The International Film Music Critics Association (IFMCA) nominated Dimitri Tiomkin’s The Old Man and the Sea soundtrack release by Intrada Records as the best archival release of 2024. The IFMCA organization is comprised of online, print, and radio journalists who specialize in writing about original film and television music and often participate in radio and tv broadcasts on the subject. Members include Tim Burden (UK), Mikael Carlsson (Sweden), Nasrollah Davoodi (Iran), Randall L. Larson (US), and Daniel Schweiger (US).
BUY THE SOUNDTRACK: The Old Man and the Sea
The 2024 FMCA Award Winner for BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE went to ELLIOT GOLDENTHAL: MUSIC FOR FILM, music by Elliot Goldenthal; the Brussels Philharmonic Orchestra cond. Dirk Brossé; album produced by Thomas Van Parys for Film Fest Gent; liner notes by Elliot Goldenthal and Thomas Van Parys; album art direction by Stuart Ford (WSA/Silva).
The IFMCA has been recognizing film music for more than 20 years and the international makeup of the organization is commendable. British critic John Mansell, American critic Craig Richard Lysy, and Spanish critic Asier Senarriaga all rate Tiomkin highly among film composers. Senarriaga ranks Tiomkin among his top five “Golden (and best) Age of Film Music” alongside Miklós Rózsa, Alfred Newman, Bernard Herrmann, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold, certainly a prestigious group.
Craig Richard Lysy cites Tiomkin’s The Alamo score as example of what music can bring to a film.
“The Battle of the Alamo” commences the final battle sequences where we bear witness to the score’s apogee, an extraordinary tour de force! It features a wonderful contrapuntal interplay of themes that pits the Mexican Santa Ana and El Degüello Themes against the Texan Heroic and Eyes of Texas Themes. I must say that this is a horn lover’s dream come true as their competing lines and themes clash in a duel that will resonate through time. Like the besieged Texans, their themes struggle valiantly for life against the relentless assault of the Mexican motifs. In the end they succumb with the death of Jim Bowie, which is marked by a last refrain of The Eyes of Texas Theme followed by a gong clash. I believe the complexity, boldness and richness of this cue earns Tiomkin immortality.
https://filmmusiccritics.org/2014/11/introducing-the-critic-craig-richard-lysy/
Previously, the 2019 Winner for BEST NEW ARCHIVAL RELEASE – RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING was DIAL M FOR MURDER, music by Dimitri Tiomkin; The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, conducted by William Stromberg; album produced by Douglass Fake; liner notes by Roger Feigelson and Douglass Fake; art direction by Kay Marshall (Intrada)
Other IFMCA nominations include…
2017 Nomination for BEST NEW RELEASE, RE-RELEASE OR RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
DUEL IN THE SUN, music by Dimitri Tiomkin; The City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick; liner notes by Frank K. De Wald; album art direction by Jim Titus (Tadlow/Prometheus)
2011 Nomination for BEST ARCHIVAL RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
Dimitri Tiomkin’s The Fall of the Roman Empire from Prometheus Records
2010 Nomination for BEST ARCHIVAL RELEASE OF AN EXISTING SCORE
THE ALAMO, music by Dimitri Tiomkin (Tadlow/Prometheus) – Conductor: Nic Raine; Album Producers: James Fitzpatrick, Luc Van de Ven; Liner Notes: Frank K. DeWald; Album Art Direction: GINKO DIGI
2005 Nomination for BEST NEW RELEASE/RE-RELEASE/RE-RECORDING OF AN EXISTING SCORE
The Guns of Navarone, music by Dimitri Tiomkin; the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra and the Crouch End Festival Chorus, conducted by Nic Raine; album produced by James Fitzpatrick (Tadlow Records)
We hope that Dimitri Tiomkin will become an IFMCA Legend!
Dimitri Tiomkin working, circa 1950s