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Music to My Ears: Top Film Composers in the Biz
01-13-2012 by Katie Marzullo

Music is
essential to movies. Many will argue with me on this point,
claiming music is “manipulative”, dictating to us how
to feel about a given moment in a movie. To that, I respond:
DUH!
That’s
what movies are supposed to do! A perfectly framed close-up, a
well-timed cut, all of these are methods for evoking moods and
feelings from the audience by way of the medium of film. Music is
just another tool in the filmmaker’s arsenal. And might I
remind you naysayers, when movies were first invented, music was
the only thing you were even aloud to hear before someone invented
the “talkie”! So there.
In the ensuing
years, film scores have continued to evolve and remain a crucial
piece of the moviemaking puzzle. Some films are memorable because of
their music – can you picture Darth Vader without hearing
John Williams’s “Imperial March” in your head? Or
see Harrison Ford jump on a horse (an any movie)
and immediately swing into the Indiana Jones theme? Yeah,
I didn’t think so!
But even more
than that, a film’s score can so beautifully enhance a moment
in a film that it strikes a chord within your very soul. And the
mark of a truly gifted composer is to not only be able to appeal to
a movie’s emotional sensibilities but to go so across any and
all genres.
Here are 5
composers who are the best in the biz at this (plus another 3 very
honorable mentions):
1. John
Williams
Well, this is a
no-brainer. Without exception, Williams has created some of the
most memorable film themes in history. Star Wars,Jaws, Indiana Jones, Superman,E.T.,Jurassic Park, even Harry Potter are all
indelibly linked with the music that Williams created to compliment
them on-screen. Some might claim thatSpielberg’s films wouldn’t be half as
effective without Williams adding his all-important touch to them.
Five Oscars don’t lie. Hell, Williams even composed a
freaking Christmas standard. How many of you thought that
“Somewhere In My Memory” from Home Alone was
an already-established holiday hymn? Nope. Pure Williams. If you
need someone to ramp up the epic factor for your big budget
blockbuster, Williams is your man every time.
2.
Howard Shore
Shore is sort
of John Williams Lite – Just as effective at creating grand scores
for sweeping multi-gazillion dollar features, but on a much more
subtle level. For as big as the Lord of the Rings trilogy
was, Shore was careful not to let his music stand out from the film
but instead compliment it. Music and Story blended together
seamlessly, and Shore has quietly continued to augment already
smashing films to even greater heights with scores for The
Aviator, Ed Wood, and mostly recently, Hugo.
It will be interesting to see if his score of The Hobbitwill be similar to the Lord of the Rings flicks or if he
will come up with something completely different (and, of course,
memorable). If John Williams is unavailable, give Shore a
call.
3.
James Newton Howard
One of my
personal faves. JNH (as I like to call him) is a fantastic composer but
for a very specific reason – he is able to create moments.
His scores are very eclectic, in that they don’t rely on one
specific tone or sound or melody that he continually plays with and
tweaks. Oh, to be sure, his overall themes are outstanding, but
what really makes him effective is his ability to pinpoint the mood
of a given moment and completely ramp it up, making it utterly
unique and singular. Because, isn’t that how real life is?
Every moment is distinct in its own way, so why would you repeat an
old theme for it? Films that best exhibit this ability ofJNH’s, in my opinion, includeSigns, Peter Jackson’s King
Kong, and Peter Pan (2003 live-action version... if
you haven’t seen it, Netflix it immediately!). I’m
really anxious to see what JNH does for The Hunger Games andSnow White and the Huntsman! If you’re interested in
details and individual moments, get James Newton Howard on the
horn.
4. Hans
Zimmer
Howard’s
antithesis is Hans Zimmer, but not in a bad way! Whereas Howard is
great at specific moments, Zimmer is exemplary at creating an
all-encompassing musical verisimilitude. If you have a film that
takes place in a certain time period and a certain geographical
location – say, Ancient Rome – Zimmer has the uncanny
ability of putting you in that very time and place with his scores.
When Ridley Scott’s camera pans over the
Colosseum at the end of Gladiator, looking over Rome as
Zimmer’s “Now We Are Free” theme swells, tell me
you don’t feel like you’re actually there.
Gets me every time. Likewise with his score for Sherlock
Holmes – the quirky theme puts your right there in
Holmes’s eccentric Victorian-era world. And who can forget
Zimmer’s uber-surrealInception theme? Nobody, because
every suspense film that’s been released since has totally
copied it. So, if you want your audience to feel completely
enmeshed in the world of the story, Zimmer will put them
there.
5.
Thomas Newman
Newman is a
little more under the radar, but he has put music to some of the
most fantastic films of the last twenty years and his impact is
significant. This is the guy who came up with that wonderful catchy
yet understated score for American Beauty, which is still
being mimicked in everything from other movies, TV shows, and even
commercials. In the same vein, he is also the man behind the
surreal music for last year’s The Adjustment Bureauand will be taking on composing duties for the next Bond flick,Skyfall. Newman is the man you turn to when you want to
create an ultra-atmospheric ambience for your unconventional,
outside-the-box film.
VERY
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Tim
Burton’s go-to guy has been creating musical whimsy
for almost 30 years now. His breakout was 1985’sPee-wee’s Big Adventure, and his signature
cartoonish sound is probably the most instantly recognizable out of
anyone on this list. “The Simpsons”, Scrooged,Beetlejuice, and Charlie and the Chocolate
Factory all boast that special Elfman touch. If you’ve
got a fanciful, unconventional movie that needs they extra little
tongue-in-cheek twist, Elfman’s got your back.
James
Horner
Titanic put Horner on the map. We’ve all heard the
story about how James Cameron absolutely did not
want a cheesy theme song to go with his cheesy disaster epic, but
Horner went ahead and recorded a demo with Celine
Dion anyway. Cameron did an immediate 180, and the rest is
movie music history. “My Heart Will Go On” spent about
296 weeks at #1 and was played at least that many times a day on
any given radio station when Titanic was released in 1997.
Nowadays, you really can’t think of one without thinking of
the other. In fact, many Titanic exhibitions have that song and/or
the score from the movie playing as ambient music. For that alone,
Horner makes this list. However, this guy has a rather impressive
resume spanning all the way back to the ‘70s and includesStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Aliens,Braveheart, the amazing Apollo 13, andAvatar. Like Hans Zimmer, Horner is a master of
transporting you to a time and place by way of music. For longevity
and consistency, Horner gets a gold star.
Tyler
Bates
His name is not
as well-known as the others, but that’s bound to change soon.
This is Zach Snyder’s #1 guy, and if
you’ve seen 300, Watchmen, or Sucker
Punch, you’ve heard Bates’s raw, rock-inspired
music. Bates is definitely part of the “new school” of
film composers who employs more mainstream influences into his
compositions in lieu of the traditional grandeur we typically hear
in films, which suits Snyder’s comic book-influenced style
just fine. Additionally, Bates is known for employing and grooming
other emerging talent and artists, like up-and-coming Welsh
singer-songwriter Joanne Higginbottom, to help
bring his scores to life. You’re more likely to hear
Bates’s music at The Roxy than at the Hollywood Bowl, and
that’s how he (and we) like it!
Who’s
YOUR favorite film composer?
(Photo via
Chris Burke/WENN)
- Katie
Marzullo, YH Staff Editor