Posted on 06/29/2011 5:46:54 PM PDT by Borges
Bernard Herrmann may be best known for his memorable contributions to classic films, including his rousing overture to "North by Northwest," the shower scene in "Psycho," the romantic themes of "Vertigo," the eerie electronic music in "The Day the Earth Stood Still" and the desolate blues of "Taxi Driver." He might have preferred to be celebrated for his opera "Wuthering Heights," symphonies and cantatas such as "Moby Dick," and other concert works. According to the film composer John Williams, Herrmann's greatest ambition was to be recognized as a conductor.
Nonetheless, Herrmann's lasting legacy remains his work in the entertainment industry: the music for 48 feature films; for television shows such as "The Twilight Zone" (his music for the episode "Walking Distance" is one of his most poignant works); and for countless radio dramas, including Orson Welles's "The Mercury Theater on the Air."
Thus Herrmann became America's greatest film composer not on the basis of a few extraordinary pieces, but for an unsurpassed and complex body of work in the service of story. No other composer so consistently enriched the audience's understanding of a character's emotional and psychological state.
"That was his great skill—his understanding of the psychology of character," the film composer Howard Shore said.
(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...
Classic Ping
great music. Thanx for the ping
Very nice remembrance of about the best of the classic film composers. Fusili mentions most of his finest work but omits his ravishing score for THE GHOST AND MRS. MUIR, which I rate at the very top of Herrmann’s output. But there’s not a misfire in the bunch.
One of the giants. It’s too bad he was only 64 when he died. He probably had 2 decades more work in him if he’d just been given the time.
I would recommend “Souvenirs de Voyage”, a 1967 piece for clarinet and string quartet. It’s delightfully romantic.
Indeed one of the great ones. I add to the list: Nino Rota, John Barry, and among the living the 79 year old Wojciech Kilar.
You mentioned Kilar, which immediately made me think of probably the most beautiful piece of music I’ve heard for a show, Andrzej Kurylewicz’s theme for Polskie Drogi. Unfortunately, he passed a few years ago.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndHGef0WkZ4&feature=related
Pat Metheny did a beautiful rendition of this song.
Herrmann’s musical score for “Cape Fear” (1962) was so great that when Scorsese did a remake in 1991, he had Elmer Bernstein do a re-arrangement for the new movie.
His “rookie” composition was the score for “Citizen Kane”.
Actually I found a decent recording of the Concerto here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZEAb8JNfvXs
Stephen Sondheim once remarked that hearing this particular piece when he was a boy was a major influence on his desire to become a composer.
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