In Appreciation of Jerry Goldsmith. 75th Birthday and His Music

[Garrett]

As he is was 75 yesterday though I would start a thread on seeing how many of you like his music, and wish him a day late a very happy birthday and may more.

My first introduction to this much nominated and Oscar winner, composers music was the first time I took notice of a composer of theme music which was The Man From U.N.C.L.E. which I personally think is the best theme tune ever for a TV program.
One thing the Jerry seem to excel at is stirring, rousing, exciting themes Such as the above, Our Man Flint, (the under rated and yet to be released) Escape from the Planet Of Apes, Barnaby Jones, Capricorn One, Stat Trek The Movie/STNG, Total Recall etc
For a full list of his works go here

Not only the rousing stuff he can right a lovely romantic melody Such as the haunting Chinatown which he won an Oscar Nomination for in 1966.
He a also tries to use music in different ways such as the Oscar nominated score of The Planet of Apes in 1969 and The Oscar winning score for The Omen in 1977.

I have a few albums of his such as
The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Chinatown
Damien: Omen II
Capricorn One
Alien
Star Trek: The Motion Picture
The Final Conflict (Omen 3)
Twilight Zone: The Movie
Legend
The Twilight Zone The Movie

As some one posted the other day he is on in concert at the Barbican on February 14th here.


P.S. almost forgot Jerry is my favorite composer.

 

[CrispyXUK]

Yes he is great, I especially like the music from 'Alien', 'Galdiator', 'Total Recall' etc.

 

[Greg Hook]

I am a particular fan of Goldsmith, particular the Star Trek music and themes.

Crispy, I don't think Goldsmith did the music for Gladiator, that was Hanz Zimmer.

Greg

 

[Garrett]

Originally posted by GregHook
ICrispy, I don't think Goldsmith did the music for Gladiator, that was Hanz Zimmer.

Greg

Different film he is on about it was about boxers but I think Jerry's score was withdrawn.

 

[CrispyXUK]

thats the one i meant, terrible film though

Like the Hans Zimmer score to the new gladiator film too.

 

[Greg Hook]

I would probably say just on film scores and music that Hanz Zimmer is a very close second to Jerry Goldsmith.

Greg

 

[Joe Pineapples]

have you seen

this?

 

[CrispyXUK]

lets not forget Mr Williams and Mr Elfman, James Horner is Ok too

 

[WEIRDWOLF]

Hi All

I reckon Goldsmith's style makes him, for me, up there with Williams as best ever film scorer.
Generally I've found his work over the last 15 years consistently better and more interesting than Williams although i do think the period of the 70's & early 80's were for Williams his best work. Since then I kind Williams has gotten into a stylistic rut as his output often seems overly sentimental and 'mushy' for want of a better word.

Certainly both are entertaining as far as talking to the audience are concerned in between scores, but find Goldsmith a chattier host and kind of seems to not take it so seriously.

Many happy returns to him...I wish I have his zest for life when I'm his age!

 

[BadAss]

Id say John willaim is better, but have you seen how many films Jerry has worked on?! Some time six in a year have a look here.

www.jerrygoldsmithonline.com/filmography.html#anchor33344

 

[Lex]

Jerry has been my absolute favourite for years - my one frustration with him though is that he always seems to pick such poor films to work on:

Deep Rising
The Haunted
The Ghost & the Darkness
Congo
First Knight
The Edge

All fantastic scores, but average (at best) movies....


My all time favourite piece is the music he wrote for the Judge Dredd trailer - absolutely fantastic! Such a shame he never did the whole film...

 

[Garrett]

A little quiz for Jerry fans just pop over to BBC7 and load up Space Force
Jump in 10 minutes and listen to the background music, when it finishes go to 12.30 min them 22.00 min, now what films are they from?

 

[Lex]

It wont load for me - does it need REAL Player or something?

 

[Garrett]

Yes it works on real player.

 

[Lex]

Doh! I don't have Real Player - I uninstalled it cos it annoyed me!

 

[Garrett]

Worth re-installing it to listen to some of the old comedy programs such as I’m Sorry I’ll Read That Again (Goodies team and John (Otto) Cleese) and Hancock’s Haft Hour, Dead Ringers etc.

 

[FoxyMulder]

Jerry is my favourite film composer, not much more i can say but take a listen to his soundtrack for The Wind and the Lion, very enjoyable.

 

[Garrett]

A little quiz for Jerry fans just pop over to BBC7 and load up Space Force
Jump in 10 minutes and listen to the background music, when it finishes go to 12.30 min them 22.00 min, now what films are they from?

If you are going to have a go you best do it today as tommorow the listings go.

 

[Lex]

I would Garrett but I refuse to put REAL Player back on my PC - I hate it I tells ya!

 

[Nobber22]

I dunno about these film composers?
Are they just good at what they do (ie. writing scores for films) or do they stand up well against composers of world-class operas/concertos/etc?

Would we all give a fig about Goldsmith/Williams/Elfman, etc if they didn't produce the music for our favourite films & our favourite hobby?

Are these guys seriously talented or is it a bit like comparing a great sign-writer (ie. Goldsmith) with a master painter (ie. Mozart)?

Have Goldsmith and Co released any music that doesn't feature in a film soundtrack somewhere? Does anyone have any of this music?

 

[Lex]

Good question

First of all I would say that (like all art) it is a matter of personal choice - if you think Goldsmith is better than Mozart then that is all that matters surely...

I think basically there is no real market for orchestral music anymore other than for movies/tv/games etc... there are of course still people who write operas etc but it is very very hard to make a living out of it as there isn't a big market for it. If Goldsmith or Williams had lived 100 years ago I guess they would probably still have written music, but in a more traditional form.

Personally I think that Goldsmith is a genuinely brilliant composer - I think he has created some of the greatest and most original pieces of music ever.

However, my biggest complaint about most film composers is that they are not original - basically they are just regurgitating 'classical' music for a new audience - John WIlliams' Star Wars music for example is a blatant rip off from Holst's Mars from the planet suite, the Star Wars theme is awesome, but many of the incidental pices sound note for note like Holst - I am sure he would have sued if he were around today!
Same with Danny Elfman's Batman music - copied from Wagner... the list goes on and on...

So in conclusion ( ) the film composers do it well, but the 'classical' composers did it first, and did it better...

 

[Nobber22]

So in conclusion ( ) the film composers do it well, but the 'classical' composers did it first, and did it better...

Cheers Lex. You've helped confirm in my mind what I was thinking quietly myself. I own a fair amount of the "old masters", but none of the Movie Lads. I doubt I'll be rushing out to buy any of their stuff either. Got the movie, don't need the soundtrack too......

 

[Garrett]

From a thread I sarted in the music forum.

But I was listening to Stravinsky’s Rites of Spring on the Proms and one piece just reminded me of the music from Star Wars the bit where they are on Luke Skywalkers planet at the beginning. Just then a mate rang me and I asked him (they had move to an other section of the music) and he said it sounded like Jaws when the shark was coming for someone. Funny enough both were wrote by John Williams Is that where he got his inspiration?

The is also a bit in Gladiator in the battle scene at the beginning that reminders me of Holst, Mars, from the Planet Suit.

Also a bit of Gladiator sounds like Khachaturian: Spartacus.

 

[Garrett]

I would Garrett but I refuse to put REAL Player back on my PC - I hate it I tells ya!

I wasn’t targeting you if you though that just anyone else whishing to see if they could spot the music. It is not something like his music but actually lifted from the soundtracks.
Funny it it is not his stirring stuff that is used but some more of his tender stuff.

By the way with reference to the above I to have said it before but the film composers are the modern classical composers of today. I hate sound tracks that just use pop music they never seem to get the right atmosphere.

 

[Gorshin]

His score for Chinatown is superior stuff. As is the film. But then again, you already know that, don't you?