London Symphony Orchestra filmography

The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) has been associated with the cinema since the days of silent film. During the 1920s the orchestra played scores arranged and conducted by Eugene Goossens to accompany screenings of The Three Musketeers (1921), The Nibelungs (1924), The Life of Beethoven (1927) and The Constant Nymph (1928).[1]

Since 1935 the LSO has recorded the musical scores of more than 200 films.[1] The orchestra owed its engagement for its first run of soundtrack sessions to Muir Mathieson, musical director of Korda Studios. On the LSO's website, the film specialist Robert Rider calls Mathieson "the most important single figure in the early history of British film music, who enlisted Bliss to write a score for Things to Come, and who was subsequently responsible for bringing the most eminent British 20th-century composers to work for cinema."[2] Mathieson described the LSO as "the perfect film orchestra". Among the composers commissioned by Mathieson for LSO soundtracks were Vaughan Williams, Walton, Britten and Malcolm Arnold and lighter composers including Eric Coates and Noël Coward.[3]

As a pinnacle of Mathieson's collaboration with the LSO, Rider cites the 1946 film Instruments of the Orchestra, a film record of the LSO at work. Malcolm Sargent conducted the orchestra in a performance of Britten's The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra, composed for the film. Rider adds, "Mathieson's documentary, with its close-ups of the musicians and their instruments, beautifully captures the vibrancy and texture of the Orchestra amidst the optimism of the post-Second World War era."[2]

A later milestone in the LSO's history in film music was in 1977 with the recording of John Williams's score for the first of the nine Star Wars films. Rider comments that this film and its sequels "attracted a new group of admirers and consolidated the period of film music activity for the Orchestra, which continues unabated to this day".[2] The LSO also recorded other Williams film scores, including Superman (1978), Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981), and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (2002).[4]

## List

[edit]

Title  | Year  | Composer(s)  | Conductor(s)

|
|
|

Things to Come | 1935  | Arthur Bliss | Muir Mathieson
Sanders of the River | 1935  | Mischa Spolianski  | Muir Mathieson
The Robber Symphony | 1936  | Friedrich Feher  | Friedrich Feher
Elephant Boy | 1937  | John Greenwood | Muir Mathieson
Victoria the Great | 1937  | Anthony Collins | Muir Mathieson
The Mikado | 1938  | Arthur Sullivan | Geoffrey Toye
The Four Feathers | 1939  | Miklós Rózsa | Muir Mathieson
Music for the People | 1940  | Various  | Sir Henry Wood
You Will Remember | 1940  | Various  | Percival Mackey
Major Barbara | 1941  | William Walton | Muir Mathieson
Dangerous Moonlight[n 1] | 1941  | Richard Addinsell | Muir Mathieson
49th Parallel | 1941  | Ralph Vaughan Williams | Muir Mathieson
Jeannie | 1941  | Mischa Spolianski  | Percival Mackey
The Common Touch | 1941  | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky | Kennedy Russell
The Day Will Dawn | 1942  | Richard Addinsell  | Muir Mathieson
First of the Few | 1942  | William Walton  | Muir Mathieson
In Which We Serve | 1942  | Noël Coward | Muir Mathieson
The Flemish Farm | 1943  | Ralph Vaughan Williams  | Muir Mathieson
The People's Land | 1943  | Ralph Vaughan Williams  | Muir Mathieson
The Gentle Sex | 1943  | John Greenwood  | Muir Mathieson
Health of a Nation | 1943  | David Moule Evans  | Muir Mathieson
I'll Walk Beside You | 1943  | ?  | Percival Mackey
Yellow Canary | 1943  | Clifton Parker  | Muir Mathieson
Henry V | 1944  | William Walton  | Muir Mathieson
This Happy Breed | 1944  | Noël Coward  | Muir Mathieson
London Terminus | 1944  | Horace Somerville  | Muir Mathieson
Salute the Soldier | 1944  | Eric Coates | Joe Batten
Out of Chaos | 1944  | Lennox Berkeley | Muir Mathieson
Men of Rochdale | 1944  | John Greenwood  | Muir Mathieson
Song of the People | 1944  | Mischa Spoliansky  | Muir Mathieson
Blithe Spirit | 1945  | Richard Addinsell  | Muir Mathieson
The Second Freedom | 1945  | Hubert Clifford  | Muir Mathieson
For You Alone | 1945  | ?  | Harry Bidgood
I Live in Grosvenor Square | 1945  | Anthony Collins  | Muir Mathieson
Great Day | 1945  | William Alwyn | Muir Mathieson
29 Acacia Avenue | 1945  | Clifton Parker  | Muir Mathieson
The Seventh Veil | 1945  | Benjamin Frankel | Muir Mathieson
Stricken Peninsula | 1945  | Ralph Vaughan Williams  | Muir Mathieson
Burma Victory | 1945  | Alan Rawsthorne | Muir Mathieson
Instruments of the Orchestra[n 2] | 1946  | Benjamin Britten | Malcolm Sargent
The Rake's Progress | 1946  | William Alwyn | Muir Mathieson
A Musical Masquerade | 1946  | Horace Shepherd  |
I'll Turn to You | 1946  | ?  | Harry Bidgood
I See a Dark Stranger | 1946  | William Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
Green for Danger | 1946  | William Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
Daybreak | 1946  | Benjamin Frankel | Muir Mathieson
A Song of Thanksgiving | 1946  | William Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
The Overlanders | 1947  | John Ireland | Muir Mathieson
Hungry Hill | 1947  | John Greenwood  | Muir Mathieson
Odd Man Out | 1947  | William Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
Avalanche Patrol | 1947  | Malcolm Arnold, Muir Mathieson  | John Hollingsworth
Black Narcissus | 1947  | Brian Easdale  | Brian Easdale
Take My Life | 1947  | William Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
The Brothers | 1947  | Cedric Thorpe Davie | Muir Mathieson
The Upturned Glass | 1947  | Bernard Stevens  | Muir Mathieson
They Made me a Fugitive | 1947  | M-F Gaillard  | John Hollingsworth
The Master of Bankdam | 1947  | Arthur Benjamin  | Muir Mathieson
The October Man | 1947  | Willam Alwyn  | Muir Mathieson
Uncle Silas | 1947  | Alan Rawsthorne  | Muir Mathieson
Down to the Sea | 1948  | Guy Warrack  | Guy Warrack
Easy Money | 1948  | Temple Abady  | Muir Mathieson
Good Time Girl | 1948  | Lambert Williamson | John Hollingsworth
It's Hard to be Good | 1948  | Anthony Hopkins  | Muir Mathieson
The Mark of Cain | 1948  | Bernard Stevens  | Muir Mathieson
Miranda | 1948  | Temple Abady  | Muir Mathieson
Mr. Perrin and Mr. Traill | 1948  | Allan Gray  | John Hollingsworth
My Brother's Keeper | 1948  | Clifton Parker  | John Hollingsworth
One Night With You | 1948  | Lambert Williamson  | John Hollingsworth
Portrait from Life | 1948  | Benjamin Frankel  | Muir Mathieson
Sleeping Car to Trieste | 1948  | Benjamin Frankel  | Muir Mathieson
Snowbound | 1948  | Cedric Thorpe Davie  | Muir Mathieson
This Modern Age (Women in Our Time)  | 1948  | Malcolm Arnold, Clifton Parker  | John Hollingsworth
University of Flying | 1948  | Francis Chagrin  | John Hollingsworth
The Weaker Sex | 1948  | Arthur Wilkinson  | Muir Mathieson
A Boy, a Girl and a Bike | 1949  | Kenneth Pakeman  | John Hollingsworth
Alice in Wonderland | 1949  | Sol Kaplan  | Ernest Irving
Bad Lord Byron | 1949  | Cedric Thorpe Davie  | Muir Mathieson
Blue Lagoon | 1949  | Clifton Parker  | Muir Mathieson
Boys in Brown | 1949  | Doreen Carwithen  | John Hollingsworth
Cardboard Cavalier | 1949  | Lambert Williamson  | Muir Mathieson
Dear Mr. Prohack | 1949  | Temple Abady  | Muir Mathieson
Floodtide | 1949  | Robert Irving  | Robert Irving
Give Us This Day | 1949  | Benjamin Frankel  | Benjamin Frankel
Helter Skelter | 1949  | Francis Chagrin  | Muir Mathieson
It's Not Cricket | 1949  | Arthur Wilkinson  | John Hollingsworth
The Lost People | 1949  | John Greenwood  | Muir Mathieson
Madness of the Heart | 1949  | Allan Gray  | Muir Mathieson
Once Upon a Dream | 1949  | Arthur Wilkinson  | John Hollingsworth
The Spider and the Fly | 1949  | Georges Auric  | Muir Mathieson
Stop Press Girl | 1949  | Walter Goehr | Walter Goehr
The Astonished Heart | 1950  | Noël Coward  | Muir Mathieson
They Were Not Divided | 1950  | Lambert Williamson  | Muir Mathieson
The Wooden Horse | 1950  | Clifton Parker  | Muir Mathieson
Giselle | 1952  | Adolphe Adam | Sir Malcolm Sargent
The Story of Gilbert and Sullivan | 1953  | Arthur Sullivan  | Sir Malcolm Sargent
Nigerian Pattern | 1954  | ?  | John Hollingsworth
The Night My Number Came Up | 1955  | Malcolm Arnold | Dock Mathieson
The Man Who Knew Too Much | 1955  | Bernard Herrmann | Bernard Herrmann
Out of the Clouds | 1955  | Richard Addinsell  | Dock Mathieson
The Cockleshell Heroes | 1955  | John Addison  | Muir Mathieson
1984 | 1956  | Malcolm Arnold  | Louis Levy
The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957  | Malcolm Arnold  | Malcolm Arnold
The 3 Worlds of Gulliver | 1960  | Bernard Herrmann  | Bernard Herrmann
Mysterious Island | 1961  | Bernard Herrmann | Bernard Herrmann
Cleopatra | 1963  | Alex North | Alex North
Rio Conchos | 1964  | Jerry Goldsmith | Jerry Goldsmith
Doctor Zhivago | 1965  | Maurice Jarre | Maurice Jarre
The Sound of Music | 1965  | Richard Rodgers, Irwin Kostal | Irwin Kostal
Oliver! | 1968  | Lionel Bart | Johnny Green
Song of Norway | 1969  | Edvard Grieg | Øivin Fjeldstad
Crescendo | 1969  | Malcolm Williamson | Philip Martell
The Music Lovers | 1970  | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  | André Previn
Fiddler on the Roof | 1971  | Jerry Bock | John Williams
The Great American Cowboy | 1973  | Harold Farberman | Harold Farberman
Rollerball | 1975  | André Previn  | André Previn
Star Wars | 1977  | John Williams | John Williams
The Fury | 1978  | John Williams | John Williams
Michel's Mixed-Up Musical Bird | 1978  | Michel Legrand | Michel Legrand
F.I.S.T. | 1978  | Bill Conti | Bill Conti
Quintet | 1978  | Tom Pierson  | Tom Pierson
Superman | 1978  | John Williams | John Williams
Dracula | 1979  | John Williams | John Williams
The Brontë Sisters | 1979  | Philippe Sarde | Carlo Savina
Tess | 1979  | Philippe Sarde | Carlo Savina
The Empire Strikes Back | 1980  | John Williams | John Williams
Omar Mukhtar, Lion of the Desert | 1980  | Maurice Jarre | Maurice Jarre
Clash of the Titans | 1981  | Laurence Rosenthal | Laurence Rosenthal
Les Ailes de la Colombe | 1981  | Philippe Sarde | Peter Knight
Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981  | John Williams | John Williams
Le Choix des Armes | 1981  | Philippe Sarde | Peter Knight
Birgitt Haas Must Be Killed | 1981  | Philippe Sarde | Peter Knight
Hôtel des Amériques | 1981  | Philippe Sarde | Peter Knight
El Pueblo del Sol | 1982  | Lee Holdridge | Lee Holdridge
Monsignor | 1982  | John Williams | John Williams
Gandhi | 1982  | Ravi Shankar | George Fenton
The Dark Crystal | 1982  | Trevor Jones | Marcus Dods
A Royal Romance | 1982  | Richard Rodney Bennett | Richard Rodney Bennett
Twice Upon a Time | 1983  | Dawn Atkinson, Ken Melville  | Dawn Atkinson
Brainstorm | 1983  | James Horner | James Horner
Krull | 1983  | James Horner | James Horner
Return of the Jedi | 1983  | John Williams | John Williams
L'Été Meurtrier | 1983  | Georges Delerue | Georges Delerue
Savage Islands | 1983  | Trevor Jones | Marcus Dods
Lovesick | 1983  | Philippe Sarde  | Peter Knight
Digital Dreams | 1983  | Mike Batt, Bill Wyman | Mike Batt
Never Say Never Again | 1983  | Michel Legrand | Michel Legrand
Garcon! | 1983  | Philippe Sarde | Peter Knight
The Dresser | 1983  | James Horner | James Horner
Fort Saganne | 1984  | Philippe Sarde | Carlo Savina
La Pirate | 1984  | Philippe Sarde | Carlo Savina
Grand Canyon: The Hidden Secrets | 1984  | Bill Conti | Bill Conti
The Masks of Death | 1984  | Malcolm Williamson | Philip Martell
Lifeforce | 1985  | Henry Mancini | Henry Mancini
Return to Oz | 1985  | David Shire | David Shire
The Dirty Dozen, the Next Mission | 1985  | Richard Harvey | Richard Harvey
Wild Geese II | 1985  | Roy Budd  | Roy Budd
Flesh and Blood | 1985  | Basil Poledouris | Basil Poledouris
Plenty | 1985  | Bruce Smeaton | Bruce Smeaton
Eleni | 1985  | Bruce Smeaton | Bruce Smeaton
F/X | 1985  | Bill Conti | Bill Conti
Aliens | 1986  | James Horner | James Horner
An American Tail | 1986  | James Horner | James Horner
Nutcracker | 1986  | Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky  | Sir Charles Mackerras
Dancers | 1987  | Adolphe Adam  | Michael Tilson Thomas
A Summer Story | 1987  | Georges Delerue | Georges Delerue
Willow | 1988  | James Horner | James Horner
Who Framed Roger Rabbit | 1988  | Alan Silvestri | Alan Silvestri
The Land Before Time | 1988  | James Horner | James Horner
L'Ours | 1988  | Philippe Sarde | Carlo Savina
Slipstream | 1989  | Elmer Bernstein | Elmer Bernstein
Honey, I Shrunk the Kids | 1989  | James Horner | James Horner
Rarg | 1989  | Philip Appleby  | James Stobart
Little Nemo: Adventures in Slumberland | 1989  | Tom Chase, Steve Rucker | Tom Chase
All Dogs Go to Heaven | 1989  | Ralph Burns | Ralph Burns
L'Autrichienne | 1989  | Didier Vasseur  | David Snell
Suivez Cette Avion | 1989  | Didier Vasseur  | David Snell
Lord of the Flies | 1989  | Philippe Sarde | Harry Rabinowitz
The Nutcracker Prince | 1990  | Victor Davies  | Boris Brott
Eve of Destruction | 1990  | Philippe Sarde | Harry Rabinowitz
The Josephine Baker Story | 1990  | Georges Delerue | Georges Delerue
Jesuit Joe | 1990  | Philippe Sarde | Harry Rabinowitz
Pour Sacha | 1990  | Philippe Sarde | Harry Rabinowitz
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West | 1991  | James Horner | James Horner
Rambling Rose | 1991  | Elmer Bernstein | Elmer Bernstein
The Thief and the Cobbler | 1992  | Robert Folk | Robert Folk
Water Traveller | 1993  | Joe Hisaishi | Nick Ingman
Once Upon a Forest | 1993  | James Horner | James Horner
Shadowlands | 1993  | George Fenton | George Fenton
The Man Without a Face | 1993  | James Horner | James Horner
We're Back! A Dinosaur's Story | 1993  | James Horner | James Horner
Viva la Blanca Paloma | 1993  | Manolo Sanlucar  | Manolo Sanlucar
Le Petit Garcon | 1993  | Philippe Sarde | Harry Rabinowitz
Schindler's List | 1993  | John Williams | John Williams
Legends of the Fall | 1994  | James Horner | James Horner
Immortal Beloved | 1994  | Ludwig van Beethoven | Sir Georg Solti
The Pagemaster | 1994  | James Horner | James Horner
Mary of Nazareth | 1994  | Olivier Lliboutry  | David Firman
Street Fighter | 1994  | Graeme Revell | Tim Simonec
Little Women | 1994  | Thomas Newman | Thomas Newman
Last of the Dogmen | 1994  | David Arnold | Nicholas Dodd
Braveheart | 1995  | James Horner | James Horner
Balto | 1995  | James Horner | James Horner
Cutthroat Island | 1995  | John Debney | David Snell
Mary Reilly | 1995  | George Fenton | George Fenton
Flipper | 1996  | Joel McNeely | Joel McNeely
Le Jaguar | 1996  | Vladimir Cosma | Vladimir Cosma
Roseanna's Grave | 1996  | Trevor Jones | Nick Ingham
Le Plus Beau Métier du monde | 1996  | Vladimir Cosma  | Vladimir Cosma
Meet Wally Sparks | 1997  | Michel Colombier  | David Snell
Soleil | 1997  | Vladimir Cosma  | Vladimir Cosma
Le Bossu | 1997  | Philippe Sarde | David Snell
The Mighty | 1997  | Trevor Jones | Geoff Alexander
Asterix and Obelix versus Caesar | 1998  | Jean-Jacques Goldman, Roland Romanelli | David Snell
Notting Hill | 1999  | Trevor Jones | Geoff Alexander
Le Schpountz | 1999  | Vladimir Cosma  | Vladimir Cosma
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace | 1999  | John Williams | John Williams
Le Fils de Français | 1999  | Vladimir Cosma | Vladimir Cosma
Bored Silly | 2000  | Larry Pecorella  | Arnie Roth
I Dreamed of Africa | 2000  | Maurice Jarre | Maurice Jarre
The Luzhin Defence | 2000  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat
The Long Run | 2000  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
The Body | 2000  | Serge Colbert  | David Snell
Thirteen Days | 2000  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
Left Behind: The Movie | 2000  | James Covell  | James Covell
The Death of Klinghoffer | 2001  | John Adams | John Adams
The Sedra Tree | 2001  | Mark Stevens  | Mark Stevens
Final Fantasy: The Spirits Within | 2001  | Elliot Goldenthal | Dirk Brossé
Phoenix Blue | 2001  | Stewart Parsons  | Chris Austin
Asterix and Obelix: Mission Cleopatra | 2001  | Philippe Chany  | David Snell
Crossroads | 2001  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 2002  | John Williams | John Williams
Dreams Without Sleep | 2002  | Mark Stevens  | Mark Stevens
Conspiracy of Silence | 2002  | David Butterworth  | David Butterworth
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets | 2002  | John Williams | William Ross
I'll Be There | 2002  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
Inquietudes | 2003  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Tomb Raider: The Angel of Darkness (video game) | 2003  | Peter Connelly, Martin Iveson  | David Snell
League of Extraordinary Gentlemen | 2003  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
Around the World in 80 Days | 2004  | Trevor Jones  | Geoff Alexander
Upside of Anger | 2004  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat
Birth | 2004  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire | 2005  | Patrick Doyle | James Shearman
Wah-Wah | 2005  | Patrick Doyle | James Shearman
Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith | 2005  | John Williams | John Williams
Hostage | 2005  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat
Halim | 2006  | Ammar El Sherei | Nick Ingman
A Throw of Dice | 2006  | Nitin Sawhney | Nitin Sawhney
The Queen | 2006  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat
Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut (music reused from
the first film)  | 2006  | John Williams | John Williams
Eragon | 2006  | Patrick Doyle | James Shearman
Sleuth | 2007  | Patrick Doyle  | James Shearman
The Last Legion | 2007  | Patrick Doyle  | James Shearman
Copying Beethoven | 2007  | Antoni Lazarkiewicz  | Benjamin Wallfisch
The Golden Compass | 2007  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Largo Winch | 2008  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor | 2008  | Randy Edelman | Randy Edelman
Coco Before Chanel | 2009  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Chéri | 2009  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The Twilight Saga: New Moon | 2009  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Iron Cross | 2009  | Roger Bellon  |
Tamara Drewe | 2010  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The Special Relationship | 2010  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 1 | 2010  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The King's Speech (source music)  | 2011  | L. van Beethoven & W.A. Mozart  | Terry Davies
A Better Life | 2011  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Thor | 2011  | Patrick Doyle  | James Shearman
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 | 2011  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The Ides of March | 2011  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
The Lodger: A Story of the London Fog | 2012  | Nitin Sawhney  | Nitin Sawhney
Rise of the Guardians | 2012  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Zero Dark Thirty | 2012  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Brave | 2012  | Patrick Doyle  | James Shearman
The Three Musketeers | 2013  | Alexey Shelygin  | Nick Ingman
The Imitation Game | 2014  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat
Cinderella | 2015  | Patrick Doyle  | James Shearman
Star Wars Battlefront (video game) | 2015  | Gordy Haab | Andy Brown
Sonic Forces (video game) | 2017  | Tomoya Ohtani | Lee Reynolds
The Shape of Water | 2017  | Alexandre Desplat  | Alexandre Desplat
Star Wars Battlefront II (video game) | 2017  | Gordy Haab | Andy Brown
Asterix: The Secret of the Magic Potion | 2018  | Philippe Rombi | Philippe Rombi
Avengers: Endgame | 2019  | Alan Silvestri  | Alan Silvestri, Mark Graham
Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order (video game) | 2019  | Gordy Haab, Stephen Barton  | Gavin Greenaway
Hello Beautiful | 2024  | Marco Werba  | Marco Werba
Wicked | 2024  | John Powell, Stephen Schwartz | Stephen Oremus, John Powell, Gavin Greenaway
Mickey 17 | 2025  | Jung Jae-il | James Brett
Jurassic World Rebirth | 2025  | Alexandre Desplat | Alexandre Desplat

## References

[edit]

Notes

1. ^ a b Morrison, pp. 277–283
2. ^ a b c "LSO and Film Music" Archived 2011-09-30 at the Wayback Machine, London Symphony Orchestra, accessed 16 July 2012
3. ^ Morrison, pp. 277–279
4. ^ Morrison, p. 280

1. ^ Featured the Warsaw Concerto, with Louis Kentner as soloist
2. ^ Britten's Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra was composed for this film

Sources

* Morrison, Richard (2004). Orchestra. London: Faber and Faber. ISBN 0-571-21584-X.