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I need your help to find film's great love themes...


Smeagol

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Hello everyone,

I'll be scoring a feature film later this year that starts filming in April. It's a fairly high-profile project that will star a number of well-known Argentinian actors. Part of the story involves a tragic romance between two of the main characters.

It'll be a great opportunity to write a great, tragic love theme, and I was wondering if I could ask you guys to list pieces of music that you consider fall into the category. They don't have to be tragic. Hell, they don't even have to be "love themes" necessarily. I just need suggestions of what you guys really like that you feel qualifies as a love theme.

I know that sounds a bit vague, but I just thought it'd be a good idea (since I don't get to write a note for that film until about June) to make a playlist of love themes and start listening to as much music as possible for inspiration, a bit of research (I'm looking to also study these "love themes" for instrumentation, things like that) and just for fun. I know there are tons of gems out there that I haven't heard yet.

They can be from any era, any type of movie, any composer. You could even suggest classical music pieces.

I'll update this first post with a list of the suggestions at least once a day. It'd be great if you can attach a Youtube link to your suggestions, but it's not necessary. Movie/Composer/Track Name should be enough.

Thanks in advance!

Updated Suggestions List

- Yoda's Theme - Williams - ESB

- You can't sit here - Silvestri - Forrest Gump

- This is neverland - Kaczmareck - Finding Neverland

- Star Trek The Motion Picture: Jerry Goldsmith: Ilia's Theme

- Star Trek Shore Leave: Gerald Fried: Ruth.

- Across The Stars - Williams - EP II

- Han Solo and the Princess - Williams - ESB

- Jake and Shirley - Goldsmith - The Sand Pebbles

- A Meal and a Bath - Goldsmith - Medicine Man

- The Barn/Love Theme - Rózsa - El Cid

- Twilight Cellos - Kilar - Portrait of a Lady

- Moment of happiness - C. Beck - Buffy

- Love Theme - John Morris - Spaceballs

- Michael & Stevie's Love Theme - Don Peake - Knight Rider

- Love Theme - G. Revell - The Saint

- Marion's Theme (Raiders)

- Han solo and the Princess(TESB)

- Princess Leia's Theme (Star Wars)

- Daniel and Shauri (Stargate)

- Colwyin and Lyssa (Krull)

- Jenny (The Rocketeer)

- Maid Marian (Robin hood Prince of Thieves)

- Carol Ann's Theme ( Poltergeist)

- End of the City (Logan's Run)

- Alone at Night (Benjamen Button)

- Aerith's Theme (Final Fantasy)

- Tifa's Theme (Final Fantasy)

- Love in the Morning (Morricone,Lolita)

- Friendship and Love (Once Upon a Time in America)

- Parting Sorrows (Let Me In)

- Love theme from Clash of the Titans (Rosenthal)

- Aerith's Theme - Final Fantasy

- Tifa's Theme - Final Fantasy

- Love Theme - Final Fantasy IV

- Love Theme - Morricone - Cinema Paradiso

- La Califfa - Morricone - La Califfa

- Days of Heaven - Morricone - Days of Heaven

Once upon a time in the West - Morricone

- Fateless - Morricone

- Malena - Morricone - Malena

- Deborah's Theme - Morricone - Once upon a time in America

- Can You Read My Mind? - Williams - Superman

- The Wedding Night - P. Doyle - Frankenstein

- Love Theme - V. Young - Left Hand of God

- Balcony Scene - C. Armstrong - Romeo+Juliet

- If we were in Love - Williams - Yes, Giorgio

- Whisper of a Thrill - T. Newman - Meet Joe Black

- Someone Else - T. Newman - Meet Joe Black

- The Diver - T.Newman - How to Make an American Quilt

- Rowena - M. Kamen - Mr. Holland's Opus

- Love Theme - Goldsmith - The Russia House

- Tara's Theme - M. Steiner - Gone With the Wind

- Love Eternal - W. Kilar - Dracula

- Love Theme - Rota - Romeo and Juliet

- Love Theme - E. Bernstein - Far From Heaven

- Love Theme - E. Bernstein - Love With The Proper Stranger

- Marian's Theme - Andy Price - BBC's Robin Hood

- Love Scene - Williams - Dracula

- Love Theme - Rota - The Godfather

- Luke and Leia - Williams - ROTJ

- Ashitaka and San - J. Hisaishi - Princes Mononoke

- The Wedding Night - P. Doyle - Frankenstein

- Across the Stars - Willaims - AOTC

- Maria - L. Bernstein - West Side Story

- Lara's Theme - H. Mancini - Dr. Zhivago

- Out of Africa - J. Barry - Out of Africa

- Love Theme - Williams - Jane Eyre

Last Updated: Sun, Feb 7, 2012

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I'll come back to this thread with a long list of great love themes later. But in the meantime, let me just put down one really obvious choice!

Star Wars II Attack of the Clones: John Williams: ACROSS THE STARS!

One of my favourite love themes of all time...really surprised that this wasn't the first one mentioned :D

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Already beaten to one, I might as well go the unusual route:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FjgUA50CNx8

"Buffy the Vampire Slayer" (Season two)

Cue: "Moment of happiness" (the Buffy/Angel love theme)

Composer: Christophe Beck

"Spaceballs"

Cue: "Love Theme" (don't have which variation in front of me -- there were almost ten)

Composer: John Morris

"Knight Rider" (episode: "Let It Be Me")

Cue: (untitled on CD; lumped into a suite. I named it: "Michael and Stevie Talk About Her Last Love"

Composer: Don Peake

Pretty much Michael & Stevie's love theme in the episode.

"The Saint" (film)

Cue: "Love Theme"

Composer: Graeme Revell

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I'll list my favorite ones:

Marion's Theme (Raiders)

Han solo and the Princess(TESB)

Princess Leia's Theme (Star Wars)

Ilia's Theme (STTMP)

Daniel and Shauri (Stargate)

Colwyin and Lyssa (Krull)

Jenny (The Rocketeer)

Maid Marian (Robin hood Prince of Thieves)

Carol Ann's Theme ( Poltergeist)

End of the City (Logan's Run)

El Cid Love theme

Alone at Night (Benjamen Button)

Aerith's Theme (Final Fantasy)

Tifa's Theme (Final Fantasy)

Love in the Morning (Morricone,Lolita)

Friendship and Love (Once Upon a Time in America)

Parting Sorrows (Let Me In)

Love theme from Clash of the Titans (Rosenthal)

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Aerith's Theme (Final Fantasy)

Tifa's Theme (Final Fantasy)

If you're looking from Final Fantasy you should check out the Love Theme from Final Fantasy IV. There's some great live orchestral concert presentations of it out there.

How can this thread go so long without anyone mentioning the Love Theme from Superman? Shame on you people.

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I'll list my favorite ones:

Marion's Theme (Raiders)

Han solo and the Princess(TESB)

Princess Leia's Theme (Star Wars)

Ilia's Theme (STTMP)

Daniel and Shauri (Stargate)

Colwyin and Lyssa (Krull)

Jenny (The Rocketeer)

Maid Marian (Robin hood Prince of Thieves)

Carol Ann's Theme ( Poltergeist)

End of the City (Logan's Run)

El Cid Love theme

Alone at Night (Benjamen Button)

Aerith's Theme (Final Fantasy)

Tifa's Theme (Final Fantasy)

Love in the Morning (Morricone,Lolita)

Friendship and Love (Once Upon a Time in America)

Parting Sorrows (Let Me In)

Love theme from Clash of the Titans (Rosenthal)

No Can You Read My Mind?

Anyway, Jill's Theme and Wifeing.

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Victor Young's love theme from The Left Hand of God surely fits the bill.

Also, Craig Armstrong's Balcony Scene music for Romeo + Juliet may well be the highlight of his career so far. The music gained an unexpected new audience when it was used as the theme music for the BBC's coverage of the Euro 2004 football tournament a few years ago.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcErVmcJPT8

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A Whisper of a Thrill and Someone Else from Meet Joe Black by Thomas Newman

The Diver from How to Make an America Quilt by Thomas Newman

Rowena from Mr. Holland's Opus by Michael Kamen

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Yoda's Theme

Love theme?

Oh yes. John Williams' most romantic theme ever.

I've seen girls swoon and sigh every time they hear that. And guys always get lucky with them every single time.

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In the same vein Anakin's Theme is written like a love theme

Pssh. If Anakin's theme is written like a love theme, then the Imperial March is written like porn music.

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Oh man... this is so, so great. Thank you so much everybody!

I'm very excited about this, as a lot of the suggestions you've made, I had no knowledge of. Great stuff.

I updated my first post with all of the suggestions so far, in case anyone wants to check what has already been suggested.

Hopefully, the longer the list gets, the more obscure/rare the suggestions will be (which is kinda where I want to get at).

Oh, and again, it doesn't matter if the music you suggest doesn't necessarily represent a romantic relationship on film. I just want to hear whatever you guys like that you consider a "love theme."

Keep 'em coming!

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Yoda's theme is certainly composed in a romantic style. I haven't heard anything quite as lovely from the maestro. That second minute of the Boston Pops recording. We're talking maximum spinetinglage.

If you want to get technical, it is a love theme for Yoda and the force. ;)

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Yoda's theme is certainly composed in a romantic style. I haven't heard anything quite as lovely from the maestro. That second minute of the Boston Pops recording. We're talking maximum spinetinglage.

If you want to get technical, it is a love theme for Yoda and the force. ;)

Yeah, but not a romantic one. Unless you're into that thing.

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The Wedding Night from Patrick Doyle's Frankenstein score anyone..?

! That! One of the best.

I was waiting for Marian to chime in accordingly.

The thing is, I'm a huge '90s Doyle fan, and I still don't get the fuss over this particular love theme.

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Wow, no one else mentioned Across the Stars?! :o

But great love themes have been pointed out here, I will chime in my own list soon...

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So many good things I hadn't head before! Thank you!I've updated the list and I remembered one more that nobody mentioned yet:

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Just thinking of themes not mentioned yet...

How about the love theme from Spartacus by Alex North? Almost brings a tear to my eye at the end of the film.

I suppose someone should mention Love Story's love theme by Francis Lai and James Horner's love theme for Titanic.

Love Is A Many-Splendored Thing by Alfred Newman?

The Way We Were by Marvin Hamlisch and company?

Moon River by Henry Mancini from Breakfast At Tiffanys?

An Affair To Remember by Hugo Friedhofer has a classic love theme.

Now, Voyager by Max Steiner has another classic tune. Not to mention A Summer Place.

Summer of 42 by Michel Legrand.

The love theme from the Sea Hawk by Erich Wolfgang Korngold

How about "Thee I love" from Friendly Persuasion by Dimitri Tiomkin?

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Alan is right.

AtS is nice, in a vulgar sort of way, but it ain't a classic. It suits the film too perfectly.

Hmm, I don't recall the requirements of this post, but Across the Stars in my opinion is one Williams' most beautiful themes and I think its a great love theme (if you can get the film out of your head)

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