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Film Music Review
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Film Music Books
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The new updated 3rd edition of A Guide to Film Music - Songs and Scores is available from PineTree Press.
It covers the years from 1926 to 2006.
For a limited time, if you order this guide you will also receive a Free accompanying CD-R of music examples.
Read about this guide at this link:
Film Composers and Soundtracks
See the list of other film music books at the
FMR Home Page
Film Composer Dies
Leonard Rosenman, the composer of about 48 film scores, has died of a heart attack on 4 March 2008.
He received back-to-back Oscars for adapting existing music, first for the classical music in BARRY LYNDON (1975), and second for adapting the folk songs of Woody Guthrie in BOUND FOR GLORY (1976).
Rosenman also was Oscar nominated for CROSS CREEK and STAR TREK IV: THE VOYAGE HOME. He received a Golden Globe nomination for his score to the animated version of LORD OF THE RINGS (1978).
Leonard Rosenman was 83.
For a more information about Rosenman's life, see Jon Burlingame's obituary in
VARIETY (4 March 2008)
International Fim Music Critics Association Announce Awards
Dario Marianelli's ATONEMENT named Best Score of 2007
February 15, 2008
The members of the International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) have announced the winners of the 4th Annual IFMCA Awards, honoring achievements in film and television music in 2007.
The Score of the Year award goes to Italian composer Dario Marianelli, for his score for director Joe Wright’s ATONEMENT, which is based on the best-selling romantic novel by Ian McEwan. Marianelli spent the majority of his early working career in the United Kingdom and Ireland before coming to international prominence in 2005 with his scores for THE BROTHERS GRIMM and PRIDE & PREJUDICE, the latter of which received an Academy Award nomination.
In addition to the main award, ATONEMENT picked up two other awards, including Best Original Score for a Drama Film, and Film Music Composition of the Year for Elegy for Dunkirk. ATONEMENT has been one of the soundtrack successes of 2007, winning the Golden Globe for Best Score, receiving Academy Award and BAFTA nominations, and being mentioned by numerous film critics organizations in their annual reviews. ATONEMENT is available on CD from Decca Records.
Alexandre Desplat, who led the 2007 nominations, wins two awards: Composer of the Year, and Best Original Score for a Fantasy/Science-Fiction film for his score New Line Cinema’s adaptation of Philip Pullman’s convention-challenging children’s fantasy THE GOLDEN COMPASS. The French composer, who was also IFMCA’s Composer of the Year in 2006, enjoyed a similarly stellar year in 2007. In addition to THE GOLDEN COMPASS, his works included director Ang Lee’s controversial political drama LUST, CAUTION, the whimsical fantasy MR. MAGORIUM’S WONDER EMPORIUM (co-composed with Aaron Zigman), and the French language feature L’ENNEMI INTIME, which received the Best Score award at the 2008 Cèsar Awards, France’s version of the Oscars.
Other winners in specific genres include Alan Menken, who wins the Best Original Score for a Comedy award for his tongue-in-cheek homage to classic Disney on ENCHANTED; John Powell, who wins Best Original Score for an Action/Adventure Film for his score for THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, the third film based on Robert Ludlum’s best-selling spy thrillers; David Shire, who wins Best Original Score for a Horror/Thriller for his return to mainstream scoring after almost 20 years on director David Fincher’s ZODIAC; and Michael Giacchino, who wins Best Original Score for an Animated Feature for his Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated score for the gastronomic delight RATATOUILLE.
The Best Original Score for Television award goes to Japanese composer Joe Hisaishi and his work on the Korean television series TAE WANG SA SHIN GI (THE STORY OF THE GREAT KING AND THE FOUR GODS), while the inaugural award in the new Best Original Score for a Video Game or Interactive Media category goes to John Debney for his epic score for LAIR, and recognizes the increasing level of compositional excellence for this exciting and popular media.
British composer Ilan Eshkeri is named Best New Composer of 2007, for his score for Matthew Vaughn's adaptation of the classic Neil Gaiman fantasy adventure, STARDUST. Eshkeri, a former protégé of the late Michael Kamen, helped complete his mentor’s score for the German animated film BACK TO GAYA after Kamen’s death in 2003, and also worked alongside Shigeru Umebayashi on the high-profile Silence of the Lambs prequel HANNIBAL RISING in 2007, cementing his place as one of the most exciting new composers to emerge in recent years.
The Film Music Label of the Year honor again goes to Oakland, California-based Intrada Records, who somehow managed to surpass their own high standards by re-releasing a number of classic, groundbreaking scores in extended versions with re-mastered sound and expansive packages. Amongst their 2007 releases were a pair of Jerry Goldsmith’s finest - ALIEN (Winner of Best New Release/Re-Release/Re-Recording of an Existing Score) and THE WIND AND THE LION – as well as Alex North’s rejected score from 2001: A SPACE ODYSSEY, and the third installment in their anthology of scores from the groundbreaking AMAZING STORIES TV series from the 1980s (Winner of Best Film Music Compilation Album). Douglass Fake is the Owner and President of Intrada.
Despite it not being eligible for competition (as it was not an original 2007 composition), the IFMCA also elected to give special recognition to composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman for HAIRSPRAY, the big-screen version of their own smash hit Broadway show, which was itself based on John Waters’ cult 1988 film. A good-natured yet bitingly satirical look at rock and roll in Baltimore in the late 1950s, the film was one of the musical highlights of 2007.
The complete list:
A - SCORE OF THE YEAR
ATONEMENT, music by Dario Marianelli
B - FILM COMPOSER OF THE YEAR
Alexandre Desplat
C – BREAKTHROUGH COMPOSER OF 2007
Ilan Eshkeri for STARDUST
D - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DRAMA FILM
ATONEMENT, music by Dario Marianelli
E - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A COMEDY FILM
ENCHANTED, music by Alan Menken
F - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ACTION/ADVENTURE FILM
THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM, music by John Powell
G - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A FANTASY/SCIENCE FICTION FILM
THE GOLDEN COMPASS, music by Alexandre Desplat
H - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A HORROR/THRILLER FILM
ZODIAC, music by David Shire
I - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR AN ANIMATED FEATURE
RATATOUILLE, music by Michael Giacchino
J - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A DOCUMENTARY FEATURE
EARTH, music by George Fenton
K - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR TELEVISION
TAE WANG SA SHIN GI (The Story of the Great King and the Four Gods), music by Joe Hisaishi
L - BEST ORIGINAL SCORE FOR A VIDEO GAME OR INTERACTIVE MEDIA
LAIRr, music by John Debney
M - BEST NEW RELEASE/RE-RELEASE/RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
ALIEN, music by Jerry Goldsmith; Douglass Fake, Michael Matessino and Nick Redman (producers)
N - BEST FILM MUSIC COMPILATION ALBUM
AMAZING STORIES: Anthology 3, Douglass Fake (producer)
O - FILM MUSIC RECORD LABEL OF THE YEAR
Intrada, Douglass Fake
P – FILM MUSIC COMPOSITION OF THE YEAR
"Elegy for Dunkirk" from Atonement, music by Dario Marianelli
Q – SPECIAL AWARD
HAIRSPRAY, music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman
Visit the list of all nominees & winners for this years IFMCA Awards.
The Sammy Awards Announced
Read the list of best recordings released in 2007 at this link:
20th Annual Sammy Awards
From FMR's Steve Vertlieb
Read Steve's observant and well written two-part series of essays:
"Screening Music: On the art and history of music composed for film"
"Screening Music, Part 2: The advent of the soundtrack album and a year in celebration of Miklós Rózsa"
Also read his review of the Naxos CD at this link:
Miklós Rózsa:. Violin Concerto & Sinfonia Concertante
See his column, "Vertlieb's Views," at The Thunder Child web site on
"Frenzied Genius: The Romantic Passion of Bernard Herrmann"
A Magical "Tribute" to Bernard Herrmann
Carry A Tune for Film Music
The lists for this annual event include film music.
Click the links.
National Carry A Tune Week 2008
National Carry A Tune Week 2007
National Carry A Tune Week 2006
Film Composers and Hall of Fame
There are now ten film composers from the past listed on the
Tunemaker Hall of Fame
Three Film Music Masters
Morricone Conducts Morricone (DVD Review)
We All Love Ennio Morricone (CD Review)
100th Birthday Tribute to Miklós Rózsa
and Listener's Poll
Remembrances of Rózsa
John Williams -- 75th Birthday Tribute and Listener's Poll
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Film music
Ratings and FMR Issues
FMR rating system for CDs and DVDs:
**** = Superlative (Highest Recommendation)
***1/2 = Very Good
*** = Good
**1/2 = Fair
** = Barely Passable
* = Poor
The Special Merit CDs are chosen at any time during a month for outstanding overall production of a soundtrack or compilation.
The Editor's Choice - Best of the Month designation is for those CDs that are singled out for their excellence. They are chosen anytime within a given month and may not be chosen every month.
2007
(Volume 9)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (January - February)
Number 2 (March - April)
Number 3 (May - June)
Number 4 (July - August)
Number 5 (September - October)
Number 6 (November - December)
2006 (Volume 8)
Index to All Reviews (January - December)
Number 1 (January - February)
Number 2 (March - April)
Number 3 (May - June)
Number 4 (July - August)
Number 5 (September - October)
Number 6 (November - December)
1999 - 2005
Volumes 1 - 7
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The Sammy Awards
The 20th Annual Sammy Awards (or Sammys)
for film music CDs have been announced!
Here are the categories:
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Best New Film Score
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Best New Film Song
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Best New Song/Score Compilation
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Best Overlooked New Score
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Best Vintage Film Score
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Best Vintage Compilation
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Preservation Award: Best Restored Film Score
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Preservation Award: Best Restored Compilation
-
Preservation Award: Best Album Producer
-
Lifetime Achievement for Past Film Composer or Songwriter
To read the choices for 2007, go to the
20th Annual Sammy Awards
See also
19th Annual Sammy Awards
18th Annual Sammy Awards
The Sammy Awards (Complete List)
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Essential Film Scores
Which film scores are the most important from the 1930s to 1990s?
Here is a list of
100 Essential Film Scores
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Film Focus
The series devoted to a classic film and score
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No. 1: Hugo Friedhofer and
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES
No. 2: Miklós Rózsa and
PLYMOUTH ADVENTURE
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Editor's Choice CDs for 2007
Best of the Month for January
Elmer Bernstein's Film Music Collection
12 CD Box Set with music by Max Steiner, Elmer Bernstein, Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, Miklos Rozsa, Alfred Newman, Alex North, Dimitri Tiomkin
Best of the Month for February
AROUND THE WORLD IN 80 DAYS -- music by Victor Young
Best of the Month for March
RAINTREE COUNTY -- music by John Green
Best of the Month for April
THE PRIVATE LIFE OF SHERLOCK HOLMES --
music by Miklós Rózsa
No Best of the Month for May
Best of the Month for June
THE BIG COUNTRY -- music by Jerome Moross
Best of the Month for July
THE BRIDGE AT REMAGEN -- music by Elmer Bernstein and
THE TRAIN -- music by Maurice Jarre
Best of the Month for August
THE SEA HAWK and DECEPTION--
music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Best of the Month for September
THE UNFORGIVEN:
Classic Western Scores from United Artists (1959-1969)
Best of the Month for October
Legendary Hollywood:
Alfred Newman Conducts His Classic
Motion Picture Scores
Best of the Month for November
D.O.A. -- music by Dimitri Tiomkin
Best of the Month for December
[Two CDs from a New Record Label]
FAHRENHEIT 451 and WALKING DISTANCE--
music by Bernard Herrmann
MYSTERIOUS ISLAND --
music by Bernard Herrmann
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New Reviews
(Compilations, Soundtracks)
THE BLOB -- music by Ralph Carmichael
The Film Music of Phillip Lambro
Halloween III -- music by John Carpenter & Alan Howarth
THE INTRUDER and other music by Herman Stein
Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for February
KINGS ROW and THE SEA WOLF --
music by Erich Wolfgang Korngold
Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for January
LAND OF THE PHARAOHS -- music by Dimitri Tiomkin
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MYSTERIOUS ISLAND -- music by Bernard Herrmann
Editor's Choice - Best of the Month for March
SOME CAME RUNNING -- music by Elmer Bernstein
DVD Reviews from 2007
THE PLOW THAT BROKE THE PLAINS and
THE RIVER -- music by Virgil Thomson
Recommended Special Edition DVDs
with isolated score tracks:
FANTASTIC VOYAGE (1966)
music by Leonard Rosenman
commentary by Jeff Bond
isolated score track with commentary by
Jeff Bond, Jon Burlingame,
Nick Redman
JANE EYRE (1944)
music by Bernard Herrmann
commentary by Julie Kirgo, Nick Redman,
Steven Smith
isolated score & F/X track
VON RYAN'S EXPRESS (1965)
music by Jerry Goldsmith
isolated score track with commentary by
Jon Burlingame, Len Dobbs, Nick Redman
Disc Two: The Music of VON RYAN'S EXPRESS
Featurette
Book Reviews
New
The Soundtracks of Woody Allen:
A Complete Guide to the Songs and Music in Every Film, 1969-2005
by Adam Harvey
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The Best Film Music of the Year
The 10th Annual Best of the Year survey has been announced for
Best Film Music CDs, DVDs and Books of 2007
Read the previous surveys at these links:
Best Film Music CDs and DVDs of 2006
Best Film Music CDs of 2005
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For additional information, see these
Film Music Links
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