Best Orchestral Film Scores

Thanks guys. I be on the lookout at my next trip to Tower Records.

Personally I agree with Elgragon's opinion, Ennio Morricone's "Mission".

Main motif performed by recorder and sacred vocal pieces are subtle, lyrical. It is almost like a treatment to purify my earthy thoughts.

Happy Listening.

Ennio Morricone's "Mission" with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons.

Anything by Howard Shore; one of the best IMO

For me Ennio Morricone's "Once Upon A Time In America" tops my list. I also own the cd. Last night I watched "Under The Tuscan Sun",and thought this could have been so much 'more' had he done the score. I also love "Melana". This poor guy probably holds the record for the # "Oscar" nominations;never having one,even once. He has scored near 500 films.

I second Glory. Even better are:
Jaws (forget the shark approaching theme. The rest is stand out arrangement).
And for pop/orchestra:
the Toys soundtrack - a true gem.

Any of Bernard Hermann's film scores, Glory, Patton, Willow , The Right Stuff. Victory At Sea by Richard Rogers for the TV series. I liked Dimitri Tiomkin's westerns. Morriconi ( wrong spelling) for Eastwood's spaghetti westerns. Virgil Thomson's " The River" and "The Plow That Broke The Plains" Some of these are old but still good.

Try Sakamoto for Bertolucci's "The Sheltering Sky".

Good point. So, do you have any more recent favorites?

When in time does "Modern Day" begin? Many of the best film scores are by Korngold, Rosza, Bernstein etc, but they may be out of your time frame.