# Talkclassical best film score award - 1991



## HansZimmer

For the first part of the Talkclassical best film score award, today I'll launch this little competition (poll) between the film scores which were nominated at the Academy Awards (Oscars) in 1991 for the award "best original score".

The poll will close on June 15.

For the 1991 best original score award, five films were nominated:

Dances with Wolves: score composed by John Barry. This is the final winner.
Home Alone: score composed by John Williams.
Havana: score composed by Dave Grusin
Avalon: score composed by Randy Newman
Ghost: score composed by Maurice Jarre 
In the poll you only have to vote your favourite one between the five. 

You only have to take in consideration the material you find here below. In some of the films you can find music that HAS NOTHING TO DO with this competition, because not all the music you hear in the film is original and because not all the music is a part of the score.
With the videos I post here below, I make sure to give you only the music of the ORIGINAL SCORE. 

A further clarification must be done for Home Alone.
You will find that the video for Home Alone is the only one which contains music with lyrics.
Technically, music with lyrics belongs to an other award called "Best original song", but in this case songs and instrumental score are not separate works.
Indeed, thanks to the "Kevin's theme" composed by John Williams the film was nominated not only for the score, but also for the best original song: "Somehwere in My Memory".
So, I put the song in the video because I think that contains the best orchestration of the "Kevin's theme".
However, you have to remember that what you should evaluate here is just the tune and the orchestration, and not the "song part" (the lyrics). The lyrics were not written by John Williams, so they have nothing to do with the work of the composer.

The same can be said about the song "Star of Bethlehem". You will find it in the video because I think it's the best version of a tune used in the score too. Indeed, you can hear the tune of the song in "Setting the trap" and there is also unused material in the soundtrack album (an instrumental version of the song that was not apparently used in the score... or was it used?).
You can find the instrumental version in the discussion about the score of Home Alone, linked here below.


*Dances with Wolves*

Go here for more details: Dances with Wolves - Score (Oscars 1991)

In the video below you can listen to the best parts of the suite.







*Home Alone*

Go here for more details: Home Alone - Score (Oscars 1991)

In the video below you can listen to the best parts of the suite.







*Havana*

Go here for more details: Havana - Score (Oscars 1991)

In the video below you can listen to the best parts of the suite.







*Avalon*

Go here for more details: Avalon - Score (Oscars 1991)

In the video below you can listen to the best parts of the suite.







*Ghost*

Go here for more details: Ghost - Score (Oscars 1991)

The end credits of Ghost are the best part of the score.


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## Subutai

Can't speak for any of the above. All I remember from my childhood is that Basil Poledouris should have been nominated for Conan the Barbarian in 1982. Tom Conti won for The Right Stuff which in parts was plagiarised from Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.
Ennio Morricone should have won in 1984 for The Mission. He was robbed by Herbie Hancock for Around Midnight. Not exactly an original composition. 
Elmer Bernstein didn't win for The Magnificent Seven in 1960!!!
Academy Awards, who needs them?


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## Dimace

Awesome selection! I love ALL the movies and their music scores. I have voted for John and his Dances because I consider him the Beethoven of the 7th Art.


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## HansZimmer

Dimace said:


> Awesome selection! I love ALL the movies and their music scores. I have voted for John and his Dances because I consider him the Beethoven of the 7th Art.


Thanks.

Do you consider John Barry a Beethoven for this score or for others?


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## HansZimmer

Subutai said:


> Can't speak for any of the above. All I remember from my childhood is that Basil Poledouris should have been nominated for Conan the Barbarian in 1982. Tom Conti won for The Right Stuff which in parts was plagiarised from Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto.
> Ennio Morricone should have won in 1984 for The Mission. He was robbed by Herbie Hancock for Around Midnight. Not exactly an original composition.
> Elmer Bernstein didn't win for The Magnificent Seven in 1960!!!
> Academy Awards, who needs them?


Your opinion about what are the best filme scores is not necessarily the same of all people.

I already wrote that the Academy Awards can not make everyone happy. There will be always someone who says that they haven't done the right selection.


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## Dimace

HansZimmer said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Do you consider John Barry a Beethoven for this score or for others?


For EVERYTHING he has composed! I love him!


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## HansZimmer

Closed. 

Dances with Wolves is the winner.


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