[Thor Joachim Haga]

I still have my battered copy of Gramophone’s Film Music Good CD Guide; it came out in 1997, with an “Editor’s Top 40” list. That list nudged me toward composers I had ignored seek out film scores I otherwise might not have.

Yeah, I have the second edition of that, which is maybe the same you have. Was very useful for me at the time, when I was still in that exploration phase.

I’m very glad I sought out most, if not all of the ‘classics’ out there. Even owned many of them. Knowledge and experience are always a good thing. But whereas I was a little stressed out in those early days that I didn’t like a classic as much as I “should have”, I have a far more easygoing relationship to it these days. I’m not embarassed to say I don’t like this or that classic score, even if I can respect them and what they add to a film, and why they’ve attained the status they have.