In honor of National Film Score Day on April 3rd, we asked the Caramoor staff a few simple questions: what’s your favorite film score and why?
We think the answers provided will give you a great glimpse into the music lovers that work at Caramoor. But wait! We want to know what your favorite film scores are too! Just leave a comment at the bottom of this blog, and we would love to read what our audiences gravitate toward.
Paris Blues, music by Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn
“Evocative of magical, atmospheric 1960s Paris. How cool I feel!” – Adina Williams, Director, School Programs & Community Engagement
E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial, music by John Williams
“Its lush, big romantic, literally uplifting score encapsulates the magic of the movie and brings out the innocent sweeping imagination of childhood.” – Edward Lewis, President and CEO
The Prince of Egypt, music by Hans Zimmer
“Hands down, an absolute masterpiece! It’s a perfect complement to the gorgeous animation; it’s heart-wrenching and hopeful; and liked the film, the soundtrack is packed with star power (Whitney AND Mariah)! It’s an absolute musical epic. Start with Deliver Us—Ofra Haza is delightfully haunting.” – Brittany Laughlin, Director of Marketing and Communications
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, music by Jon Brion
“There are lots of neat little easter eggs in this score: in the track Phone Call, there’s a repeated passage which skips like a record, and if you know the rest of the movie -it’s kind of a ‘those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it’ thing. My favorite track from this score is actually the Theme, it’s sparse, repetitive, haunting, melancholy, and beautiful- exactly how this film makes me feel. It is my favorite, but I can’t watch it often!” – Valerie Whitney, Director of Production
Soundtracks by Johnny Greenwood: There Will Be Blood, Norwegian Wood, The Master, The Power of the Dog, Phantom Thread, Spencer…
“Beyond the great work Greenwood did with Radiohead, his soundtracks are what continues to amaze me. His work can be abstract, experimental or classically beautiful, haunting, emotional and charged, or sweetly romantic. It’s such an impressive span of work.” – Karla Stewart, HR Coordinator
West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein & Stephen Sondheim
“I know, I know, I know – it’s technically a musical; but they’ve made two movies of it, so I feel like it counts! I think this score ranks as one of the top pieces of music to me, hands down – let alone film-specific. I got the chance to play the “Symphonic Dances” (an orchestrated medley from WSS) in college and it was just a blast!” – Alex Cutrone, Director of Ticketing & Guest Relations
Excalibur, music by Trevor Jones / (particularly of note: O Fortuna from Carmina Burana by Carl Orff)
“I first saw Excalibur as an impressionable middle schooler on the tv back before the internet, cable and streaming made it easy to figure out all the things an easy IMDB or Google search will discover in seconds. This piece in particular from the soundtrack was stuck in my head for years before I was able to do old-school research in college in the card catalog (!), in music scores, and through an extensive vinyl library to figure out what it was and who wrote it (and which symphonic version I liked better.). Excalibur’s film composer, Trevor Jones, should get a) more industry credit over all and b) credit for working in the Orff piece that is indelibly linked to this cult film. Excalibur was one of his first main credits, but he’s also known for The Dark Crystal and the haunting musical moments of The Last of the Mohicans. The score sticks with me because it made me curious and made me go on my own journey of musical discovery. The search was MY quest.” – this staff member has decided to remain anonymous
The Theory of Everything, music by Jóhann Jóhannsson
“I think I remember hearing the music in the trailer first, and immediately started to get emotional. Then once I saw the movie in the theaters, there was something about the music that just came over me. The score is mainly piano, with some orchestral works. I think they all have a theme of “running”, in every sense of the word. Running away from things in life, running toward your goals, physically moving away from situations you don’t want to be in. The score has such a sense of movement that really speaks to me, which in itself is ironic since the movie is about Stephen Hawking. It’s a score I will always go back and listen to. The composer, Jóhann Jóhannsson, recently and tragically died in 2018, and was way too young at the age of 48.” – Roslyn Wertheimer, Marketing Manager
The Hours, music by Michael Riesman and Philip Glass
“This hauntingly beautiful soundtrack pairs well with quiet work or reading.” – Jennifer Pace, Director of Individual Gifts
Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring, music by Howard Shore
“I’m not a hobbit, but hearing the Shire music makes me think I could be one (want to be one?). Like hobbits, I have a passion for things that grow. This score is immense and beautifully crafted. It takes its time weaving through storylines and emotions with wondrous magnificence. The extended edition is a must.” – Tim Coffey, Artistic Planning Manager
Run Lola Run, music by Tom Tykwer
“The 1998 thriller Run Lola Run is not only visually stunning but also sonically hypnotizing. Right from the start, director Tom Tykwer’s score engulfs you with a high-tempo techno beat that returns multiple times, capturing the physical action of Lola’s running, as well as her constant feelings of stress as she tries to help her boyfriend Manni. As you listen to the relentless soundtrack, you feel tired and overwhelmed just like Lola—trapped in a loop with no escape.” – Bennett Tropiano, Guest Relations Staff
Coco, Music by Michael Giacchino
“The score really drives the adventure of the story, it takes you on an emotional journey from Mexico to the Land of the Dead and back! The entire soundtrack and score are beautiful, everything Michael Giacchino does is exquisite!” – Liat Greif, Exec Asst./Board Liaison/ IT Coord.
Donnie Darko, music by Michael Andrews
“Talk about setting the mood for a psychological thriller, it is an amazing blend of beautiful and creepy ethereal music, mixed with 80s pop hits.” – Jessie Jardon, Special Events Assistant
First Man, music by Justin Hurwitz
“There are so many film soundtracks that I absolutely love such as Pump Up the Volume, Pretty in Pink, Crooklyn, Nightmare Before Christmas and Bombay – Bombay a film banned in parts of India because it is about a romance between a Muslim and a Hindu has a soundtrack that fuses tradtitional Bollywood music with modern beats and mixing has been a bonding favorite between my parents and I. When it comes to film scores as film scores proper – I regularly listen to Elizabeth by David Hirschfelder, but I have such a special place in my heart for First Man by Justin Hurwitz. The film itself is an amazing depiction of Neal Armstrong’s journey to becoming the first man on the moon. The CD was gifted to me by a coworker when I made the decision to move on from The Jacob Burns Film Center in order to work at Caramoor, because the score features the theremin. The theremin being fascinating to me, sparked my interest in Caramoor as Lucie Rosen famously played it. The score is not only hauntingly beautiful but the greater meaning to me is that is served as a musical bridge from a place I loved working at to the lovely organization that I adore being a part of now.” – Aarti Gilmore, Event Operations Manager
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