> Oh ok, so you need to study music for years to be a good composer? You
> need to orchestrate stuff to be one? You obviously don't understand the
> concept of talent. Zimmer is not a classicaly trained composer and his
> style reflects that perfectly. And you obviously don't want to understand
> the idea behind Zimmer's studio either (don't worry, you're not alone).
> Ok, he likes to work with a lot of people arround him, so what. Why can't
> people just let go of all that "ghostwriter" crap and enjoy the
> music. All the composers for additional music are listed on the CD anyway,
> so nobody can say they don't get credit. Zimmer has reinvented the film
> music genre and a lot of oldschool fans just can't seem to get over it.
> He's fresh and instantly recognizable. And if you seriously say he's got
> no talent and is an embarassment to music, it's you who obviously has no
> idea about music.

Yes... yes you do have to study music for years to be a good composer, and yes a knowledge of orchestration is probably a must for being a great composer (I can think of one truly great composer who didn't do much orchestration and thats Mussorgsky)...

The concept of talent? What is talent then? Is talent the ability to write simplistic themes over boring chord progressions? I guess it could be, but only the dumbest composers keep doing that without studying in order to let their style grow. It doesn't matter the success which Zimmer recieves, at least in the sense of getting jobs and money, its about the musical experiences he builds for himself. The way Zimmer writes, I don't see how he makes music an experience. He lets other composers do his work for him, and he lets other orchestrators do his work for him. You're right, lots of people don't want to understand how Zimmer's studio works because we cannot comprehend taking all of the emotional elements of music out of the "creative" process... assuming that at this point the process is still "creative" which I really doubt that it is.

Is Zimmer talented? Yeah, probably a little... but he's a musical idiot because he doesn't do anything with his talent. Go ahead retort to this by saying that I "don't get it" or I'm being "elitist" whatever... but for me composition (which I have studied for several years) is about growing, each new musical step is like an adventure full of suprises and excitement... but Zimmer doesn't grow and that is why so many film score fans have a problem with him.