I don't know too many French scores, so I can only name a few highlights.

Philippe Sarde's LES CHOSES DE LA VIE and CÉSAR ET ROSALIE.

Michel Colombier's LE HASARD ET LA VIOLENCE.

I like Desplat's scores, but I would put none of his so far above the three scores mentioned above. I like FIREWALL, but bear in mind the previous sentence. ;-)

Urs

handstand, May 18, 2007; 1:56 PM

Mine are Alex Beaupain (Un An and Dans Paris), Jean-Claude Petit (Le Zèbre), Paul Misraki
(Alphaville, Le Doulos and Les Spécialistes), Christian Gaubert (Nestor Burma), Cyril Morin
(Autumn and Mafiosa), Pascal Estève (Confidences Trop Intimes), Eric Demarsan (Le Cercle
Rouge), Francis Lemarque (Playtime), Sarry Long (Corps à Corps), Georges Delerue (Le Mépris),
Eric Serra (Nikita), Francois de Roubaix (Les Aventuriers), Claude Bolling (One Ne Meurt Que
Deux Fois), Reinhardt Wagner (Mortel Transfert) and some hundred more ...

coma, May 18, 2007; 2:41 PM

In my entire collection there is only one score by a French composer, and that is LA GUERRE DU FEU (Quest for Fire) by Philippe Sarde, so by default, that is my favorite French composer, and as for the score, I highly recommend it!

American.Nightmare, May 18, 2007; 4:20 PM

I thought Gabriel Yared is Lebanese. That's what the notes on the Jacket of "Moon In The Gutter" say anyhow.

All the usual suspects are on my list. Delerue, Sarde, Legrand, Colombier, Garvarentz.

victoravalentine, May 18, 2007; 5:11 PM

Sir Workingwithknives -- if you place a composer to the country based on the place of his birth then Mr. Garvarentz is Greek !

42zaphod, May 18, 2007; 5:32 PM

Good point!

I've always thought Georges Garvarentz was a Frenchman.

victoravalentine, May 18, 2007; 5:41 PM

Born in Athens and with Armenian ancestors.

But his music is quite French !

42zaphod, May 18, 2007; 5:48 PM

~Paul Misraki~

ET DIEU... CREA LA FEMME (El Records)

~Jean Yatove~

MANINA, LA FILLE SANS VOILES (El Records)

~Michel Magne~

OSS 117 SE DECHAINE (1963), BANCO A BANGKOK POUR OSS 117 (1964), FURIA A BAHIA POUR OSS 117 (1965), ATOUT COUER A TOKYO POUR OSS 117 (1966)

COMPARTIMENT TUEURS (1965), LE GENTLEMAN DE COCODY (1964), PAR UN BEAU MATIN D'ETE (1965) , AVEC LA PEAU DES AUTRES (1966), JOHNNY BANCO (1967), DE LA PART DES COPAINS (1970)

Universal/France - Ecoutez Le Cinema #31 & #35 in other words ;- )

~Francis Lai~

UN HOMME ET UNE FEMME

LE PASSAGER DE LA PLUIE

LOVE STORY

~Georges Delerue~

AGNES OF GOD

LA REVOLUTION FRANCAISE

et cetera... et cetera

serifiot, May 18, 2007; 6:27 PM

Well, Georges Delerue of course. I also like Philip Sarde and Gabriel Yared, just the usual suspects.

philkws, May 18, 2007; 6:20 PM

Composers and titles hit my head firstly are:

Claude Bolling: Borsalino / Borsalino and Co. / Flic story
Eric Demarsan: Le cercle rouge / L'Armee des ombres
Eric Serra: Le grand bleu / Nikita
Francois de Roubaix: Les aventuriers / Adieu l'ami / Le samourai
Francis Lai: Love story / Un homme et une femme / Le passager de la pluie / Hannibal Brooks
Michel Legrand: Les parapluies de Cherbourg / The Thomas Crown affair / Never say never again
Pascal Esteve: Confidence trop intimes / L'hommes du train / Le parfum d'Yvonne
Philippe Rombi: Swimming Pool / Sous le sable/ 5X2 (Theme piano)
Pierre Bachelet: Emmanuelle 1, 2
Yann Tiersan: Le fabuleux destin d'Amelie Poulain / Goodbye Lenin

mnkhrmtg, May 19, 2007; 12:03 AM

Hello,

Maurice Jarre
Georges Delerue
Philippe Sarde
Jean-Claude Petit

These are my favorite french film composers. I also would add that Jarre and Delerue would be on my top 10 list of all time favorite film composers.


Best Regards,
David Phoenix, AZ.

deg63iami, May 19, 2007; 1:54 AM

Geez...how could I forget Lai, Legrand and Tiersen!

Francis Lai's LOVE STORY
Michel Legrand's THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR and YENTL.
Yann Tiersen's GOODBYE LENIN!

handstand, May 19, 2007; 6:45 AM

I've always considered Vladimir Cosma a French composer and one of the best.

victoravalentine, May 19, 2007; 11:11 AM

...born in Bucharest and Romanian.

:- )

serifiot, May 19, 2007; 6:22 PM

I'm not sure that each composer mentioned below is French, but their work--all superb, in my opinion--has appeared in one or more French films, so I include them.
I also would like to salute the fabulous series of French film scores that Universal France continues to release. Some of these great artists came to my attention through that label.
And for what it's worth, someone mentioned the score to 'A Man and a Woman.' I no longer have that Lp, but it was given to me when I was a teenager more years ago than I care to admit and was among the very first scores I ever owned. Whatever happened to that disc?

Yann Tiersen
Alexandre Azaria
Antoine Duhamel
Etienne Perruchon
Vladimir Cosma
Krishna Levy
Francois de Roubaix
Georges Delerue
Jean-Claude Petit
Georges Auric
Philippe Sarde
Eric Demarsan
Pierre Jansen
Martial Solal
Maurice Jarre
Michel Legrand
Alexandre Desplat
Andre Hossein
Michel Polnareff
Bruno Coulais
Michel Portal
Philippe Rombi
Ben Charest

sowhatsplanb, May 19, 2007; 6:23 PM

Lai... Bilitis, Emmanuelle DeuX!

Would luv to listen to Magne's Emmannuelle 4 and see A Young Emmanuelle (Nea) get an official release.

serifiot, May 19, 2007; 6:31 PM

I suppose we would be remiss in not including Camille Saint-Saens whose L'Assassinat du Duc de Guise (1908) is generally credited with getting the film score ball rolling, i.e., writing the first score specifically for a certain movie.

sowhatsplanb, May 20, 2007; 5:22 AM

Has to be Jean-Claude Petit:) his score for CdeB is one of my favs!!

thomas.scallan, May 22, 2007; 6:36 PM

I am particularly fond of French film music, so I could list two dozens of composers here.
But if I had to restrict myself to only a handful, I would put those five here on the top of my
list:

- Philippe Sarde
- Georges Delerue
- Maurice Jarre
- Bruno Coulais
- Alexandre Desplat

Writing this I already have a bad conscience for not mentioning François de Roubaix, Michel
Legrand etc pp

Christian.Quatremain, June 4, 2007; 4:11 AM

Serra is really a great composer, and his The Fifth Element
soundtracks are wonderful!!!
P.S. He is also supporting young talents with the new EuroVoice.tv
contest where everybody may participate and choose the best. I've
already registered - feel free to join!

eurovoice86, December 1, 2009; 12:58 PM

There is a contest supported by famous music stars from all around
the world. Eric Serra producer, bass-guitarist and composer is the
EuroVoice Music Contest President and Chairman of the Council of
Experts. This is organized by eurovoice.tv you can login and register
your name for the contest if you are a talented person.. I have done
this, what you are waiting for ??

eurovoice86, December 1, 2009; 1:01 PM