I'm one of the oldsters in the gang here and for the "greatest love theme" I feel obliged to go back to my soundtrack roots for a few of MY favorites: ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (1) ERICH WOLFGANG KORNGOLD - KINGS ROW (1941) - ("Randy and Drake" Love Theme) The score in the film is a little more sparingly orchestrated, but Charles Gerhardt and the National Philharmonic gave it the most sweeping and sumptuous performance for Reader's Digest in 1968. It's my favorite love theme. The whole suite is grand, four-star Korngold, but the love theme is at 5:03 - 6:28. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJwa9mX0bxA And look at the great modern day performance in February 2019 in Zurich by the Film Music Orthestra by this young orchestra. Quite admirable. These "kids" play their hearts out. Love theme is at 5:24 - 6:50 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9B7okBMQvGE -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (2) MIKLOS ROZSA - THE THIEF OF BAGDAD (1940) - ("The Love of the Princess") (aka "Eternal Love") A great love theme and a great concert piece from maestro Rozsa. Selfless love, musically expressed. Of course, Charles Gerhardt and the NPO do it great justice in their magnificent performance. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rK2IbjvJ2c In his 1977 FilmMusic Collection rerecording of the score, Elmer Bernstein conducted the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in both the vocal (yes, the love theme had words!) as sung in the film, followed by the orchestral version. Exquisite! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQZNt55cfF8 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (3) ALFRED NEWMAN - WUTHERING HEIGHTS (1939) - ("Cathy's Theme") Again, Charles Gerhardt and the NPO perform a heartbreaking performance of Alfred Newman's tenderest "tragic love" compositions. Not to be missed. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sQn50nmt4mA ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (4) FRANZ WAXMAN - PEYTON PLACE (1957) ("The Wonderful Season of Love") (aka "For Those Who Are Young") Just a wonderfully tender Franz Waxman theme, later resurrected for the TV series. This theme MAKES the soundtrack. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QPkHx2jroQ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- (5) VICTOR YOUNG - THE LOVES OF OMAR KHAYYAM (1957) ("Secret Meeting") (aka "Tell My Love" or "Take My Heart") Unfortunately, this minor score had a most exquisite Victor Young love theme, but it is not yet available on the internet. It is only paired with The Long Ships on a Ticker Tape EU CD. Victor Young was a concert violinist and he was most expressive in this love theme for solo violin and full orchestra. It was Victor Young's final film score. Worth picking up on LP or CD. Not that hard to find. https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/6635894
And, yes, the love theme proposals preceding mine are just fine....but not quite vintage enough And with many modern movies, you sometimes have to distinguish between "love" themes and "making love" themes.
This music, over this scene, has had me weeping all 17 times I've seen this film in theaters, on its original release and across over two decades of re-releases, and it had tens of millions weeping all over the world.
I think this may be the most boldly brilliant and perfect ending to any film I've ever seen.
I know the cue is an editorial creation, stitched together from multiple other cues, but it's a shame it wasn't included on the amazing LLL set, it's the best cue in the film.
So many great "Love Themes" out there! This has always been one of my favorites. I remember finding the LP when I was a teenager in the 1970's in the 99 cent bargain box. Michel Legrand!!
Hey Ron, glad you posted some older love themes. I've always loved Cathy's theme and Randy and Drake's theme.
I'll post another older one for you. Waxman wrote a love theme for the movie The Paradine Case. Gregory Peck was kind of falling for a bad woman, and she doesn't have a lovely theme. However, whenever his wife comes into the picture, Waxman plays a gorgeous love theme.
It come in at 7:10 in this youtube and lasts about 2 minutes.
I'm one of the oldsters in the gang here and for the "greatest love theme" I feel obliged to go back to my soundtrack roots for a few of MY favorites:
.....
(5) VICTOR YOUNG - THE LOVES OF OMAR KHAYYAM (1957) ("Secret Meeting") (aka "Tell My Love" or "Take My Heart") Unfortunately, this minor score had a most exquisite Victor Young love theme, but it is not yet available on the internet. It is only paired with The Long Ships on a Ticker Tape EU CD. Victor Young was a concert violinist and he was most expressive in this love theme for solo violin and full orchestra. It was Victor Young's final film score. Worth picking up on LP or CD. Not that hard to find. https://www.discogs.com/sell/release/6635894
.....
Ron Burbella
There's another option for OMAR KHAYYAM, Ron - this (out-of-print) Disques Cinémusique CD from 2012 which also includes "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Golden Earrings":
I always get chills from Han Solo and the Princess. Those swelling strings in the End Credits are very powerful.
Found myself watching the ending from ET the other day and damn I forgot how powerful the music is in that scene. Maybe not a love theme per say but incredibly emotive none the less. I haven't felt tears welling in my eyes from a movie in a long time and I've seen it before many times but it has lost none of it's punch.
Edward Scissorhands is another one that pulls on the heart strings especially The Grand Finale.
I was seeing Superman for the third (and last) time during it's original run. It was in early Spring, around this time of the year.
The first two times, the theaters were packed, Both viewings, once the end credit roll started, I went with the flow of the crowd and exited the theater. After two and a half hours sitting there, packed like sardines, in a puffy winter coat, I was ready to get out asap.
This last showing, attendance was sparse and I was in no hurry to get picked up so I just lingered in the seat, contemplating trying to sneak in and see the movie next door.
Eventually the march finished with a flurry and then all of a sudden I was bewitched. I'd never known there was another, completely different passage finishing off the credits. This never happened to Star Wars.
My GOD! how lovely this music was! Lilting, delicate...listening to it I thought how perfectly evocative it was with the film's production design emphasizing all those crystalline forms. Those notes...it was like listening to a soft snowfall.
I was enraptured by it- but also bummed that this wasn't a part of the soundtrack that I'd been wearing a groove in for the last couple months.
Of course it actually was. The cue was reorganized by Williams and sandwiched between two others from the Smallville portion of the film. Same music I'd been already listening to - but it hit me this time, like an acme® anvil, because of it's juxtaposition with the muscular, brassy, bombastic march. It was like the aural equivalent of chiaroscuro.
Six years later I got my first VCR and this was one of the first films I bought pre-recorded. I couldn't wait to hear that transition again- but then they lopped it off. It'd be another five years before the widescreen laserdisc properly included it.
It would be another, almost twenty five years before I finally figured out the track was on the original album all along.
Long winded story's short version- Superman love theme. That's my choice too.
