Best score (not soundtrack!) for a movie
 

This is a variation on the techno song thread, but what is your favourite movie score/song from a movie score. And I don't mean soundtracks, but movie scores, orchestral, vocal type stuff.

I'll start us off: Navras - Don Davis f. Juno Reactor

Anything from any of The Lord of the Rings sountracks. All of those scores were awesome!

Gladiator - Honor Him

I won't say anything is the best or an individual favorite, but ONE of my favorites is the score to Donnie Darko. Unique, talented, and amazing at setting a mood.

Err... Shouldn't this go in Tilted Music?

My answer: Glory

Schindlers List

Bartok’s "Music for Strings, Percussion and Celesta" in The Shining

or any of the scores written by Maurice Jarre (Dr. Zhivago, Lawrence of Arabia, etc.)

Or Tilted Entertainment, yeah...

IMO the best soundtrack in recent times was for American Beauty. Actually, all of <a href="http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002353/">Thomas Newman</a>'s scores are fantastic. The score for Scent of a Woman was great, as was The Shawshank Redemption. But I think that Sam Mendes really used Newman's music to particulary strong effect in American Beauty.

Fight Club soundtrack by Dust Brothers is great. It doesn't work by itself that well, but it fits the atmosphere of the movie perfectly. Another one I like is the Requiem for a dream soundtrack, especially the main theme song.

any Tim Burton movie feat. Danny Elfman as the composer

Anything by John Williams.

For example just look at Episode 1. The music was far better than the movie, hell I can remember the song better than I can remember the movie.

Anything by John Williams, Hans Zimmer, or Harry-Gregson Williams is top-notch for me. And Don Davis. And Danny Elfman. And Howard Shore.

Braveheart had a great score.

I immediately think of the Fifth Element, Lucia Di Lammermoor performed by Inva Mulla Tchako.
(The blue demon song then Leeloo kicking some serious ass.)



edited for correction

That's what I was gonna say

I wouldn't say anything by John Williams, but his early stuff- Jaws, Superman, Close encounters of a third kind, Star Wars were incredible and really changed movie-making.

John Williams, Even though he tends to directly rip off other composers (Episode 1 basically had direct ripoffs of "Carmina Burana"), I really have to go with him. Especially for "Hook"

Michael Kamen is really good too.
and Randy Newman, especially for "Pleasantville"
Klaus Bladelt for "Pirates of the Caribbean"

But i think the absolute tops is Elmer Bernstein's "The Magnificent Seven." It rocks my world.

Henry V. This had the most wonderful music. It was the composer's first movie score and he hasn't done one as good since.

Shawshank Redemption
Meet Joe Black
Beautiful Mind
Glory
Pleasantville

All great soundtracks ... I love soundtracks.

Actually there is a similar thread there now. And my answer is the same:

007

Damn....forgot about that one, love that scene.

"Around the World in 80 Days" (the original one, starring David Niven and Cantinflas)

i like the funky synth beethoven of clockwork orange (not completely original i guess)

lawrence of arabia has a good score

dead man is a b&w movie w/ johnny depp...music by neil young

apparently there is some movie called hlemmur, as i have a copy of the original music by sigur ros

then theres pi with the low budge techno

but its hard to beat the catchiness of john williams work

The Lost Highway

The Rock had a great score, particularly the various versions of the main theme (like when the marines enter Alcatraz).

Any movie where the score is composed by Thomas Newman.

Examples:

Shawshank Redemption
American Beauty
The Green Mile

and my absolute Newman favorite, Road to Perdition.

I watch Road to Perdition for the music alone.

--jaded

I second the Howard Shore, and add Klaus Badelt

Last of the Mohicans

A lot of great music scores and famous composers here, but don't forget Vangelis!

(Bladerunner & Chariots of Fire)

howard shore, danny elfman, john williams all amazing composers... the last samurai had a good movie score

Run Lola Run

Hedwig and the Angry Inch

South Park Movie (Bigger, Longer & Uncut)

Ennio Morricone - The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Eric Serra - Leon (The Professional)

Word.

2001 a space odyssey and Donnie Darko

anything from star wars. John Williams is a genius

this is an easy one -
The Glenn Miller Story
and
The Benny Goodman Story
could throw in the ORIGINAL Blues Brothers on there as well as Heavy Metal.

I have several in mind:
A Hard Day's Night
Help!
Magical Mystery Tour (bad movie but great score)
Yellow Submarine
Let It Be

I am embarrased to admit that one of the first cds I ever bought was the soundtrack to The Rock.

Backdraft
Star Wars

Y'know, I don't own it, and I haven't seen it in a while, but while watching Talk To Her I remember being moved by the beauty of the score.

EDIT: Also, I don't know if this fits more into "soundtrack" than score, but Badly Drawn Boy's soundtrack to About A Boy had some beautiful pop-based instrumentals.

Bram Stroker's Dracula