giacomo Puccini13) Pjotr Ilyich Tschaikovsky14) Arnold Schoenberg15) Béla Bartók16) Camille Saint Saëns17) Edward Elgar...25) Maurice Ravel (would be an interesting film composer)Film composers:2) Erich Wolfgang Korngold3) Jerry Goldsmith4) Elmer Bernstein5) Maurice Jarre6) Dmitri Tiomkin7) Victor Young8) David Raksin9) Max Steiner10) Jerome Moross11) Anton ProfesYour list is fantastic! I have the same #1 spot composer And as for me, the film composer I would resurrect would be Jerry G because....well, its already been said like 20 times LOL. However, Basil Poledouris is a strong #2 for me. I really enjoy many of his scores and his theme from RETURN TO BLUE LAGOON was Love at first sight...er...listen.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Jerry Goldsmith is an obvious choice. The man was brilliant. But I'd love to hear what Shirley Walker would do with today's average blockbuster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Amen to that... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salacius 7 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Goldsmith for sure. I think his vision for electronics and orchestra would have blown all rookies out of the water...man, I miss hearing new scores from Jerry.Amen to that...What a brilliant avatar picture, may I ask , where is it from?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 22, 2012 Author Share Posted January 22, 2012 Goldsmith for sure. I think his vision for electronics and orchestra would have blown all rookies out of the water...man, I miss hearing new scores from Jerry.Amen to that...What a brilliant avatar picture, may I ask , where is it from??That was from a photoshoot from the late 90's I think, where someone made a brilliant idea to gather some of the leading film composers of that time. Jerry and John was seated together (rather awesomely I might add) and behind them you could see the silhouettes of (from left) Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Quincy Jones and Maurice Jarre. Jerry was talking to James Newton Howard while John isllaughing at a joke by Danny Elfman. Others that are part of that picture were: Hans Zimmer, Michael Kamen, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Lalo Schifrin, Mark Isham, Elliott Goldenthal, Alan Menken, and Mark Isham.John Williams.He deceased? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salacius 7 Posted January 22, 2012 Share Posted January 22, 2012 Cheers! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
indy4 155 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Goldsmith for sure. I think his vision for electronics and orchestra would have blown all rookies out of the water...man, I miss hearing new scores from Jerry.Amen to that...What a brilliant avatar picture, may I ask , where is it from??That was from a photoshoot from the late 90's I think, where someone made a brilliant idea to gather some of the leading film composers of that time. Jerry and John was seated together (rather awesomely I might add) and behind them you could see the silhouettes of (from left) Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Quincy Jones and Maurice Jarre. Jerry was talking to James Newton Howard while John isllaughing at a joke by Danny Elfman. Others that are part of that picture were: Hans Zimmer, Michael Kamen, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Lalo Schifrin, Mark Isham, Elliott Goldenthal, Alan Menken, and Mark Isham.Are you positive? I'm 99% sure I read somewhere that the image was photoshopped.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hlao-roo 389 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 John Williams.John Williams is rolling over in his grave.The few scores he wrote are among the greatest ever written. Even today they sound sophisticatedI never judge scores based on how they sound. It's so superficial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Goldsmith for sure. I think his vision for electronics and orchestra would have blown all rookies out of the water...man, I miss hearing new scores from Jerry.Amen to that...What a brilliant avatar picture, may I ask , where is it from??That was from a photoshoot from the late 90's I think, where someone made a brilliant idea to gather some of the leading film composers of that time. Jerry and John was seated together (rather awesomely I might add) and behind them you could see the silhouettes of (from left) Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Quincy Jones and Maurice Jarre. Jerry was talking to James Newton Howard while John isllaughing at a joke by Danny Elfman. Others that are part of that picture were: Hans Zimmer, Michael Kamen, Marvin Hamlisch, Bill Conti, Lalo Schifrin, Mark Isham, Elliott Goldenthal, Alan Menken, and Mark Isham.Are you positive? I'm 99% sure I read somewhere that the image was photoshopped..And 1% says you're doubtful that it's photoshopped.John Williams.John Williams is rolling over in his grave.The few scores he wrote are among the greatest ever written. Even today they sound sophisticatedI never judge scores based on how they sound. It's so superficial.Same goes with pictures. Don't judge them by how you see it. It would make them look cheap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,518 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Ralph Vaughan Williams and Beethoven. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Naïve Old Fart 9,551 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 Goldsmith for sure.Agreed. I miss that sonofabitch now more than I ever did.Welcome, friend, by the way. Great avatar! Where and when was the picture taken? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 Goldsmith for sure.Agreed. I miss that sonofabitch now more than I ever did.Welcome, friend, by the way. Great avatar! Where and when was the picture taken?Thanks, as to your question, I've been asked a lot from this site, lol. It's from a photoshoot, taken sometime in the late 90's I think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koray Savas 2,251 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 That picture is definitely not photoshopped. I remember it was scanned from a magazine. I mean, they're all sitting in the same chairs! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 That picture is definitely not photoshopped. I remember it was scanned from a magazine. I mean, they're all sitting in the same chairs!You're right. In fact here's the whole picture: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thor 7,518 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 It's not photoshopped, exactly, but it was allegedly shot in multiple sessions, meaning that only groups of them were together at one time, not everyone at once. And then the groups were pasted together.On-topic, it's sad to think that several of these are now gone - Bernstein, Jarre, Goldsmith, Kamen, Barry. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MSM 126 Posted January 27, 2012 Share Posted January 27, 2012 On-topic, it's sad to think that several of these are now gone - Bernstein, Jarre, Goldsmith, Kamen, Barry.Yes. See my thread about the composers we lost in the last decade. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chuck 154 Posted January 27, 2012 Author Share Posted January 27, 2012 On-topic, it's sad to think that several of these are now gone - Bernstein, Jarre, Goldsmith, Kamen, Barry.Okay, but staying on topic, I wished Goldsmith and Bernstein are still alive and working. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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