For over 30 years, Horner — feared dead in a plane crash on Monday — composed grand, sweeping, Oscar-winning scores for everything from Avatar and Titanic to Field of Dreams and An American Tale.
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
Before Horner became one of the most in-demand film composers working in Hollywood, he wrote the sweeping and romantic score for what is considered to be the best Star Trek movie ever made. Even early on, Horner displayed a piercing ability to craft rich, memorable themes that felt both of a piece with their films and able to stand completely on their own. His love for robust horns and waves of lush orchestral strings is evident here; they would be standbys Horner would return to with frequency.
Cocoon (1985)
Horner cultivated lasting creative partnerships with several directors who would work with him again and again, and one of his richest partnerships started with director Ron Howard's sweet sci-fi adventure about a group of senior citizens who encounter a team of ageless aliens.
Aliens (1986)
Director James Cameron was another of Horner's frequent collaborators, starting with Cameron's classic sci-fi thriller. Horner wrote such a driving, evocative score for the film that one cue in particular — which you can hear above at the 1:00 mark — became an almost ubiquitous presence in movie trailers for years afterwards. Aliens also earned Horner his first Academy Award nomination for Best Original Score.
An American Tale (1986) and "Somewhere Out There"
The same year Horner was nominated for Aliens, he also earned an Oscar nod for his gentle, melancholy music for the signature song from this Steven Spielberg-produced, Don Bluth-directed animated feature about an immigrant mouse separated from his family in New York City. Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram recorded a radio version of the song that became a Top 40 hit, and Horner ultimately won two Grammys for it, including Song of the Year.
No comments:
Post a Comment