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Versatile? Yes! Most versatile? No. Herrmann was as versatile; look at Williams' total output, and he has a vast versatility; ibid Bernstein. Goldsmith the greatest? No. One of the greatest? Without question.
The Fan-Boy in me wants to make grand statements about any artist I greatly respect: Olivier, Williams (the late Robin), Martin, Williams (the one you thought previously), de Nero, Sagan, etc, but I also know the roster of greats is... great, & "greatest" is a term that requires more back up than "Because I think so."
That being said, Jerry was extremely versatile - especially in the '60's - mid '80's; and is one of the great film composers of all time. Them's the facts; and we can all celebrate that, regardless of who we feel is "best."
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Posted: |
Aug 31, 2014 - 11:43 AM
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By: |
ToneRow
(Member)
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What do you think?
I think, Onya, that your subject should be rephrased.
You are referring to playing an album and unable (initially, that is) to identify the composer of said music based upon your prior listening experiences and previous familiarity with any composer's harmonic fingerprints.
Herrmann always sounds like Herrmann.
Rozsa sounds like Rozsa.
Rosenman sounds like Rosenman.
... and so and so forth ...
... however, if I played for you the Digitmovies CD of SEDDOK & LYCANTHROPUS, I don't think you'd ever peg the composer of both as being Armando Trovajoli (that's my guess  ). Trovajoli's early 1960s genre items (most of which hasn't been released until 2014) do not sound like AT's bossa-nova / lounge numbers from the late-'60s and early 1970s for which AT is known.
There's plenty of other examples, I'm sure, so I wouldn't cite Jerry Goldsmith as the most chameleon-like. Rather, Goldsmith is a chameleon composer with high profile/recognition amongst soundtrack collectors.
Contrast Carlo Savina's URSUS with his OMBRE ROVENTI. If you listen to IL DEMONIO, will you recognize the same Piero Piccioni who did THE TENTH VICTIM?
Ernest Gold's PRESSURE POINT does not resemble any other soundtrack Gold did both before and after.
Would you believe that the same guy who scored a jazzy Peter Sellers comedy (THE WRONG ARM OF THE LAW) also did Hammer's THE NANNY? Richard Rodney Bennett did 'em both - and more besides - in various chameleon-like modes.
It's also hard to peg that DANTON was scored by the same guy who did LE VOYAGE EN BALLON: Jean Prodromides.
I could go on, Onya, but I think I've given you enough to chew on.
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Posted: |
Aug 31, 2014 - 12:24 PM
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By: |
Thor
(Member)
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I don't know if you can objectively tag any one particular film composer as "best" or "most versatile". Goldsmith is certainly in the running for that title though and would be my pick. Part of the reason for that is that I think his style evolved over the course of his career more than many other composers, giving a range of sounds even for similar movies scored decades apart. If you listen to his work chronologically though, there are noticeable similarities, particularly in the last decade of his career.
Chris
I agree with Chris. It's terribly difficult or perhaps even impossible to quantify the degree of versatility unless one clearly defines what one is looking for -- are we talking most diverse films (genres, types of expressions etc.)? Are we talking most diverse musical styles regardless of genres? Are we talking most versatile in terms of adapting to new technologies and trends?
I think most film composers NEED to have some sense of versatility -- unless one specializes so much in one particular sound (and slight variations thereof) that it becomes one's trademark. Like Cliff Martinez.
Goldsmith was certainly versatile in several meanings of the word, but I refuse to quantify it.
In terms of genres and musical styles, I also admire the versatility of Michael Kamen, Basil Poledouris, Hans Zimmer, John Williams, Danny Elfman and a great many others.
If I REALLY had to choose some composers who were INSANELY versatile in their output, I would say Michel Colombier and Vladimir Cosma:
http://filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=98169&forumID=1&archive=0
By the way, I made a somewhat similar topic ages ago called "Consistent Versatility", but I can't find it anywhere. But there's Joan's thread from 2009 about the same topic:
http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/board/posts.cfm?threadID=64755&forumID=1&archive=0
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No offence but unless you have heard almost the entire repertoire of a composer it is hard to determine. I have listened to almost all of John Williams music from Heartbeeps to Missouri Breaks to Sleepers to CE3K and beyond. There is a diversity all around. I do not know all of Mr. Goldsmith's music so cannot answer but what I do know of the Music of Mr. Williams I can say he was hell of a versatile composer.
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