In addition to classical music, I also enjoy a wide range of other types of instrumental music. I have long been a fan of good film music, for instance. In light of this, I was wondering, what are some of your favorite film scores? The following are some of my favorite film scores or composers in general:
Lawrence of Arabia--In my opinion, Maurice Jarre's powerful score perfectly evokes the mood of the film.
Schindler's List--John William's hauntingly sad violin piece (performed by Itzhak Pearlman)is simply incredible and is a favorite of mine.
Some of the older epic sscores by composers such as Miklos Roza also figure in the top film scores, I would say. As far as more modern film composers go, I would have to say that John Williams music always strikes me as incredible. He is, of course, best known for composing the famous music of films like Jaws and Star Wars (besides the famous opening and the "Imperial March", this film also has lots of other lesser known but incredible pieces in it). But his lesser known works, which include scores such as the one from the movie Amistad, are still good. And, of course, he also composed the theme to the Olympics and the theme to NBC's Nightly News.
The music from those old heroic war movies are also a favorite. The Great Escape is a good example. And of course Ennio Morricone is another composer that has created some incredible scores. There is a lot more scores I enjoy, of course. But lets move onward. So, what are your favorite scores and/or composers.

[ November 23, 2001: Message edited by: SethW ]

Hmmmm, tough question to answer. However, I like the theme music at the end of the movie Kindergarten Cop.

Some of the instrumental tracks from Titanic's soundtrack are pretty good... like Leaving Port and Hymn To The Sea... great music that also accompanies the movie scenes well...

plus there was a lot of classical music in the movie itself, usually played by that string ensemble that played till the very end... I remember hearing things like Blue Danube Waltz and an arrangement of Tchaikovsky's Chant sans paroles Op. 2/3...

I, too, like John Williams' work. His most recent (soundtrack from Harry Potter) is wonderful as well.

But if I were to choose a soundtrack which would qualify as my "Desert Island Disc," it would have to be the soundtrack from "Majjo no Takkyubin" (Kiki's Delivery Service) as I think the music really fits the scenes and I particularly like the beginning and ending songs (the original Japanese ones, not the ones Sydney Forest did for the English dubbed version put out by Disney).

Danny Elfman also writes beautiful film music scores. I especially like his music for Edward Scissorhands and The nightmare before Christmas. And the Beetlejuice theme really rocks.
I wish this music was sold as piano sheetmusic.
Regards, Thea

I enjoy a lot of film scores, but my desert island film score would be Bernard Hermann's incomparable score to North by Northwest.

Some of my other favorites:

Batman, Danny Elfman

The Day the Earth Stood Still, Bernard Herrmann

Nixon, John Williams

Psycho, Bernard Herrmann

Raider of the Lost Ark, john Williams

Saving Private Ryan, John Williams

Superman the Movie, John Williams

Star Trek the Motion Picture, Jerry Goldsmith

Taxi Driver, Bernard Hermann

Titanic, James Horner

Vertigo, Bernard Herrmann

Just to name a few!

yeah! I'd forgotten about that one...

So many good ones. But one of my very favorites is Jerry Goldsmith's music for the original "Planet of the Apes" -- especially like the music for the hunt scene. Here's an interesing link on it: http://www.moviewave.freeserve.co.uk/titles/planet_apes.html

I didn't care for the music to Harry Potter. I saw it with some friends of mine who are rock musicians, and I was surprised by their complaint about how loud it was !? For my own part, I thought it too heavy-handed and obtrusive.

I just got back from seeing the Harry Potter movie and I must say: Excellent sound track! (For an excellent movie!).

Braveheart, hands down.

The Fly (Cronenberg)... If you can ignore the gore, the music is very stirring I think.

Dave

"The Shining", directed by Stanley Kubrick. There were two pieces of classical music used, one of which was Bartok's "Music for Strings, Persucussion and Celeste". (I can't remember the other one.) The Bartok makes me look around for the murderer standing behind me, even when I listen to the music without the movie on CD. I also really like the way that silence was used in this movie. It created as much tension and suspense as the music itself. Nicely done, but not overdone, as so many scores are these days.

Hank you covered all my Bernard Herrmann favourites there. Other soundtracks I like are:

Cinema Paradiso
Out of Africa
Eyes Wide Shut
Withnail & I (also one of the best films ever made!)
2001: A Space Odyssey
Bullitt
The Big Country...

..still thinking..

Schindlers list, All the music in that movie is very moving and extremely sad.

I think the sound track from Out of Africa is incredible.

I also like the music from Somewhere in Time with Christopher Reeve.

Derick

I really enjoyed the score to The Red Violin. Corigliano did the music. He also did Altered States.

2001: A Space Odyssey

I don't know about an absolute favorite, but here are few that haven't been mentioned that I like:

"The Last of the Mohicans" - around 1995. Ok, this might be my favorite.

"How the West was Won" - Not all of it is instrumental, but some of the orchestral stuff is excelent.

"The Alamo" - Dimitri Tiomkin. Great Mexican sounding music.

"Dances with wolves" - What can I say, I like westerns.

"The Sting" - Good rags.

"Thief" - Tangerine Dream, around 1980. This is kind of a hard rock done with synths type of sound.

"The Blues Brothers" - Just to let you I am well rounded.

I can't believe nobody has posted any of the richly scored Merchant-Ivory films! Both Maurice & Room with a view had excellent soundtracks (available on CD w/ the Howard's End soundtrack).

I also have to say that Danny Elfman has made a lot really excellent scores!!!

-Brad

You guys have already mentioned many of my favorites so I'll just add "The Last Emperor" and "The Man from Snowy River".

Lily

OH! i just LOVE the music from the movie "The Piano" (music by Michael Nyman)

you couldn't possibly disagree!!!

I can disagree (politely) with the music from "The Piano" but my opinion could be biased because I didn't like the movie. The music for "To Kill a Mockingbird" was original (in a modern kind of way) but also very lyrical and affective.

This goes way back, but my favorite is the music from 'Dr Zhivago'. 'Lara's Theme' makes the hair stand up on the back of my neck!

John williams!

Jurassic park
Indiana jones
harry potter
shindlers list

I'm with you on the Taxi Driver soundtrack; Bernard Herrmann was great...and Schindler's List is massive and grave.

A lot of my favorite soundtracks are from horror movies. They really exploit tension & release, dynamics and color to the fullest. Off the top of my head...

-The song at the end of The Ring is wickedly good. I don't care for that movie, but Hans Zimmer did the soundtrack and he knows what he's doing. Very gruff, low bass viols, rhythmic and jagged like Bartok or Herrmann.

-THE OMEN SOUNDTRACK. C'mon people. And I mean the original one, by Jerry Goldsmith. It's pure evil.

-The Changeling. This one is a little obscure. George C. Scott plays a composer living in a haunted house and there's lots of nifty solo piano, some original and some by Brahms and Mozart (neat A Minor Rondo I'd never heard).

-The Children of the Corn soundtrack is kind of cheap but effective. Same with the theme from Nightmare on Elm Street.

Pirates of the Carribean
All the way

Awesome to play as well
Fills you with such a sense of achievement

But I do agree with the Schindler opinions, thats just beautiful

The Omen sound track is GREAT!

Fahrenheit 451 is good too.

Theme from A Summer Place & Dr Zhivago are classics also.

I'd also like to nominate the soundtracks to The Sting, Amélie, Last Tango in Paris, and The Black Dahlia (like Chinatown's, only darker).

I'm kind of biased because I'm very much into electronic music, but to me

Vangelis - Blade Runner

is without a doubt the greatest soundtrack of all time.

I always found the Platoon soundtrack to be quite moving...