The persistent and ceaseless melody replaying throughout this score in different variations, keys, and tempos glues the complex facets of each scene into one bigger picture.
Philip Glass is at the forefront of contemporary composition, and his unique style is perhaps best encapsulated by the ingenuity that went into the soundtrack of Stephen Daldry’s “The Hours.” Just like the pacing of the movie waxes and wanes, the piano solo ebbs with the mercurial metronome set by composers Michael Riesman and Nico Muhly. In true Williams fashion, the leitmotif effectively joins the score into a cohesive - and unforgettable - musical universe.
Variations on “Hedwig’s Theme” are prevalent throughout some of the most defining moments of the entire series from start to finish. Like the popularity of the world-building theme in his earlier work “Star Wars,” the overarching theme in this soundtrack has become universally synonymous with J. Of course, only the most prolific composer of our time could possess the magic required to pull this score off. “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone”: John Williams, 2001 The clashes of cymbals are very loud and in your face at the climax of "Bridge of Khazad Dum," while the flute rings quiet and introspective at the denouements in Enya’s "May It Be.” The imaginative mood that comes from that storytelling plays as much of a role in setting the scene as do the pictures on the screen. Howard Shore’s score for director Peter Jackson's “Lord of the Rings'' is nothing short of grand. “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring”: Howard Shore, 2001 Dun’s swelling composition is not only a great work of music, but narrates the collision between East and West by marrying traditions from Chinese opera, Asian theater, and ancient ritual to supplement this film.
Tan Dun and Yo-Yo Ma canonized East Asian music in this stunning soundtrack for Ang Lee’s 2000 movie, “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.” The erhu percussion and supporting operatic vocalizations offer a fresh and entrancing effect that harmonize perfectly with the tender detache of Yo-Yo Ma’s romantic cello solos. “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”: Tan Dun, 2000 For this reason, some of the greatest original scores can come from subpar movies - like the brilliant score composed by Ennio Moriccione for John Boorman’s critically panned sequel to “The Exorcist.” Music can make or break the cinematic experience, and those composers who’ve mastered art of elevating a film are underappreciated and deserve celebration.īased on their brilliant execution of storytelling, mood setting, and emotion through music, here are the best film scores of the last 20 years. A great film score can stand alone outside of its movie, but a film without its score is only a shell of what it could be.