On the occasion of James Horner's birthday we especially wanted to open our columns to our visitors and give them the floor.
What does James Horner's music mean and represent to you?
Aurélien Simon
James Horner is like a spiritual dad to me. He used to tell me musical stories when I was a child (An American Tail, The Land Before Time, Cocoon, Willow…). He was a guide in new feelings and emotions when I was a teenager (Braveheart, Titanic, Deep Impact). He can be a serious dad as well as a dreamer. His feet on the ground and the head in the stars. He's a very special light for us to follow, through a journey inside our hearts.
Ravi Shankar CH
In my opinion, James Horner is one of the greatest composers in the world of film music. The way he narrates the movie with his music is quite beautiful and his music not only fits the movie but also each and every character in it, and one more astounding thing is his music will synchronize with character movements also. The way James will evoke emotion with his music in an audience is quite phenomenal and no one can write solo vocal tracks better than James Horner.Though I love many of his scores, one movie that really made me emotional was A Beautiful Mind. The music in this movie was so heart touching and it really touched the deep corners of my heart. I don't know about film scores and all but now I'm saying something about it and the only reason is James Horner.
Long Dang
No other composers can pull on my heartstrings like Horner. He is no doubt one of the finest film score composers ever, a master of writing for strings.His score to Legends Of The Fall will always be my favorite piece of music, by any composer.
Francesco Carbonaro
James Horner's music was a fellow of my life; I love the emotions and the sensations that his notes spread in my soul. The first James' score I listened to was The Perfect Storm and ever since I bring all his music into my heart, because it accompanies me in every moment. Thanks James for all the great feelings you gave and give us.
Brendon Kelly
James Horner's music is emotional, beautiful, thematic and just great to listen to! I love the hornerisms. I have been listening to this man's music since I bought the Star Trek II lp in 1984 and I haven't stopped listening since then! Legends of the Fall is my favorite Horner score and probably my second favorite score ever!
Jose Ramon Morata
Since I was a child, I fell in love with the symphonic poems aka cinema scores composed by James. I was the age of Willow and that decade ('80s) was the best time for Horner himself. From those golden years to this obscure and darker present; the soundtracks of the son of Harry Horner have travelled with me, in this uncertain path called LIFE. My Joy, my sadness, my moments of sorrow, doubt and even desperation, but also happiness, hope and passion. Jim's Music has accompanied me. With all the recurring leitmotifs, full of 4 note danger themes, but also the most lyrical and deepest cues, scores and ending suites ever composed or imagined. Thanks Jamie for the gift of your music. From "Elora Danan" to "A Kingdom of Oil"
Henning Langen
For me the music of James Horner means emotions. No other composer gets to me, gets to my heart so quickly. When I listen to Brainstorm, Krull, or Star Trek I'm instantly "pacified" and start to listen in awe. Perhaps there is a secret language of the soul, and Mr. Horner speaks it fluently.
Matthew Martin
There is no composer who can do magic like Horner can. Even if he gets criticized for his self-plagiarism, his power to surprise and capture the audience is unrivaled in the current generation of composers.
Richard Ouellette
Horner is the best one out there for capturing the raw feelings of a movie, especially romantic notions.
Byron Brassél
I first discovered James Horner's music when I watched and listened to Titanic and since then, it has been a growing love affair in my life. The notes permeate through my soul every second of the day. Over his long career he has inadvertently written the score to my life as I have lived it. From the grand and bombastic cues heard in Legends Of The Fall, Braveheart and The Missing, to dictate moments of triumph or loss in my life… to those intimate, intimate little cues from scores like To Gillian, where all you hear is a piano and oboe speaking effortlessly to each other, with a harp… dictating the way I think and feel about very personal things. That is where James Horner is magical. His music not only forms a marriage with the films they are written for… but his music forms a marriage with people's lives. To James, I wish you, from South Africa, a happy 60th birthday… my life would be absolutely nowhere without you. You are immortal. Endlessly, truly.
Etienne Walter
To me, James Horner's music means subtlety, finesse and pertinence. In addition to his proficiency in orchestrations, his maestria at conducting, besides his technique and his writing that makes him one of the greatest symphonist, what strikes me the most it's the complexity and intelligence of his narration; because he tells stories with his music. Without ever doing mickey mousing, he describes the scenes in the finest detail and anticipates the situations by musically announcing the following scene at the end of a sequence, which brings much fluidity and coherence to his narration. He always considers the characters' psychology and takes the time to get to the bottom of it, even when the deadlines are short. All these aspects make his music unique. In short, it is the ideal companion of the pictures.
Asier G. Senarriaga
I remember being a little child and discovering at the cinema the greatness of epic symphonic adventure at its highest peak through Willow's gloriously thrilling and magical score,or discovering the place where dreams come true at a Field of dreams,or confronting Khan in a bigger than life space combat,or fighting for the love of Lyssa in the world of Krull,or travelling by boat to a close encounter through Cocoon exhilarating melodies,I remember being a teenager and flying with Rocketeer to the rescue and beyond,saying out loud "Houston, we have a problem" with an unforgettable americana score moving the audience with mastercraft,or defying a king in search for a deserved freedom for my country, discovering a Brave heart inside, to finally find the Legends of the fall, reaching the Valhalla of magnificence and wondrous emotional majesty, taking the word emotionalism to a new and profound level.That's the magic of James Horner, that's the magic of film music, those are the melodies which have created the soundtrack of my life, thank Master for your talent, wizardry, and over all, thanks Mr. Horner for making us believe. We see you indeed!
Brigitte Maroillat
James Horner's music sounds to me like a childhood memory. It led me back to Natty Gann that it was my first vision of his work. Everytime I heard it, it gave me goosebumps. What makes Horner a genius was already in this early score.James Horner is a story teller. He has a great gift to make sense to any events with long and powerful phrases. The best illustration is The Perfect storm. Horner is at the top of his work to describe the calm before the storm, how common events turn into tragedy. Before sailing on stormy streams. And what a beautiful lyrical moment that bring us back to a deeply moving reminiscence of shipweckred sailors.James Horner is a painter of human emotions. No one before him has caught the essence of souls as he has . He speaks to us of all shades of characters' feelings. Listen to The Spitfire Grill. Sadness, desperation, risen hope. His music takes our breath away.For all these reasons, James Horner's music is very special to me. Forever.
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