Rediscovering the Music of James Horner

James Horner was one of the first film composers I started listening to when I began listening to film scores way back in 1990 (the others being John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith), but despite that early interest somewhere along the line his music gradually sounded less and less from my earphones and speakers. I would often return to favorite pieces, but newer scores and less-known older scores all but disappeared from my listening radar.

That changed with the recent release of Horner’s score to James Cameron’s very blue Avatar (2009). It had been a while since I had been excited by a new James Horner score and Avatar rekindled my interest in his music that had for too long been absent from my ears.

Instead of listening to my favorite pieces, I decided to explore all those James Horner scores I had been neglecting. And I’m glad I did as that exploration has led to finding and rediscovering some beautiful music that had essentially been sitting in my pocket unnoticed and ignored since I bought my first iPod.

Among the scores I’ve been rediscovering and exploring for the first time are The Man Without a Face (1993), Dad (1989), Sneakers (1992), The Land Before Time (1998), A Far Off Place, Radio (2003), Iris, Swing Kids (1993), The New World (2005), Enemy at the Gates (2001), Windtalkers (2002), Cocoon, and Apocalypto (2006). And there’s still a lot more music left to explore…