My favorite film composers
I’ve been a big film buff since early childhood. For me, movies are an escape from everyday worries and a form of “travel”, not only to faraway places but also to some past and in my humble opinion, much nicer times. Of course, I also look at films from an artistic standpoint, especially when it comes to music.
Film music is a special genre for many reasons. It is much more than a sonic backdrop. Sometimes, music defines a certain film and makes it unforgettable. This is more an exemption than a rule, though. I have to say that I relatively seldom want to hear film music outside the context of the film itself.
Film music is a form of applicable art, a subject of tradition, certain expectations, and the spirit of time. However, some composers have managed to add their individuality to this, so much so that you can recognize their musical signature after hearing only a few notes. If you ask me, Vangelis and Morricone are the best examples of this. As I already wrote about these two artists a lot, this time I will mention several ad hoc film composers who left an everlasting impression on me.
When talking about film music, the first name that usually comes to mind is probably John Williams. The author of music for countless movie hits has been present for many decades and is sort of a tradition keeper and an old-school representative. Williams is a composer able to draw out the most from a traditional orchestra. I’m not much of a fan of his music. I prefer music that is not completely orchestral and relies on more intimate sound sources. Also, I’m finding Williams’ style too bombastic and aggressive for my taste. I always remember my mother’s words while we watched “Indiana Jones” movies together. She used to say: “These are great films, but this music is so annoying!”.
The most known representative of “modern sound” in film music is undoubtedly Hans Zimmer. This is another film composer I have a somewhat split opinion of. On the one hand, I appreciate his work and the fact that he isn’t a musician with an academic background. The best proof of this is his earlier, more intimate works, such as: “Rain Man”, “Thelma & Louise”, “True Romance”, and “Broken Arrow”, which rely on synthesizers rather than an orchestra. After 2000., Zimmer has embraced epic orchestral arrangements that have become a sort of formula for countless composers of today.
I simply have to mention a grand master of film music - Jerry Goldsmith. He was one of the most prolific composers, active for nearly fifty years. What I like the most about his music and style is frequent lyricism and omnipresent emotional component, even when it comes to scores such as “Alien”. Goldsmith is a master whose work is always characterized by sophistication and moderation.
Finally, I’ll briefly mention several other favorite film composers. Some of those have skillfully fused film music with traditional music of certain areas, for example, James Horner and Basil Poledouris Others have been driven by particular styles and moods, such as Alan Silvestri, Danny Elfman, and James Newton Howard. I’m also fond of film music by artists from otherwise different music areas, say Mike Oldfield, Mark Knopfler, and Ry Cooder. I try to write economically, so I’ll just mention a few other names that are very special to me: Henry Mancini, Maurice Jarre, Nino Rota, Lalo Shifrin, Michel Legrand, etc.
Unfortunately, film music has lost much of its charm nowadays. Music in modern films often sounds alike and doesn’t include many memorable elements. After all, you can say the same about most of the films made in the past few years. Fortunately, when it comes to music and film, you can always go back. ;)