Film Study

Twister

A challenge for composer Mark Mancina due to the extreme loudness of the tornadoes. His orchestral/synthesizer approach with prominent pounding percussion worked.

Star Wars

A film score with an "old-fashioned" Korngold kind of feel. This is a landmark score by John Williams that helped to resurrect interest in the full symphonic score once again at a time when that type of score had gone out of fashion. This film score contains leitmotifs for all of the major characters except Han Solo.

The Matrix

A futuristic score that contains many modern compositional techniques used by concert hall composers such as texture music, minimalism, polytonality, polyrhythmic sections, and other devices of the postmodern style. Composed by Don Davis.

Emma

A landmark score because this was the first time a score written by a woman won the Academy Award. The composer was Rachel Portman from England. Her music captures the delicate and subtle qualities of insight, wit, and gentle empathy as well as the unspoken interplay between characters, the misunderstandings, the jealousies, and deceits.

A Streetcar Named Desire

A landmark score by Alex North using jazz in a dramatic sense.

The Man with the Golden Arm

A landmark score by Elmer Bernstein using jazz to create an atmosphere and also to help the dramatic sense.

Planet of the Apes

A very experimental sounding score from Jerry Goldsmith using both conventional instruments of the orchestra in unconventional ways, and some techniques such as prepared piano, the echoplex, a bass slide whistle, and the sound of steel mixing bowls being struck by a drum mallet.

Forrest Gump

Alan Silvestri wrote a childlike piano leitmotif to represent the childlike innocence. There are also other leitmotifs such as the running theme and Jenny's theme.

Aaron Copland

American composer responsible for inspiring the "Americana Style" heard in many western scores.

Dances with Wolves

An Academy award-winning score by John Barry that showcases his homophonic style. This is the longest score that he has written for a movie.

Witness

An all synthesizer score by Maurice Jarre in which the electronics give us an icy cold quality used to represent the standoffish quality of the Amish people. The barn raising sequence is particularly noteworthy in his approach of using the style of a passacaglia.

The Godfather

An effective score by Nino Rota that was disqualified for Academy Award consideration because parts of the score had already been used in a previous Italian movie. Rota used the sound of the mandolin to create the atmosphere of the island of Sicily and the Mafia.

American Graffiti

An excellent example of a compilation score that used existing pop songs of the 1950s and 1960s to provide atmosphere of time and place.

Jurassic Park

An exciting score for a landmark special effects extravaganza That contains various memorable leitmotifs for different aspects and characters of the story. One unique thing was that the score was sent via satellite to Spielberg in Poland from LA because he was still over there filming Schindler's List. This score contains many of the typical John Williams techniques such as flashy brass parts, rapid woodwind runs with the piccolo on top, cymbal crashes, and pounding support rhythms.

Altered States

An innovative avant garde score by John Corigliano that contains new sounds never heard in any film score up to that time. Corigliano employs almost every modern convention known to 20th-century composers such as multi phonics, microtones, texture music, and the like.

High Noon

Because of the success of Dimitri Tiomkin's main title song, "Do Not Forsake Me Oh My Darlin'," this started a new trend in film music that was the beginning of the breakdown of the exclusive use of symphonic scores by filmmakers. This new trend gravitated more toward the use of popular songs in film scores.

Vertigo

Considered by Herrmann to be his own personal favorite score, this is a powerful score containing a main title theme that conveys the feeling of vertigo by its swirling sound created by broken diminished 7th chords moving in contrary motion. Herrmann also creates a dramatic feeling of ultimate longing by the main character by composing a sequence in the style of Richard Wagner's "Liebestod" section from his opera, "Tristan and Isolde."

Cleopatra

Considered by some to be the last of the Hollywood big epic films, primarily because this film was responsible for the financial collapse of 20th-Century Fox studios. At one time it held the record for being the most expensive movie ever made. The music of Alex North captures the essence of Cleopatra, Egypt, and ancient Rome by using some instrumental combinations known to exist back then. North even had the prop men make actual historic looking replicas of the old instruments to be photographed within the film.

Ben-Hur

Considered to be Rozsa's greatest score and one of the greatest movie scores of all time, this score abounds with themes and variations. Rozsa had 18 months to work on his score. He won his third and final Oscar for this score. He had done some historical research in order to make this score more believable. He wrote about half a dozen Roman marches that have become the prototype for this genre. His music supports about 2/3rds of this 3 and 1/2 hour film. After this success, Rozsa became known as Hollywood's foremost composer dealing with historical settings.

Independence Day

David Arnold gave us a score that conveys the feeling of patriotism by writing a patriotic march. He represents the aliens from space by spelling out the word "DIE" in Morse code by using African and Japanese drums. This score shows a lot of influence from the music of John Williams and Korngold.

Bernard Herrmann

Described as a "mastodon of divine" conceit because of his huge ego and violent temper, he started as a radio composer at CBS in New York City. He made a cameo appearance in "The Man Who Knew Too Much". He always orchestrated his own scores. He was a master orchestrator and tone colorist. He tried to create new colors of sound through pioneering methods of orchestration. He revolutionized film scoring in at least two distinct ways: 1. He customized the size of the orchestra to fit the needs of the scene. 2. He used short chord cues at times instead of long melodic lines, feeling that wall-to-wall music is not always as effective. He had a special ability for depicting the dark and sinister side of man. He had a fondness for the ultra dark sonorities and achieved these effects by scoring for low brass, low woodwinds, and low strings.

Hans Zimmer

Effective German born composer who has been composing memorable scores for movies such as The Lion King and Gladiator. The amazing thing is that he does not know how to read music.

To Kill a Mockingbird

Elmer Bernstein's own personal favorite among his many scores, this score launched a more intimate approach to scoring films by using a smaller ensemble of players instead of the usual full orchestra. Bernstein uses the piano to represent the innocence of children. The score is considered to be a perfect textbook example of how a score should work in a dramatic film.

The Bride of Frankenstein

Established a new standard in the music of horror films. This was the most significant score Waxman composed while at Universal. This utilized the leitmotif technique for the monster and his bride.

Ennio Morricone

Extremely prolific film composer, composing more film scores than any other composer, this Italian composer got his start writing music for a group of films made in Italy known as "spaghetti Westerns." His scores contained experimental sounds from animals and birds, and whistling and grunt noises from humans.

The Nun's Story

Franz Waxman based part of this score on Gregorian chant source material. He also utilized the modern 12-tone row technique in the insane asylum sequence. During this sequence, he has the strings playing their parts by using by using pizzicato (plucking out the notes with their fingers instead of using the bow).

Maurice Jarre

French composer who was a pioneer in using a combination of electronic instruments such as the Ondes Martenot and ethnic instruments from various countries

The Sea Hawk

Generally regarded as Korngold's best film score, this is an excellent example of a swashbuckling adventure. The music is "in your face" because it is loud and practically "wall-to-wall."

Miklos Rozsa

Great composer of concert hall works and film scoring. His works can be broken up into 4 creative periods: 1. Exotic, fantasy period (The Thief of Bagdad, Jungle Book, Sahara). 2. Psychological period (The Lost Weekend, Spellbound). 3. Gangster film period (Brute Force, The Killers, and Naked City). 4. Historical-Epic period (Ben-Hur, King of Kings, and El Cid).

Erich Wolfgang Korngold

He was a child prodigy; hailed as a second Mozart. He was the first composer of international reputation to accept a Hollywood contract. He had been an internationally famous opera composer in Europe before coming to Hollywood to score films . He composed only 18 scores which were either swashbuckling adventures or romantic dramas while working in Hollywood. His style is that of late Romantic-period composers such as Richard Strauss. His scores started with a brass fanfare followed by a sweeping melody in the strings.

Wizard of Oz

Herbert Stothart's score won the Oscar in 1939, a very competitive year MGM executives originally wanted to delete the song "Somewhere Over the Rainbow." This song ended up winning for best original song at the Academy Awards.

North by Northwest

Herrmann uses an exciting main title theme in the form of a fandango to provide unity throughout this movie. Herrmann waits until the last possible minute to bring in this theme during the "crop duster" sequence in order to build up unbearable suspense.

Citizen Kane

Herrmann's first score was revolutionary in several ways: 1. He used low-pitched instruments to represent the smell of death at the beginning of the film. (This became his trademark sound). 2. He used short musical cues to link scenes together. 3. He used music sparingly (not "wall-to-wall" music). 4. His unique approach to combining dramatic underscoring with American dance tunes was innovative. Herrmann wrote an opera sequence that would be out of the range of the soprano singer in order to make her sound like a feeble singer. Herrmann captured the dissolving of Kane's first marriage during the "breakfast table scene" by writing music that became increasingly more disturbing. (Sentimental waltz evolves into icy, calculating underscore).

Psycho

Herrmann's most famous score which accompanies Hitchcock's most famous and successful motion picture. Herrmann used an all string orchestra to give a colorless, black and white sound to the black and white film. The use of the string glissandos in the shower sequence have become perhaps the most often imitated film music cue in the history of cinema. Hitchcock later remarked that 33% of the success of Psycho was due to Herrmann's score.

Suspicion

Hitchcock movie where music by Waxman sets mood changes, creates suspense, and parallels the action.

Titanic

Horner has given us a score comprised of synthesizer, vocals, and orchestra to create a timeless quality. He uses ethnic instruments to give the score its Irish flavor. The haunting solo voice cries out over the ocean the theme of Rose. Horner wrote each theme so that they could be heard separately or together.

Journey to the Center of the Earth

In this score, Herrmann used 5 organs (one cathedral, 4 electronic) instead of strings. He also used the serpent in this score.

Max Steiner

Major pioneer of original music for films. The first serious composer of the sound era. Called the father of film music. One of the first to use the click track method (The Informer, 1935) Very prolific composer, over 300 scores to his credit. He believed in catching almost everything, he "mickey- moused the action."

polystylism (or musical eclecticism)

Many of the film composers of the first 15 years of the 21st century have moved toward what is known as ---?--- in composing their scores. It combines elements of diverse genres and compositional techniques into a unified and coherent body of works.

Barabbas

Mario Nascimbene recorded part of his score at half the tape recorder speed for the crucifixion scene to give it its eerie-sounding quality. This score has been an inspiration for other composers.

Richard Wagner

Max Steiner said that, "If -HE- had lived in this century, he would have been the number one film composer."

Franz Waxman

Most prominent German musician to contribute to film scoring in Hollywood. He became the head of music at Universal Studios. He moved to Warner Bros. with Korngold and Steiner. He placed great emphasis on orchestral color. He chose instruments to create the sounds that would match the style of the scene.

Spartacus

North gave us a score with a cold, brutal, and barbaric quality, heavy on brass and percussion, to accompany the many scenes with the slaves and gladiators. He had a total of 13 months to work on this score.

Glory

One of James Horner's finest efforts. Unfortunately, the members of the motion picture academy rejected this score for consideration because it was felt that Horner's score was too much like some of the temp track material to be considered "original".

Alfred Newman

One of the most powerful and influential musicians in the history of Hollywood music. He was a composer conductor & an executive. He wrote the 20th century Fox music logo in 1935. He ruled the 20th century Fox music department from 1939 to 1960 with firm control and great authority. He was nominated 45 times for an Oscar (won 9). He composed 255 scores. He created the "fox string sound" He liked fast vibratos. His forte was writing religious-oriented scores. His favorite score was The Song of Bernadette. His score for Wuthering Heights was instrumental in making this film a masterpiece of romantic filmmaking.

The Man Who Knew Too Much

Re-make of an earlier (1934) Hitchcock film of the same name. Herrmann makes a cameo appearance playing himself as a conductor leading the London Symphony Orchestra in a performance of the Storm Clouds Cantata by Arthur Benjamin. An assassin attempts to shoot his single shot to coincide with the loud cymbal crash at the end of this piece.

The Lost Weekend

Rozsa score which uses the theremin to enhance the main character's craving for alcohol.

The Killers

Rozsa's hard-hitting gangster score whose main theme became the famous television "Dragnet" theme.

Spellbound

Score by Rozsa that became the first score to use a theremin supported by a full orchestra within a motion picture. The theremin was used to enhance the main character's obsession with the color white and parallel lines.

Schindler's List

Since Williams considers the dialogue as part of the score, this musical score is near perfect in its ability to interweave within the fabric of the dialogue. He won an Academy Award for this score

The Magnificent Seven

Some call this score by Elmer Bernstein the quintessential western score prototype. Certainly as influential as The Big Country by Jerome Moross, the music in this film was used to give the film drive and increase the excitement.

Thomas Newman

Son of Alfred Newman. He has been responsible for a new style of film composing that is emerging. Instead of using leitmotifs and other recognizable themes, he creates sonic shadings (atmospheres) using longs rich chord clusters and a "muted" piano.

"Film Noir"

Term applied to films that contain lighting that emphasizes dark shadows and that feature an abundance of night scenes. First used by French film critics in the late 1940's. The next 2 films are good examples of movies with film noir characteristics:

Gone With the Wind

The bulk of the film score was based on American folk songs such as Civil War and Southern songs popular back then. Steiner used 5 orchestrators on this score and completed it in about four-week's time, getting only about 15 hours of sleep the entire time! There were 11 principal themes, the most famous being the "Tara" theme. Selznick hired two additional film composers as a "back up" (Franz Waxman and Herbert Stothart) in case Steiner couldn't meet the deadline.

Forbidden Planet

The first totally all-electronic score. This score, featuring the "electronic tonalities" created by Louis and Bebe Barron, launched the era of electronic music in film.

Rocky

The main theme from this film is in the form of a fanfare and is one of the most recognizable themes taken from any film. It launched the career of composer Bill Conti.

Lawrence of Arabia

The major themes are heard in the main title sequence. One theme represents T.E.Lawrence by using a British sounding march; the other is a sweeping panoramic Arabian-sounding theme for the desert. This won Maurice Jarre his first Oscar. He used the Ondes Martenot to provide atmospheric shadings for the scenes in the desert, particularly at night.

The Sound of Music

The movie that helped to save 20th-Century Fox from financial ruin because of its phenomenal success by playing in some theaters for two straight years.

Wuthering Heights

The score is built around Cathy's theme that appears many times throughout the movie. Newman considers this to be among his top three best scores.

The Ten Commandments

The score that launched Elmer Bernstein's career. He got the job after being recommended by ailing Victor Young, the originally intended composer. The most prominent music theme heard throughout the film deals with deliverance out of bondage. Bernstein had almost a year to write this score. During this time, he had to play each new musical cue for filmmaker Cecil B. DeMille for approval before proceeding. Bernstein learned from DeMille how using faster music to underscore the slow-moving Exodus scene helped to move the scene along.

Jaws

This film launched the careers of Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams. Although Williams had done a couple dozen films before Jaws, this was the first time Williams had won the Academy Award for his own music. The now famous two-note motive for the great white shark attacks is universally famous. It helped to make moviegoers all over realize the power of a good film score.

Saturday Night Fever

This film's score launched the disco craze.

Poltergeist

This is a very diverse score by Goldsmith, containing the new sounds of rub rods, the childlike lullaby for Carol Anne, as well as the sound of strings playing in an impressionistic style and the almost atonal renderings in some of the most hair-raising scenes.

The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad

This is one in a series of scores written by Herrmann for a group of fantasy oriented themes. This is a score featuring a normal sized orchestra with an augmented percussion section. The cyclops unpenetratable quality of the giant cyclops. For the skeleton attack sequence, Herrmann scores this with the sound of the xylophone to represent the sound of human bones clanking away.

Batman

This is the dark and moody score that launched Danny Elfman as a mainstream film composer. The score was inspired by the music of Herrmann.

The Omen

This is the first and only Oscar for Jerry Goldsmith. Some call this the prototype for Satanic movies. His "Ave Satani" is reminiscent of Carl Orff's "Carmina burana." The music is used sparingly, so that it will have a more major impact upon its arrival.

End of Days

This score by John Debney combines elements of world music, Classical music, and pop contemporary styles.

KING KONG

This score by Steiner is deemed film music's greatest achievement in the early 1930's. This was one of the first times a Hollywood composer received on-screen credit as film composer. He wrote a descending three-note leitmotif for Kong.

The Spirit of St. Louis

This score ranks as one of Franz Waxman's finest musical achievements. Music is very crucial to this film because much of the story takes place in the lonely cockpit of Lindbergh's single engine plane. Music is needed to fill the void created by the lack of dialogue. The main title theme is suggestive of the feeling of flight. Waxman uses musical nationalistic references to countries over which Lindbergh flies (Ireland and France). The monotonous ostinato pattern is used in a sequence to convey fatique.

Dr. No

This was the first of a long line of James Bond movies. There is controversy as to who wrote the now-famous James Bond theme.

Speed

This was the surprise blockbuster hit of the summer of 1994. Mark Mancina cleverly combined the sounds of metal objects being struck, along with Electronic synthesizer sounds and colors, and live musicians.

THE GOLDEN AGE OF FILM MUSIC CONTINUES (1950's) Chapter 7

Various things were tried by the major studios to compete with the coming of television in the American households such as filming movies in color, using several different wide-screen processes, using 3-D effects, and Cinerama, and making large-scale epics.

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We will talk about recent films [as time permits] such as A BEAUTIFUL MIND, THE LORD OF THE RINGS, PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN, PASSION OF THE CHRIST, MEMOIRS OF A GEISHA, ATONEMENT, TRANSFORMERS, INCEPTION, SINISTER, ARGO, THE HUNGER GAMES, IRON MAN 3 and GRAVITY plus future trends the last days of class. Hans Zimmer composed most of the original musical themes heard in the first PIRATES OF THE CARABBEAN movie, but could not receive on-screen credit because he was contractually bound to another film called THE LAST SAMURAI. Alexandre Desplat is considered the busiest film composer working today. The Academy Award winning movie GRAVITY has a score that is comprised mostly of sound design. Some film composers are also composing music for video games because it is a very lucrative market. The erhu is a Chinese instrument.

Duduk

an Armenian clarinet used in many recent scores such as Gladiator and the Passion of Christ, composed by John Debney.

Shakuhachi flute and Koto

are both Japanese instruments.

Howard Shore

spent several years composing the scores to the LORD OF THE RING trilogy. He got his start being the music director of the television show SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE.

fox string sound

strings playing in their highest register.