American composer Philip Glass (31 January 1937-), known for his minimalism and “repetitive structures” in music, is 85 years old today and I am taking this opportunity to share one of his greatest work – a film score to Stephen Daldry’s film The Hours [2002].
Tag: Soundtrack
Remembering 9/11: Terence Blanchard’s Score

Today (11th September 2021) marks 20 years since the 9/11 terrorist attacks which took the lives of 2.977 people (see also this article on people who died from cancer which was directly related to the tragedy). Given this important date, I thought I would pay tribute to all those who suffered and/or died in this tragedy, as well as to all those who fought bravely to save people in the aftermath, by sharing this powerful soundtrack composed by Terence Blanchard for Spike Lee’s film 25th Hour (2002). I consider this film, based on a book by David Benioff, to be the most significant 9/11 feature film. While it does not speak of the tragedy directly, it conveys movingly the 9/11 atmosphere just after the attacks and somehow manages to show collective and individual trauma caused by the tragedy, albeit indirectly and somewhat symbolically. The film contains resonating messages on loss, grief, isolation, confusion, anxiety, missed opportunities and responsibility.
Joe Hisaishi: Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) & Spirited Away (2001)
Joe Hisaishi (6 December 1950) is Japanese composer, probably best known for his music collaborations with director Hayao Miyazaki on various Studio Ghibli films. Yesterday he turned 70 years old and I think it is a perfect time to share a couple of his best-known compositions for animations: Merry-Go-Round of Life from Howl’s Moving Castle (2004) and The Name of Life from Spirited Away (2001).
James Horner: Braveheart
James Horner (1953 – 2015), an American composer, would have been 67 today (he tragically died in a plane crash in 2015), so, as a tribute, I thought I would share this beautiful musical composition of his for the film Braveheart [1995] performed on the piano by Patrik Pietschmann.