Danny Elfman's Playlist

This is the playlist that reflects some of the music that in some way or another, directly or indirectly, inspires me as an orchestral composer and in many ways, provided inspiration for Serenada Schizophrana. These are not listed in the order of “favorites” as that’s impossible. Also, just because I’ve chosen individual movements in some and entire works with others does not mean that I only like those movements. It means those works have specific movements that killed me when I heard them, sometimes to the point of making me almost obsessed with them, and some works I find impossible to break out any single sections and I think of them only in their entirety. Choosing “10” best, you must understand, is frustrating and semi-impossible as there’s so many things competing for each slot and believe me, what I’ve left out is a very powerful list of strong competitors and many things I passionately love. But here I go . . . 1) Shostakovich / String Quartet No. 8-1st Movement in C Minor Simply one of the most beautiful, exquisitely sad, and soulful pieces of music I know. The melody that comes in around 2:10 simply burns a hole in me every time I hear it. 2) Shostakovich / Jazz Suite No. 2: Waltz 2 This shows Shostakovich’s lighter side. It’s whimsical and playful and feels very cinematic. Another great melody. 3) Prokofiev / Piano Concerto #3 : (the whole thing) This was one of the 1st pieces of classical music I heard that I really loved. Full of energy and passion, and for me, loaded with visual imagery. 4) Stravinsky / Le Sacre du Printemps : (the whole thing) By now you’re starting to see my infatuation with the Russians. This was the very 1st 20th century orchestral music I ever heard at about 16 or 17 years old. It quite simply blew me away. Music was never the same for me, and for that matter neither was my life. 5) Philip Glass / Powaqqatsi : (Serra Pelada) Another piece which grabbed me right away and I had to listen to again and again. I must admit this has influenced and inspired me in my film work many times. 6) Duke Ellington / (a tie between “Black and Tan Fantasy” and “The Mooch”) Picking a favorite Ellington is really impossible. Ask me any other day of the week and I’ll choose two others. However these are special. 'Black and Tan' is the 1st musical transcription I ever did and I used to perform it as well. 'The Mooch' just has so much attitude. (another tie) 7) Bernard Herrmann / Soundtrack to “Psycho” Nino Rota / Soundtrack to “La Dolce Vita” Again, impossible to choose between these composers and dozens of their compositions, but I can say with absolute certainty that I would not be a film composer today without my early exposure and infatuation with both of these composers. Herrmann was the 1st film music I ever noticed at around 10 or 11 years old.