The Best Film Composer Of All Time

Thank you, Con! The King Kong soundtrack is indeed a James Newton Howard classic! I wanted to finish with something I absolutely adore, and that is the Harry Potter soundtrack. John Williams scored the first three films of the series and even today these scores remain as one of the most recognizable works of music in all of cinema. The Fourth Piece I wanted to get off the beaten path and show something that probably wouldn't be the first choice of a Harry Potter soundtrack enthusiast, considering that there are pieces like "Hedwig's Theme" or "Harry's Wondrous World". I decided to go with "Fawkes the Phoenix" (link: ), which appears in Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. The Fawkes theme is used sparingly, and can only be heard a couple of times, when Fawkes the Phoenix is seen in the scene. After a brief introduction, the first part of the theme is heard at 0:16 and then again restated, in a more complete form, at 0:33. To me it gives a feeling of optimism, due to its flowing and calm melody. There is also a strong feeling of wonder and magic, which is enhanced by the metallophone flourishes heard throughout the piece. At 1:00 and onwards we hear a bridge-passage, which modulates and rises to lead us back to the third restatement of the Fawkes theme (01:30). Another passage then follows (02:02-02:40), embellished by a powerful brass melody, giving a dramatic feeling, perhaps associated with the dangers of Hogwarts and the Chamber of Secrets. The full orchestra soon returns back to the main theme, for the fourth and final restatement (02:45). I really like how Williams concludes the piece with the use of a celesta (03:23), reminding us of the magic and wonder of Fawkes and Hogwarts itself. Summary of the Fourth Piece The flowing and optimistic Fawkes theme, in my opinion, is really a hidden gem within the Harry Potter soundtrack. Within "Fawkes the Phoenix" the theme is repeated four times, each time giving a different feeling, rising in dynamics and power throughout the piece. John Williams is very skilled in creating recognizable and unique leitmotifs of this kind for various film characters, and in this case, I believe that he does that masterfully. I will summarize this round with a quote from Albus Dumbledore from the book: "Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here!" John Williams' score for Harry Potter, indeed, seems like something that is beyond magic. It is a wonderful creation that many of us have grown up with, and I am sure that future generations will likewise appreciate these scores for years to come. Summary of the Debate As you've probably noticed, I tried to show various aspects of Williams' talent throughout this debate. Starting with the heroism of Star Wars, continuing with the grief and tragedy of Schindler's List, moving on to the adventure and amazement of Jurassic Park, and, finally, ending with the magic and wonder of Harry Potter. John Williams is probably the most versatile and productive film composer of all time, starting his musical career in the 1950s, and still continuously composing to this day, at the age of 84. He has rightfully received countless nominations and awards, including 50(!) Academy Awards nominations, winning 5 of them. Truly an unforgettable composer, whose name will forever be written in the history of cinema. For me, Williams' music has been very influential, as it has followed me since my early childhood, while I watched movies like Star Wars and Harry Potter. Even today, I find that my music playlists are full of his scores, and, seeing that he has no plans of retiring (John Williams has recently said that "Steven expects me to work until I'm 100"), that can only make me and other devoted fans of his all the more happy. *** As this is the last round for me, I also wanted to take an opportunity to thank MissLuLu, who has taken up this debate to show the beautiful works of James Newton Howard. I have certainly admired her chosen works and analysis. Even though I was already familiar with many of Howard's scores, I still learned a lot of new things about him and his music. Win or lose, I have really enjoyed this debate, and it makes me really happy that there are more people on this site who enjoy film music. I think that both I and MissLuLu can agree on the fact that one debate with 4 rounds is nowhere near enough to envelop the musical treasures of our chosen composers. Perhaps this debate will encourage people to do more film composer battles of this kind in the future? I really hope to see that! I'd like to thank the readers as well – I am pretty sure that you have thoroughly enjoyed this debate. Vote for whoever you think is the best composer!