I was reminded of this photo the other day when it resurfaced on Facebook (in humorously doctored form). Here’s the original, reproduced from a two-page spread in a special “Hollywood 1997” issue of Vanity Fair that appeared on newsstands in April of that year. Be forewarned: if you care about film music of the era, and the decades preceding, your head might explode.
Front row, L to R: Danny Elfman, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, James Newton Howard
Middle row: Hans Zimmer, Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, Quincy Jones, Maurice Jarre, Michael Kamen
Back row, seated: James Horner, Lalo Schifrin, Mark Isham, Bill Conti, Elliot Goldenthal, Marvin Hamlisch (who looks a bit like Bernard Herrmann, chatting with Jarre in front of him)
Standing: Alan Menken, Marc Shaiman
The photo, by Art Streiber, is actually doctored, with the subjects being captured in two sessions, on January 7 & 20, 1997.
Some notable omissions (and by no means an exclusive list): the Newmans, Alan Silvestri, Patrick Doyle, Rachel Portman, and of course Ennio Morricone. Still, a stunning assemblage, from a time when Goldsmith, Elmer Bernstein, John Barry, and Maurice Jarre still walked among us. All gone now. We’ve also lost Quincy Jones, Marvin Hamlisch, Lalo Schifrin, Michael Kamen, and James Horner.
Zimmer (what could he possibly have to talk about with Elmer Bernstein?) has done more than anyone to drive the classic Hollywood sound to extinction. Sadly, his influential brand of electronically generated and/or manipulated drones and ostinati have come to dominate cinema in the digital era, as films are tweaked into bland homogeneity virtually up to the day of release. Most of it is easily forgettable, as a chainsaw or a leaf blower is forgettable. The annoyance evaporates as soon as it stops. Recently, I was impressed by his work on “Dune,” but as is so often the case, so much of it is more like sound design than music.
I am thankful to have lived through such a great era, but I am continually reminded of all that’s changed for the worse. In 1997, the movies were already on shaky ground. My heart aches every day, not least of all for their faded glory.
Pantheon of Film Composers, Circa 1997
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14 responses to “Pantheon of Film Composers, Circa 1997”
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Quite the assembly! And I appreciate the distinction between “ sound design” and “music”. I wanted to scream during Oppenheimer
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Claire Pula The music for “Oppenheimer” was a tough pill. It pains me to say it, because Ludwig Göransson seems like such a sweet guy, but I found his score to be ludicrously overbearing. (Of course it won an Oscar.) In general, I wish that that movie would had been allowed to settle down. It could have been a lot more rewarding had it been allowed to breathe a little.
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Zimmer can make melodic tunes sometimes although you are correct about sound design vs. music.
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David DeFreese Alas, we are a long way from the Zimmer of the ’80s, who did the music for “Rain Man” and “Driving Miss Daisy.”
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David DeFreese Pleasant, but also 33 years ago. Here, I’ll give you one I like that’s not just drones and ostinatos: “Sherlock Holmes” (2009). Still doesn’t change my opinion (or the fact) that Zimmer is the Great Satan of Film Music. 😈
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David DeFreese He could have written the “Missa Papae Marcelli” and still destroyed film music. However, I know he has his admirers, and I’m glad you enjoy his work. Thank you for sharing some of these more palatable examples. Even if I loved his stuff, it wouldn’t change the fact that he steered the industry away from everything I loved about mainstream movie music and that there are more young people emulating Zimmer than there are John Williams or Korngold. But writing in the grand tradition requires a lot of training and not just playing in a garage band and mastering how to noodle on a computer. The latter is just not my thing. The former is. I’m a dinosaur, what can I say? 🦖
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David DeFreeseI liked “Time” from Inception and his score from Interstellar. I found them moving. Joining the dark side a little. 😇
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What about Alexander Desplat? He’s pretty good…or Michael Giacchino? Or Ludwig Göransson? Do you think they’d match up?
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Lesley Siedt None of the composers you mention had taken off yet in 1997. Desplat was only just starting out in France. However, I could have just as easily offered Dave Grusin, Bruce Broughton, Vangelis, and any number of others. I even thought about David Raksin, the de facto spokesperson for the golden age of Hollywood film scoring, but in his case he was already long retired as a composer by 1997.
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Classic Ross Amico I understand that, but do you think they measure up now?
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It’s ludicrous to call these annoying electronic noises music. What happened to melody, rhythm and harmony played by genuine musical instruments?
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There was a poll recently, John Williams vs Hans Zimmer. Zimmer won, obviously. 🙄
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