[GerateWohl]

Maybe some explanation might help. What I am absolutely NOT interested in are atmospheric synth scores with meandering or droning low string imitation sounds like Zimmer’s Black Rain, the first time where I recognized his name. The only composer where I am really buying that is John Carpenter. And that not for musical reasons but because that’s an immanent part of his art and style of filmmaking.
I am also not a fan of the scores of Harold Faltermayer or Giorgio Moroder or David Foster.

And I might have to differentiate. There is a difference for me between a score, that I find ok in context or what I like musically enough to want to listen to it out of context.

First album of Zimmer, that I heard was Hannibal and I didn’t like it at all. And I really liked Silence of the Lambs.

Often Zimmer creates score that I find ok in context but create zero aim to listen to this elsewhere.

And he like, like Göransson, a composer, where I sometimes even in context think, what crap is that.

I have no doubt, that Zimmer has some scores on a level of scores of other composers that I like good enough on album. Recently I listened to Revell’s The Crow and thought, this could also be by Zimmer. But it is also a score I rather.connect to not because it matches.my musical taste, but because I have a nostalgic connection to it.

Often, what really hurts my ear how he treats the orchestra.

Basically I could bring it to the formula:

I am interested in

melodies
textures
polyphony
variation and modulation
and originality and memorability in these areas

What I recognized what I mainly get from Zimmer is

repeating chord sequences
original sound design
ethnic coloring
souvereign electronic sequencing
pop and rock sprinkles

And surely some more.

All that is for sure objectivity not bad. But in its scope and limitation not my cup of tea.

Sometimes a piece of his starts of with the chords like a song and then you wait for either the song lyrics and.melody to start or a solo instrument starting the theme. But nothing else happens. It’s just that sequence. Time from Inception is such an example.

I am afraid, all that mumbling might not help you to chose any recommendations?

One more thing: A score that I found somewhat ok for listening was The Dark Knight. But I am not sure, if that rather goes to the account of James Newton Howard.