MLT Club Member Jürgen
MLT Club MemberForum Replies Created
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Millions of people have listened to the sounds of their music. They have generated joy and enthusiasm, they are the secret stars of every blockbuster. And yet their names are not familiar to most moviegoers: we are talking about the film composers. In keeping with the topic, I once did a bit of research: who are the composers behind the great music titles of film history? At this point, I would like to introduce the top 5 of the film music industry. Starting with the 5th place in the ranking, I would like to introduce you to some of the greatest film composers of the last decades. I took the ranking from a film magazine and it is therefore only a very subjective assessment. The best film composer doesn’t really exist, but only a few, very good musicians. Depending on which genre and style you personally prefer, every film lover has his own favorite.
Place number 5: Hans Florian Zimmer. He was born on 12 September 1957 in Frankfurt a.M. and is the best-known German-speaking composer who was able to gain a foothold in Hollywood. He has been nominated for an Oscar eleven times and has won it once so far – for the film music for “The Lion King”. His setting of “Gladiator” remains monumental and unforgettable, minimalist the chamber play-like work on “As good as it gets”. Among fans, however, his work on “Inception” is the big favorite – especially the piece “Time”, which he drives to ever new musical highlights.
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Number 4: John Towner Williams. He was born on February 8, 1932 in Queens/ New York and is one of the most influential film composers in Hollywood. He not only composed, but also worked as a conductor and producer of orchestral music. Especially his collaboration with Steven Spielberg on “Jaws”, “Schindler’s Legacy” and “Jurassic Park” made him unforgettable. His setting of the science fiction saga “Star Wars” is also indescribable. Williams won the Oscar five times, including for “Anatevka” and “E.T. – The Extra Terrestrial”.
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Number 3: Bernard Herrmann. He was born on June 29, 1911 in New York City and set to music perhaps the most famous scene in film history – the murder in the shower in Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho”. For this great director he composed numerous other film music, including “Vertigo”, “Marnie” and “North by Northwest”. Herrmann received the Oscar in 1942 for his work on “The Devil and Daniel Webster” and also created unforgettable music for “Fahrenheit 451”, “Journey to the Center of the Earth” and “Taxi Driver”. Here is a melody from the Hitchcock movie Vertigo.
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And here is another film classic that should not be missing: The Third Mann. A 1949 British film noir shot in black and white by Carol Reed. The film became known through „The Harry Lime theme“ played by Anton Karas on the Zither.
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Titanic? Yes, of course. I didn’t even think about the film, because I never saw it. Sure, I know the film music and also the most famous scenes, but disaster films have never interested me very much. Maybe because I don’t like disasters, the world is already broken enough. Moreover, the ending of Titanic offers so little surprise. Ship leaves the port and sinks into the sea. End. Certainly a great movie, but somehow too sad. The only similar movie I’ve seen is „The Poseidon Adventure“. But thanks. You’re right, of course: Titanic contains the reverse Cinderella syndrome.
PS: Sorry if the idioms, or terms often don’t fit. But I can’t do it any other way with the translation. (I meant „umgekehrt / umgedreht“ but what fits? reversed, inverse, the other way around?)
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I totally agree with you, Jung. Sometimes the simple, minimalist performance of a song is more impressive or just more intense when only a single instrument or voice conveys the entire mood of a song (so it doesn’t always have to be the “Wall of Sound”). I like the piece of music from “Sir With Love”. It is difficult to say which instrument is to be heard (clavichord or harpsichord, the instruments sound kind of the same to me). You have already convinced me: I will watch the film one day (especially since I like Sidney Poitier as an actor).
Minimalist music. At this point I spontaneously think of the song “While my guitar gently weeps” by the Beatles. In addition to the well-known version, there was also an alternative recording in which George Harrison’s voice is calm and impressive in the foreground. This has nothing to do with film music, but since there was a corresponding performance by “Cirque du Soleil” in Las Vegas, it fits into the topic as a musical performance halfway through. I really like both versions, but I like the quiet, smooth recording even better than the track from the White Album. This version better reflects the sensitive and thoughtful side of George and shows in which direction his solo career will develop later.
PS: Have you seen the cinema production of The Beatles “Love”? In Germany, the film unfortunately only was shown for two weeks in the cinema and at that time I was on vacation.
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Yes Young, it’s sad that Patrick Swayze had to die relatively young. The soundtrack of Ghost really gets under your skin. And if you don’t have wet eyes at the end of the film, then I don’t know either.
A quick note about Grease and Dirty Dancing. I think there are many examples in film and music history that an entire film or a piece of music was torn apart by the critics and later these pieces developed into an incredible cult. I’m just thinking of the Rocky Horror Picture Show and Star Wars.
On the subject of couples and dancing (yes I know, there are really, really many of them), the film “Flashdance” comes to my mind in particular. I think the main song and also the dance performance are just great. I saw the film in the cinema in 1983 or 1984 together with a friend and the sound performance in the Film Palace was great for that time. For me, the plot itself belongs to a topic that I now call the Cinderella syndrome (not in the medical sense but in the sense of the actual meaning): poor girl from socially disadvantaged backgrounds gets to know rich guy and finally becomes happy with him until the end of all days (and if they did not die, they are still alive today). My Fair Lady and Pretty Women work according to the same principle. Are there also films that work exactly the other way around?. Poor boy conquers the heart of a rich, powerful woman?
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Then I’m in good company, David. Unfortunately, I haven’t heard of Burt Reynold’s film “The End” yet. But I watched excerpts from the film. Seems to be very funny. Another movie on my list of movies I’d like to see. I didn’t find the movie scene with “My Way” either. But the title itself.
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Unfortunately, I don’t know the film, Jung, but I like the music. This is such classic 60s music. Pleasing melody and a beautiful voice.
Sometimes there are movies that you’ve seen at some point. You don’t really know exactly what the film was about, but one thing stuck: the title or the main song. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid is such a movie for me. The melody has accompanied me for decades and is always just beautiful.
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I don’t think you’ll be getting booted out of the club, Jung. Who else should put the many, interesting topics in the forum? No, that would be an own goal.
I believe the film Grease manages the balancing act between trash and cult. When the film was shown in the cinema at the time, I thought it was totally stupid. Even the title…But getting older not only means that the beauty suffers a little and the hairstyle gets a little bit confused, but you can also see many things more relaxed, calm and open to some topics. And today I have to say: Yes, Grease is kind of cool. A piece of contemporary musical history.
PS: If you really want to be kicked out of the club, then you have to set something like this here (even that I like somehow today):
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Hi Jung, thank you for the great idea to produce “I bought Myself a Politician” as a satirical film. I already have a plot for the MLT James Bond movie: Joris Bohnson (the name was changed by me, because no political topics are allowed in the forum), as Double Zero, in secret mission of Her Majesty with a golden Colt in his handbag, to protect the Royal Empire from the villains Maerkel and Makron. His mission: to cut all bridges between Great Britain and the E.U. His secret weapon: a Swiss Army knife with a microchip-controlled high-performance jigsaw. His Bond vehicle: a nuclear-powered air mattress. Bond girl and assistant: Theresa June.
But now seriously. Yes, the flight scene from “MLT fly to finland” has something movie like (thanks for the video link). I felt the same way when I saw the video clip “Walking in the air”. I also immediately thought of film music. The video is just so beautifully filmed, that would be a wonderful opening credits (introduction?) for a movie. The combination of music and video fits together perfectly. You are welcome to come up with a corresponding action… 🙂
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Very nice music, Roger. Thank you. I didn’t even know that Mark Knopfler also arranged film music. I know some of his solo albums like Shangri-La or Get Lucky, but film music? That was new to me. The title song „Storybook Love“ from the movie „The Princess Bride“ is wonderful. The original movie clips on youtube can unfortunately not be integrated, probably of legal reasons. Really a pity. I have attached a harp cover version. The soulful melody of the song also sounds very nice on this instrument. The film score of The Sorcerer’s Apprentice is also great. The main theme reminds me a bit of a mixture of Grieg’s „Peer Gynt“ and the film music of „Lord of the Rings“. I’ve always been kind of interested in the film, but now I have one more reason to watch it.
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Hello Michael James (or only Michael? sorry), 2001: A Space Odyssey is a very fascinating movie. I saw it the first time on a big cinema screen and was very impressed But I still haven’t really understood the end of the film. Not until today. Maybe you are one of the lucky people who got it.
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Yeah, David the musicals of the 60s, something special. Imaginative, charming, often very warm-hearted and full of humor. I’m just thinking of Chitty Chitty Bäng Bäng. When I saw the musical film for the first time as a child, I was totally thrilled: this flying car, I loved it. Simply wonderful. I saw the Phantom of the Opera and West Side Story as a live performance. Unfortunately, I don’t know Camelot and The Sound of Music. That your grandmother’s brother played the organ at a movie theater in the 20s is a great detail. Did you get to know him personally?
