Been thinking of this concept. Usually, we as score admirers have come to know our favorite composers by their voice and style and can pretty much tell that that's a Goldsmith score or a Horner or a Williams. There is one score that stands out to me as probably my heartfelt favorite score from a particular composer which is so different than his normal or usually sound or style.
I truly love this score and I believe it is the most passionate ever written by this composer.
It is Danny Elfman's super and stirring masterpiece to me,
SOMMERSBY!
I mean it truly sounds nothing like his Tim Burton output or much of his work. Perhaps something like BLACK BEAUTY may be the closest, but I am not really familiar with that work. Must give a listen.
The passion I hear in SOMMERSBY which may truly be Elfman's most mature work, is just amazing. I'm listening to it now and I don't hear any familiar Elfman sound at all. And this is nice, that he has the range to be able to to this. Another favorite Elfman score of mine is MILK, which again apart from one cue sounds nothing like Elfman to me.
What score stands out from a composer's regular output can you think of, that you like?
I love the Burton/Elfman offerings to be sure. SOMMERSBY just blew me away and made me admire Elfman even more with a greater respect for his artistry and superb talent.
Treat yourself to Danny Elfman's SOMMERSBY. I think you may agree.
For Jerry Goldsmith's output, I remember on first hearing the opening music from THE SUM OF ALL FEARS, I felt that this was a different sound from him. Of course within the score we get some old familiar Jerry trademarks and style, but that Main Title Theme with the vocal was pure Opera, and that was amazing and he did it so well. The grand vocal in the finale of THE FINAL CONFLICT also was so inspirational and powerful on my first viewing of the film on the big screen. That score is awesome.
A lot of people cite IMAGES as the score to play for people who think everything John Williams does sounds the same. It certainly isn't anything like what people usually expect from his film scores, although I think some of his concert work is in this more modernist, atonal style.
Good topic and I have to assume Poledouris' John Barry soundalike FAREWELL FOR THE KING counts.
Chris Young's awesome, weird little score to THE OASIS certainly sounds like nothing else he's done to my ears, though with Young it's harder to make this kind of judgement call, as he's very much embraced a berth of unusual and disparate styles in his career, perhaps more so than any other film composer.
John Scott's rejected score to A PRAYER FOR THE DYING incidentally sounds like a minor Bill Conti effort (and vice versa, Conti's tremendous score that ended up in the film has the sweep and heart I normally associate with Scott's music).
Kudos to whoever mentioned the excellent SOMMERSBY, though I'd also add Elfman's militaristic yet heartfelt ARTICLE 99 to that list. It's a great and very underrated effort for my money (though there are definitely moments in the score that do go "full Elfman").
Brian Tyler's thoroughly avant garde, tortured BUG is quite a departure from his usual sound for my money.
Was just listening to Carter Burwell's wonderful Conspiracy Theory this week - brilliant jazzy somewhat-Americana enthused themes that don't seem to be a regular feature for him.
I don't mean to be contrary, but to me, all of these (save "Ernest Saves Christmas," but I'm not terribly familiar with most of Snow's output) are very much in the established styles of the composers responsible, if maybe not exactly in the style of the scores they are best known for.
Been thinking of this concept. Usually, we as score admirers have come to know our favorite composers by their voice and style and can pretty much tell that that's a Goldsmith score or a Horner or a Williams. There is one score that stands out to me as probably my heartfelt favorite score from a particular composer which is so different than his normal or usually sound or style.
I truly love this score and I believe it is the most passionate ever written by this composer.
It is Danny Elfman's super and stirring masterpiece to me,
SOMMERSBY!
I mean it truly sounds nothing like his Tim Burton output or much of his work. Perhaps something like BLACK BEAUTY may be the closest, but I am not really familiar with that work. Must give a listen.
The passion I hear in SOMMERSBY which may truly be Elfman's most mature work, is just amazing. I'm listening to it now and I don't hear any familiar Elfman sound at all. And this is nice, that he has the range to be able to to this. Another favorite Elfman score of mine is MILK, which again apart from one cue sounds nothing like Elfman to me.
Henry Mancini's "Sometimes A Great Notion" aka "Never Give An Inch". What score stands out from a composer's regular output can you think of, that you like?
I love the Burton/Elfman offerings to be sure. SOMMERSBY just blew me away and made me admire Elfman even more with a greater respect for his artistry and superb talent.
Treat yourself to Danny Elfman's SOMMERSBY. I think you may agree.
I AM SAM by John Powell is one of my favourite scores and it shows off a completely different style of writing than what Powell is known for - great stuff!
I JUST revisited Somersby yesterday! Love that one! But it is similar to his Dolores Claiborne or even (as you said) to Black Beauty. So it doesn't quite stand alone.
Maybe Iris by James Horner?
Jagged Edge by Barry? He was never one for electronica.
