Who is your favorite film composer?

Of course, this is also his iconic piece.

Bernard Herrman.

Arvo Part.

Max Steiner

John Barry

Nino Rota.

John Williams is the only one I can name.

R6, good choice. I love his work in the Fellini films.

Toru Takemitsu.

Ennio Morricone

Pino Donaggio

John Williams and John Barry are my favorites

Rahul Dev Burman.

Thomas Newman & Bernard Herrmann. I like some, but not all of the work of Rota, Morricone, and Alexandre Desplat.

Maurice Jarre.

At present I can't limit to just one. Notable favourites are Riz Ortolani, Nino Rota (most recognizable), Vladimir Cosma and LeRoy Shield (yes, really).

Carl Stalling.

Miklos Rozsa. He could do BIG.

Danny Elfman

Another vote for Nino Rota.

Charlie Chaplin.

David Raksin.

Christopher Young. His work on Flowers in the Attic is still some of the most beautiful music I've ever heard in my life. It elevates the film so much. I don't think I've ever not liked one of his scores. There's always at least a theme or two that stays with me. He's an underrated genius.

One of the most beautiful themes ever composed and for a horror film nonetheless. Pino's work is always stunning. I love his collaborations with De Palma.

That piece from Flowers in the Attic is making me want to give it a rewatch. I haven't seen it since I was a kid and it always haunted me. It was like a dark fairy tale.

She's only scored two films so far, but I thought Mica Levi's score for Under the Skin and Jackie were extraordinary. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Carter Burwell is a close second.

Erich Wolfgang Korngold of course.

And you guys call yourselves fags...

Bill Conti.

Conti has been nominated for three Academy Awards, winning one in the Best Original Score category for The Right Stuff. He also received nominations in the Best Original Song category for "Gonna Fly Now" from Rocky and for the title song of For Your Eyes Only.

He had three Golden Globe nominations; two for Best Original Score for Rocky and An Unmarried Woman, and one for Best Original Song for the title song of For Your Eyes Only.

Conti also received thirteen Emmy nominations, all but one for his role as musical director at the Academy Awards (the exception, his first nomination, was for his music for the 1985 series North and South). He won three Emmy Awards for Outstanding Musical Direction for the 64th, 70th and 75th Academy Award ceremonies.

Conti also conducted the orchestra at the Academy Awards for 19 years.

The late John Barry. I loved how versatile he was. My favorite was his score for Body Heat. It fit perfectly with the noirish style of the film.

Jerry Goldsmith

R30, I love Goldsmith's work in 'Alien.'

John Williams. He has created extremely memorable scores for the Star Wars series. Loved his work on the prequels (and of course OT), though he has been lacking on the sequels IMO.

Alex North, hands down

Alex North's first film score for A Streetcar Named Desire was legendary.

Georges Delarue.

Ennio Morricone.

Nino Rota.

Lalo Schifrin

For me I think it’s a tie between Elmer Bernstein and Carter Burwell.

Elmer Bernstein wrote arguably the greatest movie theme of them all:

Bernstein also wrote the theme for the National Geographic programs, equally magnificent:

Another vote for Herrmann because his scores are so varied . . .

Citizen Kane

Taxi Driver

Psycho

Obsession

Jason & the Argonauts

North by Northwest

It's Alive

Vertigo

The Day the Earth Stood Still

Bernstein also wrote the themes for True Grit, To Kill a Mockingbird, and of course The Great Escape:

Another vote for Alex North. The man could do anything. His work for 'Virginia Woolf' is just as good as his work for an epic like "Cleopatra."

Carter Burwell wrote the music for many of the Coen Brothers movies, including Blood Simple:

Burwell also wrote the theme for Fargo

Steven Price

And Burwell wrote (parts of) my favorite piece of music from any film, the close credits for Raising Arizona.

And let’s not forget Burwell wrote the Millers Crossing theme:

Yet another vote for Nino Rota. His score for Juliet of the Spirits expresses both deep adoration and a zany, playful irony; especially Faccette Scintillanti @ 2:00, which lightens the poignancy and seriousness of the film. You can't have Fellini without Rota.

Thank you, R27!!!

Jerry Goldsmith, Rudy

R27 Yes, sir! And what's your favorite? I'll put up The Adventures of Robin Hood...

Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou. I like a shitload of synth.

[quote] especially Faccette Scintillanti @ 2:00, which lightens the poignancy and seriousness of the film. Y

Actually, what I love most about that particular piece is that despite how light and fun it is, it plays during the most upsetting part of the entire film--the great scene when Juliet starts cracking up at the garden party.

I love Rota, Herrmann, Korngold, and Elmer bernstein, but my favorite of favorites is Franz Waxman. The romantic score of "Rebecca" (which begins with the six note motif signalling the memory of Rebecca de Winter) is my all-time favorite.

Phillip Glass #1 - The Hours

My favorite Pino Donaggio is the beautiful majestic melancholy music for the final scene of "Don't Look Now."

Phillip Glass #2 - Candyman

"I love Goldsmith's work in 'Alien.'

IMO, the best part of the score is the use of a portion of Howard Hanson's Symphony #2 during the end credits.

One of my favorite stories about Hollywood is that when Luchino Visconti's "Death in Venice" was released in 1971, producers from all over town supposedly kept calling Warner Brothers (the distributor) wanting to hire the composer of the film's score. for their own projects.

It was Gustav Mahler, who had died sixty years previously.

[quote]Arvo Part.

Arvo Part is not a film composer, although his music is used in films.

in 2008:

[quote]Is it time to give Pärt a rest?

[quote]Hollywood as well as arthouse directors rely increasingly on the magical music of Arvo Pärt to soundtrack their films. But is it becoming overexposed?

[quote]It's easy to see why so many film directors would want to latch on to these stirring resonances: music placed astutely on a sound track can conjure an instant magic for the most routine of sequences. Take that scene from Swept Away, in which the yearning delicacy of the music bestows grace on a risible montage of sunsets, smouldering fires, and hand-in-hand lovers on the beach. P T Anderson's visionary filmmaking needs no such crutches, but the use of Fratres still feels a little easy. This is music that drops jaws in any context.

[quote] She's only scored two films so far, but I thought Mica Levi's score for Under the Skin and Jackie were extraordinary.

I agree. Extraordinary scores.

Two years ago or so, when Jackie score was discussed during the awards season a friend who works as a music supervisor told me that Hollywood composers hated what Levi was doing as it was a departure form traditional film scoring. There is no way she could have won an Oscar for Jackie (even though she was nominated).

And she's gay. What's not to like.

Cliff Martinez. His work with Soderbergh has ensnared me since sex,lies, and videotape. His music for The Knick is absolutely gorgeous.

Fabio Frizzi

NIco Fidenco

Bruno Nicolai

Ennio Morricone

Rota and Hermann. Today i love Alberto Iglesias' work. His scores for Almodovar are beautiful.

Dimitri Tiomkin

He wrote Wild IS The Wind, btw.

Also Alex North, wonderful composer.

James Newton Howard

[quote]Actually, what I love most about that particular piece is that despite how light and fun it is, it plays during the most upsetting part of the entire film--the great scene when Juliet starts cracking up at the garden party.

R53 Yes, some might say it was a bold decision. But an equal and opposite force was needed to undercut the pathos and keep the film from feeling sorry for it's heroine. Rota supplies the necessary bubbles in the champagne.

Noted R60

I was surprised and glad to learn from the article that many have been using the music of part- to the point of exhausting some jaded critics apparently. Frankly I haven't listened to him since the 1980s, in the Tarkovsky films. I haven't been paying attention.

Scoring for films is a craft. The music has to work with the movement of images which already carry their own charge of music.

It works best when the director and composer collaborate as two artists like Fellini/Rota or Morris/Sampson/Glass.

But a composer may have too many ideas of his own sometimes and sometimes cannot collaborate, like with Ray/Shanker.

In the case of part I guess it easier just to use his music. I'm surprised to read in your link that PTAnderson uses parts music. I guess that's overuse.

George Fenton

Like Fellini and Rota, there's Hitchcock and Hermann. Who can forget this classic?

More brilliance from Gustavo Santaolalla.

Ennio Morricone

R73, my favorite Morricone score was for Exorcist II: Heretic. Possibly the only redeeming quality about the entire film.

John Williams really has earned every penny, and deserves more. His scores are memorable, and make the films better.

For instance, think of the last scene of "Star Wars (A New Hope)". Nothing really happens. Medals are awarded, smiles and winks are exchanged, there's no dialogue. Unlike most happy ending scenes, there's no resolution of conflict or completion of a character arc, no better future is promised, nothing at all happens. By all rights it ought to fall flat. But it doesn't, because the John Williams triumphal march is so damn glorious that it makes the entire stupid little scene feel completely fulfilling! I can't think of another composer single-handedly saving an iconic scene from a director, so old John Williams still gets my vote.

[quote]Unlike most happy ending scenes, there's no resolution of conflict or completion of a character arc, no better future is promised, nothing at all happens. By all rights it ought to fall flat.... I can't think of another composer single-handedly saving an iconic scene from a director

R75 I can.

John Williams? Feh. Score after score is just overblown nonsense. All the music is interchangeable. It all sounds the same, each and every time. He is truly the luckiest man in the movies.

The first name that came to mind was Lalo Schiffrin for [italic]Bullitt, Dirty Harry, Enter the Dragon [/italic] and many other movies from the 60s and 70s. But I love him most for what has to be the most recognizable piece of music written in quintuple time:

Most of my favourites have already been mentioned so I'll add Zbigniew Preisner, Michel Legrand and two composers who are currently en vogue: Cliff Martinez and Rich Vreeland.

Henry Mancini deserves a mention for [italic]the Pink Panther[/italic]. He's the first film composer I was aware of. He also wrote some of the most memorable TV theme, e.g., the theme for [italic]Peter Gunn[/italic].

[quote] I thought Mica Levi's score for Under the Skin and Jackie were extraordinary.

Haven’t seen Jackie, on assistance or otherwise, but Levi’s score for Under the Skin is truly phenomenal. Never have I heard music better convey otherworldly aloneness better.

Phone decided I wanted to say “aloneness” rather than “aliennrss” but for that film, either one works.

R79 Remembering Legrand's famous score from The Thomas Crown Affair, among others...

Ramin Djawadi. He's done the themes for GOT and Westworld and films such as Pacific Rim, Iron Man, Blade Trinity, and the Clash of the Titans and Red Dawn reboots. He's kinda cute too!

Rozsa, North, Hermann, Goldsmith, Schifrin, and Bernstein. I’m not a fan or Williams, but I like end credits for Earthquake and Poseidon Adventure.

Randy Edelman

Love or hate John Williams, there's no denying he has written some of the most iconic and recognizable film music. Star Wars, Jaws, Superman, E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jurassic Park, and this one: