Presents...
The Best Film Music Releases of 2010
(CDs, DVD and Book)
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Selected by
Roger Hall
Introduction
Best Golden Age Soundtrack Releases
Best Silver Age Soundtrack Releases
Best Bronze Age Soundtrack Releases
Best Compilation Releases
Best Album Producers
Best Record Labels
Best DVD with commentary
Best New Film Music Book
Selected by Steven A. Kennedy
Introduction
Best New Soundtrack CDs
Best Golden Age Soundtrack CDs
Best Silver and Bronze Age Soundtrack CDs
Best Compilation CDs
The 23rd Annual
Sammy Awards (or Sammys)
for Film Music CDs
will be announced on 13 February 2011
Some of the Sammy Awards will be chosen
from among the Best of the Year titles on this page.
Introduction
When considering the merits of film music,
a critic can only express his or her opinion
based on what they hear. So this annual survey is naturally subjective.
Both Steve and I have been compiled these Best of the Year lists for many years now. I think our job as critics is to tell it like we hear it and judge them as fairly as possible.
Included in my list are Best CDs, Album Producers, Record Labels, and Best Film Music Book.
Unfortunately, I felt it was once again a very lean year
for exceptional new soundtracks.
So instead, I devote my list to only re-recordings and reissues or restorations,
and compilation CDs, all of them reviewed on Film Music Review during the past year.
These are the three time periods for the soundtracks list:
The Golden Age -- 1930s to 1950s
The Silver Age -- 1960s and 1970s
The Bronze Age -- 1980s and 1990s
Fortunately, there remains a steady flow of these great film scores from the past.
As a film music historian, I'm grateful for this attention paid to our film music heritage. We need to remember and celebrate these classic film scores from the past as much as restore classic films from the past.
Now, on to my list for ...
Selected by Roger Hall
To read the reviews, click on the links.
Best Golden Age Soundtrack Rleases of 2010
CITIZEN KANE and HANGOVER SQUARE
music by Bernard Herrmannn (Chandos CD)
Miklós Rózsa Treasury (1949-1968) (15 CD Box Set)
Best Silver Age Soundtrack Releases of 2010
THE ALAMO - Complete Score
music by Dimitri Tiomkin
(Prometheus 3 CD Box Set)
BLACK SUNDAY
music by John Williams
(Film Score Monthly CD)
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA -
Complete Score and other film music
by Maurice Jarre
(Tadlow, 2 CDs)
SPARTACUS - 6 CD/1 DVD Box Set with illustrated book
Bronze Age Soundtrack Releases of 2010
CONAN THE BARBARIAN -
music by Basil Poledouris (Prometheus)
ISLANDS IN THE STREAM
music by Jerry Goldsmith
(Film Score Monthly CD)
PATTON - music by Jerry Goldsmith
(Intrada 2 CD set)
Best Compilation Releases of 2010
Classic Film Scores - Six CDs
National Philhamonic Orchestra, Charles Gerhardt, conductor (RCA)
The Hollywood Flute of Louise DiTullio (Cambria)
Best Album Producers
Douglass Fake
James Fitzpatrick
Lukas Kendall
Robert Townson
Luc Van de Ven
Best Record Labels
FILM SCORE MONTHLY
INTRADA
PROMETHEUS
TADLOW
VARESE SARABANDE
Best DVD with commentary
though not released in 2010, this is recommended for its
brilliant score
and fascinating commentary
THE DAY THE EARTH STOOD STILL (1951)
(Blu-Ray Special Edition)
Music by Bernard Herrmann
Commentary by John Morgan,
Steven Smith,
William Stromberg,
and Nick Redman
Best New Film Music Book
The Hollywood Film Music Reader
by Mervyn Cooke
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Selected by Steven A. Kennedy
Introduction
While there are still a few new film scores I have not had a chance to hear yet (INCEPTION, THE KINGS SPEECH, TRUE GRIT), I can’t see how they would increase enough enthusiasm from what has been an overall blah year for new scores. Is it wrong to include Varese’s “Deluxe Edition” from the recent STAR TREK film? It still seems a masterpiece next to many of the scores even released this year!
Best New Soundtrack Releases of 2010
Elfman’s “Alice Theme” is one of the more memorable pieces from the new scores released this year. Morricone’s BAARIA might be more of the same Tornatore sound, but it is still wonderful. Desplat’s THE GHOST WRITER has been in my CD player often this year—maybe it is the Herrmann ethos of it that brings me back. HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON is one of John Powell’s best scores, period. I also enjoyed the downloadable only release of Christopher Gordon’s MAO’S LAST DANCER which will be overlooked mostly because no one will probably see this film. THE WOLFMAN is a great gothic horror score with some new directions for Elfman.
Listed in alphabetical order:
ALICE IN WONDERLAND – Danny Elfman
BAARIA (2009) – Ennio Morricone
THE GHOST WRITER – Alexander Desplat
HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON – John Powell
STAR TREK (The Deluxe Edition) – Michael Giacchino
Honorable Mention:
MAO'S LAST DANCER – Christopher Gordon
THE WOLFMAN – Danny Elfman
Best Golden Age Releases of 2010
There were a couple of fine releases of Golden Age music in 2010 that stood out for me, but as you can see there were a plethora of scores now from the 1960s and later that perhaps reflect the shift of younger collectors but a lot of Golden Age music had appeared as the last century came to a close. I loved this new Herrmann disc from CHANDOS with its CITIZEN KANE presentation. Hollander’s delightful score for the Dr. Seuss musical receives a stellar production from Film Score Monthly.
The Film Music of Bernard Herrmann (HANGOVER SQUARE/ CITIZEN KANE) – Bernard Herrmann (Chandos)
THE 5,000 FINGERS OF DR. T– Frederick Hollander (Film Score Monthly)
Best Silver Age Soundtrack Releases of 2010
I’m not sure what happened, but fans of 1970s film music must be nearly broke. The highlight of the year was the massive, if overpriced, release of SPARTACUS. Williams’ fans got two great previously unreleased scores that make for great listening and allow us to wonder what would have happened had a little sci-fi film not launched the composer in a different direction. Small’s music is underrepresented on disc so having the fine MARATHON MAN, a theme I’ve played for years, available was a great surprise this year. Fielding fans, and film score fans in general, should give STRAW DOGS some of their ear time as well. Goldsmith’s THE BLUE MAX received its finest sounding presentation yet. And SPARTACUS not being enough of a gift to North fans, we also got a chance to hear DRAGONSLAYER in a fine new production from La-La Land. Giovanni’s THE WICKER MAN makes available this odd cult score which is worth tracking down as well.
BLACK SUNDAY – John Williams
(Film Score Monthly)
THE BLUE MAX – Jerry Goldsmith (Intrada)
DRAGONSLAYER – Alex North
(La-La Land)
FAMILY PLOT – John Williams ( Varese Sarabande Club)
MARATHON MAN/ THE PARALLAX VIEW -
Michael Small (Film Score Monthly)
SPARTACUS – Alex North ( Varese Sarabande, 6 CD/1 DVD Box Set)
STRAW DOGS – Jerry Fielding (Intrada)
THE WICKER MAN – Paul Giovanni (Silva)
Best Bronze Age Soundtrack CDs
There were a lot of releases of scores from this period as well in 2010 mostly from La-La Land records. Here were 5 of the best surprises of the year from a complete BATMAN, to the truly awesome STAR TREK V score (a great Goldsmith score for a bad film should not be a surprise perhaps) and a great score for one of my favorite Mamet films, THE EDGE. I’m not a fan of electronic scores, but hearing TERMINATOR 2 again really gave me a deeper appreciation for Fiedel’s music and it is an important work in the canon of film scoring of this period. Finally, THE GOONIES brought one of Grusin’s most requested scores to fans as well.
BATMAN – Danny Elfman ( La-La Land)
THE EDGE– Jerry Goldsmith ( La-La Land)
The GOONIES – Dave Grusin ( Varese Sarabande Club)
STAR TREK V—THE FINAL FRONTIER – Jerry Goldsmith ( La-La Land)
TERMINATOR 2: JUDGEMENT DAY – Brad Fiedel (Silva)
Best Compilation CDs
It would be easy to simply list all of the Gerhardt re-issues as best of the year (I would start with his Korngold discs and move on from there though). So, I want to highlight some others you might have missed when it comes to compilation releases. The first volume of Schifrin scores turned out to be really filled with familiar and interesting work from the composer in these original soundtracks. The other selections though are rerecordings of selections of music. The Gunning disc should simply be on your must have list with tons of great music from the composer of LA VIE EN ROSE and those AGATHA CHRISTIE’S POIROT mysteries. Louise DiTullio’s disc is simply gorgeous music making regardless of its content, which itself is rich and varied (and one of my most listened to CDs this year!). For something different, check out the Movie Brass CD from Naxos that features a number of familiar score selections in well-done arrangements. And the massive Silva compilation continues their traversal of film music in this eclectic but often well-performed collection recommendable to expand your musical awareness. The collection is also downloadable for those wanting to get just the selections that have not appeared before on other Silva releases.
The Cincinnati Kid: Lalo Shifrin Film Scores, Vo. 1 (1964-1968) – Lalo Schifrin (Film Score Monthly)
The Film and Television Music of Christopher Gunning – Christopher Gunning (Chandos)
The Hollywood Flute of Louise DiTullio – Various composers ( Cambria)
Movie Brass – Various composers ( Naxos)
100 Greatest Film Themes—Take 2 – Various composers (Silva)
Best Film Music CDs of the Decade (2000-2009)
Previous Best Film Music
12th Annual Survey for 2009
11th Annual Survey for 2008
10th Annual Survey for 2007
9th Annual Survey for 2006
8th Annual Survey for 2005
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