Henry Mancini’s scores have long been staples of classic movies.
His music has captured fun comedies, dramatic movies, and everything in between.
Mancini won four Academy Awards, a Golden Globe, and multiple Grammys for his music.
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What sets Mancini’s movie scores apart is the fact that they capture the stories featured in the movies.
Finally, it ends up at a slow tempo.
One of Mancini’s better-known scores,Days of Wine and Rosesis effective becauseit reinforces the movie’s narrative.
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The gradual progression of alcohol use disorder is underlined by the score, making the message more impactful.
Just like the story, the score is tense, dramatic, and largely undefinable.
Mancini included all kinds of musical styles as well as silence to emphasize the important moments of the story.
What setsThe Night Visitor’s score apart is that it renders the story effectively unnerving.
The use of different styles creates a discombobulating feeling that makes the story that much more riveting.
Further,The Night Visitoris an example of Mancini’s ability to underline the movie’s emotional journey.
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The movie follows the Wallaces as they reflect on their relationship that has lasted just over a decade.
In thisPaul Newmanacted-and-directed movie, a family tries to keep their business alive.
Mancini’s score inSometimes a Great Notionis as accessibleas the story itself.
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What makes this score one ofMancini’s most notable is how versatile it is.
The score ofSunflowerreflects the tragic love story that the movie revolves around while still having a hopeful tone.
Ultimately, the score of this movie also highlights its epic scale since it is such a worldwide project.
This score’s expansiveness keeps the story grounded by being deeply emotional.
The fact that itgoes from grand and dramatic to softer and more intimatealso makes it effective.
It’s a tough trick to pull, but Mancini handles it with unsurprising ease.
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The movie was based on the television series calledPeter Gunn.
Gunn is not available to stream or purchase in the US and Canada.
Its smooth, jazzy feel underlines the movie’s love story in such a sophisticated manner.
It’s another example of Mancini’s abilities withdeeply romantic and sorrowful music.
Whimsy is also part of the score that fits well with the story of the movie.
The score toThe Pink Pantheris highly recognizable, especially its catchy, upbeat opening song.
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