There is already a film (movie) thread (started by me) however, I thought that it was now time for a 'greatest' movie score thread. So, what are your six greatest/most memorable scores?
Here are mine, not in any order:
Prokofiev: 'Ivan the Terrible', his score for Eisenstein's famous film. I prefer Prokofiev's score for 'Ivan the Terrible' to the more famous one for 'Alexander Nevsky'
Bernard Herrmann: 'North by Northwest' ('The Ghost and Mrs Muir' was Herrmann's own favourite and a wonderful score too).
Miklos Rozsa: 'Ben Hur' (ok, mawkish in places but containing some terrific episodes, including 'The Burning Desert' and the famous galley slave sequence).
Franz Waxman: 'Rebecca' (conveys romance and looming threat at the same time)
Jerry Goldsmith 'Alien' (chilling)
Alan Rawsthorne: 'The Cruel Sea' (terrific representation of the sea and the hopes and fears of the wartime crew)
Just realised that I couldn't possibly leave out Walton's 'Henry V' so you are allowed one extra choice too 8)
You may prefer much more modern scores!
Herrmann: Psycho, Vertigo
Takemitsu: Ran
Masaru Satô: Yojinbo
a Finnish classic: Osmo Lindeman: Inspector Palmu's Error (1960)
Herrmann: Vertigo
Rota: Il Gattopardo
Rota: Rocco e i suoi fratelli
Goldsmith: Chinatown
Bernstein: On the Waterfront
Williams: Minority Report
--Bruce
Rota : The Godfather
Williams : Schindlers List
Horner : Braveheart
Steiner : King Kong
Morricone : The Mission. For a Few...., TG, TB & TU
Nyman : The Piano (Really didn't like the movie, but the score was a gem of a listen)
Thank you for responses ( this is already 300% more successful than my Ernest Pingoud thread :))
'On the Waterfront' is a terrific score and I nearly selected it myself (Bernstein's only movie score I think). Takemitsu is also a very interesting choice and I need to be more familiar with his music. I probably should also have selected 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Elmer Bernstein.
Quote from: AnthonyAthletic on April 16, 2014, 07:47:22 AM
Rota : The Godfather
Williams : Schindlers List
Horner : Braveheart
Steiner : King Kong
Morricone : The Mission. For a Few...., TG, TB & TU
Nyman : The Piano (Really didn't like the movie, but the score was a gem of a listen)
'Braveheart' is a favourite of mine too.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 16, 2014, 07:52:37 AM
'Braveheart' is a favourite of mine too.
Yep, its a really perfect score for a Scottish/Highland/Kill the English movie...great lyrical lush, full of marvellous themes. Williams' Schindler is really a heartbreaking sorrowful score, nobody can match the sheer emotion raised by Perlman in the famous theme with orchestra.
Some great music out there on the big screen. I also like the scores to Enemy at the Gates (very Shostakovich in parts), Independence Day is pretty powerful stuff and mentioned before Alien is awesome, the quietness and the alone without escape is captured marvellously.
I only saw Ran once - loved it - and recall liking the score, but would have to revisit. Almost chose Alien, too.
And Osmo Lindeman is an off-the-radar choice - don't know him or the film at all!
--Bruce
Howard Shore's compositions for the Lord of the Rings trilogy (Fellowship, Towers and Return). The complete recordings.
Very, eh, Wagneresque in its approach...
[asin] B000BNI90O[/asin]
Quote from: Brewski on April 16, 2014, 08:06:06 AM
I only saw Ran once - loved it - and recall liking the score, but would have to revisit. Almost chose Alien, too.
And Osmo Lindeman is an off-the-radar choice - don't know him or the film at all!
--Bruce
I've seen
Ran just once too, so far (last fall or summer)
I don't know
Lindeman outside the Palmu either, but the movie is widely considered to be the best Finnish movie ever made, despite of it's oblivion elsewhere in the world - Criterion should release it..
I can't say the these are the greatest movie scores, but the scores fit well with the movies, and in some cases are better than the movies.
Rota: The Godfather
Poledouris: Conan the Barbarian
Carpenter: Halloween
Morricone: The Thing
Arnold: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Hermann: North by Northwest
I was also awed by Philip Glass' soundtrack to Koyaanisqatsi . It is possible that the music needs the accompanying images to be effective...
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Quote
Quote from: Todd on April 16, 2014, 08:17:13 AM
I can't say the these are the greatest movie scores, but the scores fit well with the movies, and in some cases are better than the movies.
Rota: The Godfather
Poledouris: Conan the Barbarian
Carpenter: Halloween
Morricone: The Thing
Arnold: The Bridge on the River Kwai
Hermann: North by Northwest
Actually I think that the Conan score is a great one and I have seen it compared ( in the sadly long defunct Gramophone Film Music Guide), appropriately I think with Prokofiev's and Einstein's collaboration on Alexander Nevsky. A rather expensive but excellent two CD complete edition came out a while back.
Also rating very high in my estimation is Philip Glass's score 'Kundun', one of my favourite works by that composer:
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Sergei Prokofieff: Alexander Nevsky
Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The Adventures of Robin Hood
Alfred Newman: The Robe
Jerry Goldsmith: Logan's Run
Philip Glass: Koyaanisqatsi, Powaqqatsi
Peter Best: Crocodile Dundee (surprisingly effective and hypnotic)
James Horner: Willow
Angelo Badalamenti: Mulholland Dr.
John Williams: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
And I'm surprised I'm the first to mention the Star Wars series! The 1977 original in particular is a masterful score, still effective even after being overplayed and overplayed again.
Special mention for a "musical" score: Leonard Bernstein's West Side Story.
And I deliberately did not include any Kubrick films, since Stanley mostly used previously written and recorded material--although I really should at least mention A Clockwork Orange for Walter/Wendy Carlos' work. 8)
Williams: Schindler's List and Star Wars
Menken/Ashman: Beauty and the Beast (though everything they did together was pretty brilliant)
Korngold: Robin Hood
Goldsmith: the Omen (not that I would want to listen to it separately, but it makes the movie tick)
Barry: Dances with Wolves (perhaps this is more than you want to know! :))
Corigliano: Red Violin (what a good movie - love the idea)
I'm sure there are more, if I could just remember them.
Many of the best have already been mentioned! If I limit myself to scores which have not been mentioned, three still spring to mind immediately:
Michael Giacchino, Up - the music is essential to the emotional weight of the film
John Morris, Young Frankenstein - likewise but even more so; it's no exaggeration to say that with a different soundtrack, Young Frankenstein simply would not have been the memorable classic that it is.
Charlie Chaplin, the entire Charlie Chaplin oeuvre - I remember watching my first Chaplin and thinking, "Wow, which brilliant composer did he hire to write this extraordinary, sophisticated music?" and then being shocked to discover the music was his own. More than anything, that tipped my view of Chaplin from pleasure to sheer awe.
Quote from: mc ukrneal on April 16, 2014, 07:14:53 PM
Williams: Schindler's List and Star Wars
Menken/Ashman: Beauty and the Beast (though everything they did together was pretty brilliant)
Korngold: Robin Hood
Goldsmith: the Omen (not that I would want to listen to it separately, but it makes the movie tick)
Barry: Dances with Wolves (perhaps this is more than you want to know! :))
Corigliano: Red Violin (what a good movie - love the idea)
I'm sure there are more, if I could just remember them.
Very much agree about the Menken/Ashman score, especially the music accompanying the Beast's transformation back into the Prince at the end. Also Goldsmith's 'The Omen' score. The 'Black Mass' for the sequel is also very good.
I'm not a movie person, but I love Hitchcock. Almost any scores from his films are outstanding. My favorites are
-Hermann's "North by Northwest", "Psycho", and "Vertigo"
-Tiomkin's "Dial 'M' for Murder"
I'm not much of a movie perosn either, but there are some soundtracks I quite admire:
- Georges Auric's score for Cocteau's La Belle et la bête...
- Thomas Newman's Angels in America (OK, it's TV, but it's a masterpiece)
- Ennio Morriccone's Once upon a time in America and The Mission
- Nino Rota's Amarcord
Quote from: ritter on April 17, 2014, 06:44:05 AM
I'm not much of a movie perosn either, but there are some soundtracks I quite admire:
- Georges Auric's score for Cocteau's La Belle et la bête...
- Thomas Newman's Angels in America (OK, it's TV, but it's a masterpiece)
- Ennio Morriccone's Once upon a time in America and The Mission
- Nino Rota's Amarcord
The Auric is a wonderful score and thank you for mentioning it. My own favourites are for mostly 'classic' old films, but I certainly appreciate John Williams's 'Star Wars', 'Schindler's List' and indeed 'Saving Private Ryan'. I loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy but I do have my doubts about Howard Shore's score. There are great moments such as 'The Mines of Moria and 'The White Tree' (if they are the right names) but I once read a critic who described the score as 'barely adequate' and I do not totally disagree. Having said that my wife loves the music and we have the three CD set.
My personal favorite is Hans Zimmer's score for The Thin Red Line
Quote from: Philo on April 17, 2014, 01:33:08 PM
My personal favorite is Hans Zimmer's score for The Thin Red Line
Don't know that one. Must look out for it.
Many great ones mentioned already: King Kong, Citizen Kane, Braveheart, .
Some not mentioned so far (I think):
Miklos Rosza: El Cid
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Jerome Moross: The Big Country
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Franz Waxman: Taras Bulba (In the movie, Yul Brynner sings!)
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Jerry Goldsmith: Planet of the Apes (The original movie, not the dreadful remake.)
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Dmitri Tiomkin: Red River (Russian composer and a Russian orchestra slam dunk music for a John Wayne Western!
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(Amazon images not available, but the CD's and DVD's are.)
Bernard Herrmann (again!): On Dangerous Ground (Original soundtrack, which has some damage (static, scratchiness, here and there))
Jerry Goldsmith (again!): Hoosiers
And not mentioned yet for sure:
Carl Stalling: Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies Cartoons!
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Quote from: North Star on April 16, 2014, 07:26:39 AM
Herrmann: Psycho
Quote from: EigenUser on April 17, 2014, 06:06:56 AM
My favorites are..."Psycho"
Next week the Cleveland Orchestra will be performing the score live while the film is projected above the stage.
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/nov2013/Cleveland%20and%20Psycho.jpg)
Sarge
My favorites:
Erich Wolfgang Korngold The Sea Hawk
Hans Zimmer Crimson Tide
John Williams Superman
Jerry Goldsmith Star Trek: The Motion Picture
Max Steiner They Died with Their Boots On
Bill Conti The Right Stuff
Philip Glass The Hours
Sarge
Speaking of Mr. P. Glass:
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Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 18, 2014, 08:01:50 AM
Next week the Cleveland Orchestra will be performing the score live while the film is projected above the stage.
(http://photos.imageevent.com/sgtrock/nov2013/Cleveland%20and%20Psycho.jpg)
Sarge
Cool 8) ! Why is a full orchestra on stage though? It's scored for strings alone...
Quote from: Sergeant Rock on April 18, 2014, 08:01:50 AM
Next week the Cleveland Orchestra will be performing the score live while the film is projected above the stage.
Sarge
They've (Oulu SO) done that in Oulu too, a month ago - didn't go see it, alas.
Agree with Leo about the original 'Planet of the Apes' score, which is as good as 'Alien' and just as disturbing. Also agree with Sarge about Korngold's 'The Sea Hawk'. Also Glass's 'The Hours' has some fine moments too. Waxman's 'Bride of Frankenstein' is a great one too.
Quote from: EigenUser on April 18, 2014, 02:44:09 PM
Cool 8) ! Why is a full orchestra on stage though? It's scored for strings alone...
I wondered the same thing. I assume this is a Photoshopped image for advertising puposes (it was posted on the Cleveland's FB page), pasting the Psycho scene onto a previous photo of the orchestra playing the soundtrack to some other film.
Sarge
Some not mentioned yet as well as a few rarely mentioned, that I enjoy:
Ten Commandments-Bernstein
Ben Hur-Rozsa
The Ghost and Mr. Muir-Herrmann
Batman-Elfman
King Kong-Steiner
Patton-Goldsmith
The Alamo-Tiomkin
The Adventures of Robinhood-Korngold
Conan-Poledouris
Time Machine-Garcia
From Russia With Love-Barry
Cider House Rules-Portman
Apollo 13-Horner
Sunset Blvd.-Waxman
Minority Report-Williams (Oy! Bruce!)
Rocky-Conti
Blade Runner-VanGelis
Oh, and this one might fit the bill as it got many folks actually discovering how good soundtracks could be, including me as a kid:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/31ewskYE3uL._SY300_.jpg)
Quote from: Cato on April 18, 2014, 01:47:00 PM
Speaking of Mr. P. Glass:
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Hmm, I never watched that film. I think I will now since the soundtrack came up in this thread. Thanks Cato!
Quote from: Moonfish on April 20, 2014, 11:19:32 AM
Hmm, I never watched that film. I think I will now since the soundtrack came up in this thread. Thanks Cato!
Quite welcome! I thought the soundtrack added just the right touches to the movie.
Edward Norton and
Paul Giamatti are excellent.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 17, 2014, 11:46:19 AM
...I loved The Lord of the Rings trilogy but I do have my doubts about Howard Shore's score...
Me too. I've played a suite from The Two Towers in orchestra; there really wasn't much to it, at least to the oboe part. Very different from John Williams' scores, which I actually have to practice! :o
Quote from: Bogey on April 20, 2014, 07:17:13 AM
Some not mentioned yet as well as a few rarely mentioned, that I enjoy:
Ten Commandments-Bernstein
Ben Hur-Rozsa
The Ghost and Mr. Muir-Herrmann
Batman-Elfman
King Kong-Steiner
Patton-Goldsmith
The Alamo-Tiomkin
The Adventures of Robinhood-Korngold
Conan-Poledouris
Time Machine-Garcia
From Russia With Love-Barry
Cider House Rules-Portman
Apollo 13-Horner
Sunset Blvd.-Waxman
Minority Report-Williams (Oy! Bruce!)
Rocky-Conti
Blade Runner-VanGelis
Agree with all the ones I know here, especially the Herrmann, Waxman, Poledouris and Rozsa works mentioned.
Quote from: jochanaan on April 21, 2014, 07:33:10 AM
Me too. I've played a suite from The Two Towers in orchestra; there really wasn't much to it, at least to the oboe part. Very different from John Williams' scores, which I actually have to practice! :o
The motto theme is good and I like some of the other sequences but find the score generally rather empty and much of a muchness. Many others, including my wife, disagree of course. I think that Conan, for example, is a much finer and more varied work.
Quote from: vandermolen on April 21, 2014, 09:57:29 AM
. . . but find the score generally rather empty and much of a muchness.
+ 1
I saw bits of Ben Hur today, it is one of my favourite scores, but I can't drag myself through the whole nine yards of treacle any more, a few highlights were just fine.
I am surprised that Maurice Jarre's two good 'uns have not turned up, Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago.
John Barry: The Lion in Winter is superb.
Morricone: Once Upon a Time in America. That one works on me to make me feel nostalgia, even though I was never there to be nostalgic about that time and place.
A lot of the greats have been listed out.
I have spent about 10 days wandering round Petra in Jordan. One of the days when I was on my own and stuck my iPod on, Mahler did not do it, Wagner did not do it.....strangely, Lord of the Rings did heighten the experience in a rather eerie way.
Mike
Quote from: vandermolen on April 16, 2014, 07:50:44 AM
'On the Waterfront' is a terrific score and I nearly selected it myself (Bernstein's only movie score I think). Takemitsu is also a very interesting choice and I need to be more familiar with his music. I probably should also have selected 'To Kill a Mockingbird' by Elmer Bernstein.
Concerning Lennie's film scores, other that
On the Waterfront, two others came to mind -
West Side Story &
On the Town (partly w/ Roger Edens; all lyrics by Aldoph Green & Betty Comden) - Dave :)
(http://www.di-arezzo.co.uk/multimedia/images/boosey/couv/bhl24620.jpg) (http://images.moviepostershop.com/on-the-town-movie-poster-1949-1020143800.jpg)
A dark horse, very dark horse, but this score I recall being wonderful, despite the dreadful reception given to the movie:
(http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/510x0RcFSeL._SL500_SY300_.jpg)
David Shire's score for Return to Oz, which depicted Dorothy being readied for electro-shock therapy, thereby losing most of the audience!
Quote from: knight66 on April 21, 2014, 12:16:12 PM
I saw bits of Ben Hur today, it is one of my favourite scores, but I can't drag myself through the whole nine yards of treacle any more, a few highlights were just fine.
I am surprised that Maurice Jarre's two good 'uns have not turned up, Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago.
John Barry: The Lion in Winter is superb.
Morricone: Once Upon a Time in America. That one works on me to make me feel nostalgia, even though I was never there to be nostalgic about that time and place.
A lot of the greats have been listed out.
I have spent about 10 days wandering round Petra in Jordan. One of the days when I was on my own and stuck my iPod on, Mahler did not do it, Wagner did not do it.....strangely, Lord of the Rings did heighten the experience in a rather eerie way.
Mike
I will throw out a Morricone score: Untouchables. As for another Barry, The Black Hole.
Quote from: Bogey on April 21, 2014, 07:00:09 PM
I will throw out a Morricone score: Untouchables.
Great score. I would say Morricone and Goldsmith are my favorite film music composers.
I forgot about one I haven't seen in ages, but that I recall as being quite effective:
Max Steiner's score for William Wyler's The Letter (1940). All those wagnerian quotes! :)
(http://www.filmsite.org/posters/lett2.gif)
Quite a few mentioned here that I'll want to give a try.
I like Morricone's Untouchables very much too (I think his La Scorta soundtrack is similar in some places). Perhaps my favorite Morricone soundtrack is for Una pura formalita - not sure if it's ever been released on CD (I'm sure it must have been), but in the film I found the sort of "violin concerto" opening (reminds me a bit of Krzysztof Meyer's VC) very moving/exciting and thus effective.
Anyway, here's what I've come up with. This is perhaps more a list of "current favorites" than "greatest", hmm... Anyway, first the list alone, then some commentary.
Brion - Punch drunk love
Price - Gravity
Kilar - Zanussi films
Burwell - Adaptation
Nyman - Come unto these yellow sands
Zimmer - Dark Knight rises
+
soundtrack to Weir's Fearless
I was greatly impressed by Jon Brion's music for Punch drunk love. Some of the scenes in the film couldn't possibly work the way they do without the music being what it is. Perfect fusion. Brilliant.
The Steven Price score for Gravity impressed me for a similar reason (though it works differently): the way those glissandi contribute to the effect of dizziness in some of the scenes is amazing. Have only seen the film (and thus heard the score) once but was struck by how closely the music was integrated with everything else.
I am a fan of some of the early soundtracks by Kilar (collected on an oldish Olympia CD). Especially those he wrote for Zanussi. They are usually very short (only went over the opening titles, IIRC), so it's really difficult to single one out as a "score", but they're really great fun (can't really be called "scores" can they? :-\).
I like Carter Burwell's Adaptation soundtrack very much (as well as some of his work for the Coen brothers).
I greatly enjoy many Nyman soundtracks, especially for the Greenaway films (quite a few of which I haven't even seen). I find the rhythmic drive of Come unto these yellow sands (from Prospero's books) very alluring (the version that includes the actual singing, not the purely instrumental arrangement).
I wouldn't call myself a Hans Zimmer fan. However, the relatively recent Dark Knight rises score took me by surprise.
That's six, but honorable mention goes to the soundtrack to Peter Weir's Fearless - I don't remember much of the music by Maurice Jarre, but what really struck me was the use of already existing pieces (Penderecki, Gorecki) in that film.
There are, of course, some others I could mention. E.g., I really like Barry's Out of Africa - but can't actually say if that's for sentimental reasons or because of the music (not just the Mozart ;D). (And I like some of the stuff he wrote for some of the early Bond films too.)
Recently have also been listening to some Dario Marianelli and was surprised by the similarity to some Polish film and TV classics (particularly what I perceive as an affinity between Marianelli's Anna Karenina and Kilar's Promised Land). However, I'm not sure if I've ever seen any of the films, so can't really say how it works as a whole.
Quote from: Moonfish on April 21, 2014, 05:04:34 PM
Much of a muchness?
Yes, meaning not much variety. Maybe this is a British expression.
Quote from: knight66 on April 21, 2014, 12:16:12 PM
I saw bits of Ben Hur today, it is one of my favourite scores, but I can't drag myself through the whole nine yards of treacle any more, a few highlights were just fine.
I am surprised that Maurice Jarre's two good 'uns have not turned up, Lawrence of Arabia and Dr Zhivago.
John Barry: The Lion in Winter is superb.
Morricone: Once Upon a Time in America. That one works on me to make me feel nostalgia, even though I was never there to be nostalgic about that time and place.
A lot of the greats have been listed out.
I have spent about 10 days wandering round Petra in Jordan. One of the days when I was on my own and stuck my iPod on, Mahler did not do it, Wagner did not do it.....strangely, Lord of the Rings did heighten the experience in a rather eerie way.
Mike
How interesting. Sounds like a great experience and LOTR has some fine moments.
Quote from: SonicMan46 on April 21, 2014, 12:19:36 PM
Concerning Lennie's film scores, other that On the Waterfront, two others came to mind - West Side Story & On the Town (partly w/ Roger Edens; all lyrics by Aldoph Green & Betty Comden) - Dave :)
(http://www.di-arezzo.co.uk/multimedia/images/boosey/couv/bhl24620.jpg) (http://images.moviepostershop.com/on-the-town-movie-poster-1949-1020143800.jpg)
Thank you Dave. I think that 'On the Waterfront' was Bernstein's only non-musical film score.
Here is another great score:
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Quote from: ritter on April 22, 2014, 02:56:26 AM
I forgot about one I haven't seen in ages, but that I recall as being quite effective:
Max Steiner's score for William Wyler's The Letter (1940). All those wagnerian quotes! :)
(http://www.filmsite.org/posters/lett2.gif)
Well! I do not know the score or the movie. Thanks! Something new to explore.
Quote from: Maciek on April 22, 2014, 03:33:49 PM
Zimmer - Dark Knight rises
Another movie I have not watched, but one of those that I enjoy the score of.
Anybody else have scores they like of movies that have not seen?
Quote from: vandermolen on April 23, 2014, 01:49:45 PM
How interesting. Sounds like a great experience and LOTR has some fine moments.
..."but horrible quarter-hours"? :laugh:
Quote from: vandermolen on April 23, 2014, 01:48:16 PM
Yes, meaning not much variety. Maybe this is a British expression.
Ahh, I did not know that one. Thanks for enlightening me Vandermolen! :)
Quote from: vandermolen on April 23, 2014, 01:48:16 PM
Yes, meaning not much variety. Maybe this is a British expression.
An oldish literary expression, certainly.
A quick googling (
consider the source) yields 'attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh's "The Provoked Husband" (1728).'
Quote from: karlhenning on April 24, 2014, 04:03:23 AM
An oldish literary expression, certainly.
A quick googling (consider the source) yields 'attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh's "The Provoked Husband" (1728).'
OED credits
Colley Cibber, who reworked and completed
Vanbrugh's unfinished fragment of a play. ;)
Of course, as with other words and phrases credited to writers like Shakespeare, we can't be sure whether the phrase existed before that in speech or even in writing.
Quote from: oed.com4. much of a muchness: (of) much the same importance or value; very much the same or alike; undifferentiated; occas. also of a muchness (colloq.). a bit of a muchness (rare): rather similar.
The phrase usually occurs predicatively, but occas. as the object.
1728 C. Cibber Vanbrugh's Provok'd Husband i. i. 17 Man. I hope.., you and your good Woman agree still. J. Moody. Ay! ay! much of a Muchness.
1848 T. De Quincey Life & Adventures Goldsmith in N. Brit. Rev. May 202 Compare Addison's age..with Goldsmith's..the two ages will be found to offer 'much of a muchness'.
1865 'L. Carroll' Alice's Adventures in Wonderland vii. 109 That begins with an M, such as..muchness—you know you say things are 'much of a muchness'—did you ever see..a drawing of a muchness?
1888 Sc. Leader 18 Feb. 4 Indeed, as our American cousins would say, there was 'much of a muchness' in the two orations.
1893 K. Simpson Yorks. Stories 255 Gifts seem to me much of a muchness. They are apt to create a sense of obligation.
1930 Times Lit. Suppl. 6 Mar. 175/1 Scotland apart, our island is much of a muchness, and offers far less diversity of stock than France or Germany.
1955 Times 21 June 17/1 The declines for the month in arrivals of basic materials and fuel..were much of a muchness with those last year.
1971 G. Gould Let. 10 Apr. in Sel. Lett. (1992) 143 Pieces from the later years, which, marvellous creations though they are, do sound a bit of a muchness harmonically.
1988 J. Brodsky To Urania 72 Though confessions dragged out by torture, like the ones in childhood, are of a muchness.
Quote from: jochanaan on April 23, 2014, 05:38:12 PM
..."but horrible quarter-hours"? :laugh:
Yes, also true!
:)
Quote from: karlhenning on April 24, 2014, 04:03:23 AM
An oldish literary expression, certainly.
A quick googling (consider the source) yields 'attributed to Sir John Vanbrugh's "The Provoked Husband" (1728).'
As a History teacher I live very much in the past. 8)