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Best "sweeping/epic" score

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Best "sweeping/epic" score

Old 01-26-11, 09:59 PM
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Best "sweeping/epic" score

I am looking for scores that are just a wonder to listen to. I don't know how to describe it other. Maybe someone here will know what I am talking about and be able to help me.
Old 01-26-11, 10:01 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Michael Nyman's score for The Claim and Angelo Badalamenti's score for The Straight Story are epic and sweeping.

Some others that might make for the combination, Atticus Ross - Book of Eli or Nick Cave - The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. As an outlier, Vangelis - Antartica for the film Nankyoku Monogatari.

Trying not to devolve my post into a list my favorite score list, but it's damn hard.

Last edited by gmanca; 01-26-11 at 10:14 PM.
Old 01-26-11, 10:05 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Dragonheart
Randy Edelman

The Island
Steve Jablonsky

Batman Returns
Danny Elfman

The Fountain
Clint Mansell

Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl
Klaus Badelt/Hans Zimmer

The Empire Strikes Back, Superman, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Nixon
John Williams

Once Upon a Time In The West, The Mission, The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Ennio Morricone

Hellbound: Hellraiser II
Christopher Young

Ben-Hur
Miklos Rozsa

Lawrence of Arabia
Maurice Jarre

Blade Runner
Vangelis

Bram Stoker's Dracula
Wojciech Kilar

Last edited by DonnachaOne; 01-26-11 at 10:12 PM.
Old 01-26-11, 10:08 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Once Upon A Time In The West
Ennio Fucking Morricone....
Old 01-26-11, 10:10 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Two of my favorites:

The Last of the Mohicans
Randy Edelman

The Social Network
Trent Reznor
Old 01-26-11, 10:15 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

The Godfather
Nino Rota
Old 01-26-11, 10:51 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

E.t.
Old 01-26-11, 11:16 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Pearl Harbor
Hans Zimmer

Hate the movie but the score is great.
Old 01-26-11, 11:24 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

The main theme to Star Trek First Contact seemed awesome to me.
Old 01-26-11, 11:41 PM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

The English Patient, Gabriel Yared. It's simply wonderful. Here is a taste:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/v0U9h1TqdOk" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

Warning, the video does contain some spoilers.
Old 01-27-11, 01:57 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

"The Big Country" by Jerome Moross.
Old 01-27-11, 03:28 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

This thread isn't about favorite scores, it's about scores with a sweeping, epic sound to them or at least in part.

Krull, Willow, Glory, Legends Of The Fall, Braveheart, Apollo 13, The Missing, The Mask of Zorro / The Legend of Zorro
-James Horner (my favorite composer)

Stargate, Independence Day (my favorite score)
-David Arnold
Old 01-27-11, 03:40 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Originally Posted by Nick Martin
This thread isn't about favorite scores, it's about scores with a sweeping, epic sound to them or at least in part.
Unfortunately, our esteemed original poster was rather vague. What is "epic" to you may be different to others. The English Patient is an epic romance, and a wonder to listen to.

Nevertheless, I believe your assumption is what godzilla rules implied, which is why I listed the scores I did. Every one of them has punch, power and panache. Give a listen to John William's Nixon score, especially the cue "The 1960's - the Turbulent Years".
Old 01-27-11, 03:41 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/i3e461ZMWlI" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

Sweeps me everytime!
Old 01-27-11, 03:47 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Originally Posted by DonnachaOne
Unfortunately, our esteemed original poster was rather vague. What is "epic" to you may be different to others. The English Patient is an epic romance, and a wonder to listen to.

Nevertheless, I believe your assumption is what godzilla rules implied, which is why I listed the scores I did. Every one of them has punch, power and panache. Give a listen to John William's Nixon score, especially the cue "The 1960's - the Turbulent Years".
I was thinking more of "The Social Network" being in this thread. It's not orchestral, therefore 'sweeping' doesn't exactly apply to it. Epic? Not sure, since all I know of it is who came up with it but given the film it's for, epic probably wouldn't work for that kind of story. So while it may be a favorite score for some, it's not really the kind of music (we must assume) the OP is asking for.

All of the scores you listed are pretty much perfect for this thread in terms of their overall sound.
Old 01-27-11, 04:00 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

A Very Long Engagement



Out of Africa




.

Last edited by Perkinsun Dzees; 02-29-16 at 05:22 AM.
Old 01-27-11, 04:05 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

I don't believe that "sweeping" is defined by whether it's orchestral or not; an electronic score can sweep and swell just as much. As to whether The Social Network is classified as much, I can't say, haven't seen it.

In my particular post, I only mentioned "favorite" in that I tend to like scores that aren't too pop or percussive.
Old 01-27-11, 07:15 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Though a bad movie, City Of Angels had a great score.

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZIR8QGMZBx0?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZIR8QGMZBx0?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>


Another film I dislike that is blessed with a fantastic score:

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ypWmjiBJ4fo?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ypWmjiBJ4fo?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>

Last edited by RocShemp; 01-27-11 at 07:37 AM.
Old 01-27-11, 07:37 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Ditto on BEN-HUR by Miklos Rozsa. By the same composer: EL CID, KING OF KINGS, among many others.

Give Hugo Friedhofer's score for THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES (1946) a try. One of the most beautiful scores I've ever heard. And it won the Oscar for Best Score that year. (BEST YEARS, of course, won Best Picture.)
Old 01-27-11, 08:28 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Although the worst film in the series (assuming the fourth film doesn't royally suck), Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End had the best music in the series, by far:

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dMsdON76Z_Y?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Y0RB_AEHHso?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UzpCQhSvt44?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CzCxOAtiAtg?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>
A nice homage to Ennio Morricone.

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/w2nMwMOUIos?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/8hacwSGOPcQ?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

<object style="height: 390px; width: 640px"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cScVoZWVDLQ?version=3"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cScVoZWVDLQ?version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></object>

Last edited by RocShemp; 01-27-11 at 08:34 AM.
Old 01-27-11, 08:39 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Most epic music EVER!

<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vPmn7ZhuLrU?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>
Old 01-27-11, 08:41 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

I'm very surprised that Return of the King wasn't the first one listed.
Old 01-27-11, 08:44 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Originally Posted by dugan
I'm very surprised that Return of the King wasn't the first one listed.
Other than the Annie Lennox song (which is sampled towards the tail end of the movie), there isn't much to distinguish it from the scores of FOTR or TTT.
Old 01-27-11, 08:48 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Dances With Wolves - John Barry

The Right Stuff - Bill Conti
Old 01-27-11, 08:50 AM
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Re: Best "sweeping/epic" score

Originally Posted by DonnachaOne
Lawrence of Arabia
Maurice Jarre
<iframe title="YouTube video player" class="youtube-player" type="text/html" width="425" height="349" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/irPSvEkQl8Q?hd=1" frameborder="0" allowFullScreen></iframe>

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