So glad Paul Hickling and Dan the Man gave James Bernard a shout-out. Why Bernard's music isn't better-known puzzles me. Some of his melodies (IMO) are as ravishing as I've ever heard in cinema. The selections already listed are awesome, and I must add the hauntingly beautiful main theme for the 60's Hammer remake of "She" - so otherworldly, seductive and melancholy. Masterpiece stuff. Unless someone's citing it while I type this, I'd also include John William's masterful and intoxicating scores for Dracula and The Fury. Crammed with beautiful music, much of it reminds me of the same haunting lush sound, combining spooky and beauty, of Mr. Bernard. Then of course that makes me think of Bernard Herrmann, and his "The Road/Finale" from Fahrenheit 451 can push my tear button faster than Barber's Adagio. So beautiful it hurts.
Thanks folks. The ones Dan the Man mentions were also on my list.
Surely this ranks as sweet too from the Maestro Morricone:
Very surpirised his staunchest supporters on here haven't jumped in with this one from Excorcist II the Heretic!
And if it's not stretching the subject too far, please anyone so far unaware of Murray Gold's Doctor Who scores please take time to listen to this extremely sweet theme from the current version of the series (plenty of horror scenarios in Doctor Who):
Amy's Theme. Sweet, and quite beautifullI think you'll agree. And while on the subject of sweet Hammer themes this too has echoes of Hammer to me from the same series:
A couple of Morricone's already mentioned, but not The Humanoid, which both manages to be sci-fi (the intention) and horror (the quality of the production, acting, writing - everything but the music, in fact).
Although much of the music is electronically baroque or seemingly aleatoric dissonance, the track entitled Estasi Stellare is as beautiful and heart-rending a piece of music as you could wish to hear.
Tall Guy wrote: Although much of the music is electronically baroque or seemingly aleatoric dissonance, the track entitled Estasi Stellare is as beautiful and heart-rending a piece of music as you could wish to hear.
Wow!! A really gorgeous piece of music. Thanks for recommending, Chris.
Can I be the first to mention Christopher Young? Very few soundtracks on my shelf are as beautiful as what he composed for FLOWERS IN THE ATTIC. Then there is a large part of JENNIFER 8 with it's gorgeous love theme. A few others may come to others. Of course Young also wrote his share of odd tones and orchestrations as well.
People visiting me have always liked Claudio Gizzi's FLESH FOR FRANKENSTEIN and BLOOD FOR DRACULA and have asked what I'm playing. When I tell them, you can see thier faces drop and their tone changes as they struggle to comprehend and reconcile what they are hearing with what the title is. Several have concluded that I must be playing another disc. Surely a mistake has been made somewhere.
Hey Dan, I was just catching up on the latest posts to this topic and ended up re-reading your post, the one where you brought up James Bernard. And I realized you DID mention "She".
When I first read it, I think I'd skipped over that item due to a weird line break. So then, a few posts after yours, I come along and say something to the effect of "Yeah I agree, James Bernard is great but I want to add 'She' to the list!" Ha ha. You definitely called it first: all credit where it's due. In any case, the main theme and its development and variations remain one of my all time favorite film melodies.
Nathan Barr's "Suite (Amid a Crowd of Stars)" from HOSTEL PART II is absolutely gorgeous. Others in this vein that spring to mind:
- Christopher Young's "Come Fly With Me" from THE FLY PART II - Georges Auric's title music from THE INNOCENTS - Trevor Jones' "Portrait of a Prince" from FROM HELL - Jeff Beal's "Black Blizzard" from CARNIVALE - Ennio Morricone's "The Dream and the Deer" from WOLF
This is just the stuff that's been playing on my stereo of late...
Nathan Barr's "Suite (Amid a Crowd of Stars)" from HOSTEL PART II is absolutely gorgeous. Others in this vein that spring to mind:
- Christopher Young's "Come Fly With Me" from THE FLY PART II - Trevor Jones' "Portrait of a Prince" from FROM HELL - Jeff Beal's "Black Blizzard" from CARNIVALE - Ennio Morricone's "The Dream and the Deer" from WOLF
Jason, these are all inspired picks! I agree with these in particular. Every one of them is sublime.
I can't quite get over the IMAGO MORTIS score by Zacarias M. De La Riva. It's just sooooooo great and the opening track 'Following instructions' and the track ' The Library' contain some aching beautiful stuff. This might be the best horror score I've heard in years ( although Marco's DON'T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK would be a very close contender) Love your threads Dan!
I am glad i started this thread it is very imformative, it gives us a chance to check out other pieces of nice music we have not heard, i got 6 pieces so far from post messages on this thread i want now to check out- Ok other Morricone pieces of genre beauty not mention yet are Nightmare castle- 65-The witches- co composer with Pierro Piccioni,The bird with the crystal plummage[love that main la la la theme.]Bluebeard-72-Sensuous and lovely-Orca-77- Lovely with a capital L-the island-80- one of my favorites, pretty and tranquil., among others etc etc.
In any case, the main theme and its development and variations remain one of my all time favorite film melodies. 
