“Without music, life would be a mistake.”

~ Friedrich Nietzsche

I would like add to Nietzsche’s rather terse quote by saying that without music, life would be bone dry because our moods would have no place to go, no home to experience the fullness of our joy and the heaviness of our hearts. Of the arts, only music, by the sounds that music create – can resonate with the longings of the human condition. And it doesn’t have to be highbrow classical pieces like a Bach or a Beethoven; a well-composed piece of popular music, including film scores, can also do the job (and well!). Featured below are three film scores that I love. All are written by masters of the genre. Each piece is notable for its ability to pull the emotions of wistfulness and longing in the most beautiful way. I hope you find them enjoyable to listen to.

#1 “Deborah’s Theme”, from Once Upon a Time in America (1994). Composer: Ennio Morricone.

#2 Theme from “Romeo and Juliet” (1968). Composer: Henry Mancini and Nino Rota.

#3 Main theme for “Somewhere in Time” (1980). Composer: John Barry.