Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir PDF Author: David Cooper
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0810856794
Category : Motion picture music
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
"In this guide, Cooper considers Herrmann's musical technique and theorizes some of the ways in which music can be meaningful in film. He also explores nonmusical contexts of the film, including the screenplay's relationship to the popular novel from which it was adapted, as well as the contribution of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the performances of Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, and the editing of Dorothy Spencer. Cooper also provides a quantitative, evidence-based study of the score. A rundown of all the cues in Herrmann's manuscript is followed by an examination of the score as a musical artifact. In his evaluation of the overall approach to the soundtrack, the author considers the musical detail of the score's structure, its themes, and their orchestration.

Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir PDF Author: David Cooper
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 0810856794
Category : Motion picture music
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description
"In this guide, Cooper considers Herrmann's musical technique and theorizes some of the ways in which music can be meaningful in film. He also explores nonmusical contexts of the film, including the screenplay's relationship to the popular novel from which it was adapted, as well as the contribution of director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, the performances of Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison, and the editing of Dorothy Spencer. Cooper also provides a quantitative, evidence-based study of the score. A rundown of all the cues in Herrmann's manuscript is followed by an examination of the score as a musical artifact. In his evaluation of the overall approach to the soundtrack, the author considers the musical detail of the score's structure, its themes, and their orchestration.

A Heart at Fire's Center

A Heart at Fire's Center PDF Author: Steven C. Smith
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 9780520927230
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 468

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Book Description
No composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over 40 scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, François Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. In this first major biography of the composer, Steven C. Smith explores the interrelationships between Herrmann's music and his turbulent personal life, using much previously unpublished information to illustrate Herrmann's often outrageous behavior, his working methods, and why his music has had such lasting impact. From his first film (Citizen Kane) to his last (Taxi Driver), Herrmann was a master of evoking psychological nuance and dramatic tension through music, often using unheard-of instrumental combinations to suit the dramatic needs of a film. His scores are among the most distinguished ever written, ranging from the fantastic (Fahrenheit 451, The Day the Earth Stood Still) to the romantic (Obsession, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) to the terrifying (Psycho). Film was not the only medium in which Herrmann made a powerful mark. His radio broadcasts included Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre on the Air and The War of the Worlds. His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic, and he was chief conductor of the CBS Symphony. Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. Smith separates myth from fact and draws upon heretofore unpublished material to illuminate Herrmann's life and influence. Herrmann remains as complex as any character in the films he scored—a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love. Films scored by Bernard Herrmann: Citizen Kane, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, Vertigo, Psycho, Fahrenheit 451, Taxi Driver, The Magnificent Ambersons, The Man Who Knew Too Much, North By Northwest, The Birds, The Snows of Kilimanjaro, Cape Fear, Marnie, Torn Curtain, among others

Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Bernard Herrmann's The Ghost and Mrs. Muir PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN: 9786613969750
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 186

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Book Description


The Invisible Art of Film Music

The Invisible Art of Film Music PDF Author: Laurence E. MacDonald
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 0810883988
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 625

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Book Description
Beginning with the era of synchronized sound in the 1920s, music has been an integral part of motion pictures. Whether used to heighten the tension of a scene or evoke a subtle emotional response, scores have played a significant—if often unrealized—role in the viewer’s enjoyment. In The Invisible Art of Film Music, Laurence MacDonald provides a comprehensive introduction for the general student, film historian, and aspiring cinematographer. Arranged chronologically from the silent era to the present day, this volume provides insight into the evolution of music in cinema and analyzes the vital contributions of scores to hundreds of films. MacDonald reviews key developments in film music and discusses many of the most important and influential scores of the last nine decades, including those from Modern Times, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, Laura, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws, Ragtime, The Mission, Titanic, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings, Brokeback Mountain,and Slumdog Millionaire. MacDonald also provides biographical sketches of such great composers as Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Maurice Jarre, John Barry, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Dave Grusin, Ennio Morricone, Randy Newman, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman. Updated and expanded to include scores produced well into the twenty-first century, this new edition of The Invisible Art of Film Music will appeal not only to scholars of cinema and musicologists but also any fan of film scores.

Music by Max Steiner

Music by Max Steiner PDF Author: Steven C. Smith
Publisher: Cultural Biographies
ISBN: 0190623276
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 497

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Book Description
In this biography the author interweaves the dramatic incidents of Steiner's personal life with an accessible exploration of his composing methods and experiences

Jerome Moross's The Big Country

Jerome Moross's The Big Country PDF Author: Mariana Whitmer
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 0810885018
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 211

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Book Description
With its unique focus on pacifism, The Big Country was an unusual Western for audiences of the 1950s. Produced in 1958, this epic film featured an all-star cast that included Gregory Peck, Charlton Heston, and Oscar-winner Burl Ives. One of the most enduring elements of the film has been Jerome Moross’s score. Inspired to re-think the traditional Western score and approach it in a way that enhances the emotional content, rather than simply accompanying the action, Moross created a work that stands as one of the great achievements of cinematic music. In Jerome Moross’s The Big Country: A Film Score Guide, Mariana Whitmer examines Moross’s landmark work, a score that continues to attract listeners and influence composers of film, Westerns and otherwise. This book begins with a biographical survey of Moross’s formative years, his early dramatic compositions in ballet and musical theater, and his early film work, providing an historical context for understanding his approach to scoring The Big Country. Drawing upon Moross’s original manuscripts and correspondence, Whitmer looks carefully at the score itself. She relates the history of this magnificent score and how the film’s music differs significantly from contemporary trends in the Western. Whitmer also examines the music’s individual cues and describes how Moross approached the film as a dramatic entity, delineating sections of the narrative into mega-scenes through the music. Finally, the aftermath of this score is considered, including how it has influenced not only subsequent Westerns but also music videos. The first book devoted to a Western film score and the only biographical book on the composer, Jerome Moross’s The Big Country: A Film Score Guide, will be a valuable read for musicologists, film scholars, and anyone interested in Moross and his music.

Franz Waxman's Rebecca

Franz Waxman's Rebecca PDF Author: David Neumeyer
Publisher: Scarecrow Press
ISBN: 081088366X
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 249

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Book Description
Upon his arrival in Hollywood, Alfred Hitchcock began work on his first American film, an adaptation of Daphne du Maurier’s best-selling novel. Produced by David O. Selznick and featuring compelling performances by Laurence Olivier, Joan Fontaine, and Judith Anderson, Rebecca became one of Hitchcock’s most successful films. It was nominated for eleven Academy Awards and received the Oscar for Best Picture, the only Hitchcock work to be so honored. Without question, one of the reasons for the film’s success is its ninety minutes of dramatic musical underscoring by Franz Waxman. In Franz Waxman’s Rebecca: A Film Score Guide, David Neumeyer and Nathan Platte situate the score for this classic work within the context of the composer’s life and career. Beginning with Waxman’s early training and professional experience as a jazz musician and film-music arranger-orchestrator in Berlin, the authors also recount the composer’s work in the music department at MGM between 1936 and 1942. During this period, Waxman was loaned out to Selznick International Pictures and wrote the music for Rebecca. Through manuscript and archival research, Neumeyer and Platte untangle the threads of the film’s complicated music production process, which was strongly influenced by Selznick’s habit of micromanaging music choices and placement. This volume concludes with a thematic analysis and reading of the score that incorporates commentary on scenes and cues. The first book devoted to the music of a single film by this great composer from Hollywood’s golden age, Franz Waxman’s Rebecca: A Film Score Guide will be of interest to musicologists and film scholars, as well as fans of Alfred Hitchcock and Franz Waxman.

100 Greatest Film Scores

100 Greatest Film Scores PDF Author: Matt Lawson
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538103680
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 337

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Book Description
The background music on a film can make or break the audience experience. Imagine the shower scene in Psycho without the shrieking violins or Jaws without the ominous notes thatportend the shark’s attack! Musical accompaniment helps create atmosphere for the viewer, from subtle undertones to compositions that heighten the drama. In 100 Greatest Film Scores, authors Matt Lawson and Laurence E. MacDonald consider the finest music produced for cinema since the development of motion picture sound. Each entry includes background details about the film, biographical information about the composer, a concise analysis of the score, and a summary of the score’s impact both within the film and on cinematic history. Among the many films cited here are iconic scores for The Adventures of Robin Hood, A Beautiful Mind,The Big Country, Chariots of Fire, Citizen Kane, Edward Scissorhands, Fargo, Gonewith the Wind, The Great Escape, Jurassic Park, King Kong, Lawrence of Arabia, The Lion in Winter, North by Northwest, On the Waterfront, Out of Africa, The Pink Panther, Raiders of the Lost Ark, Vertigo, and Up. Arranged alphabetically and featuring a photo of each movies, the entries in this volume give the reader insight into how music functions across a wide spectrum of film genres. Representing some of the greatest composers in the history of cinema including Elmer Bernstein, Bernard Herrmann, Alfred Newman, John Williams, and Hans Zimmer, 100 Greatest Film Scores will be of interest to fans of movie music everywhere.

The Classical Hollywood Reader

The Classical Hollywood Reader PDF Author: Stephen Neale
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 0415576725
Category : Performing Arts
Languages : en
Pages : 484

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Book Description
First Published in 2012. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

James Newton Howard's Signs

James Newton Howard's Signs PDF Author: Erik Heine
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1442256044
Category : Music
Languages : en
Pages : 229

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Book Description
Released in 2002, M. Night Shyamalan’s Signs was the director’s follow-up to The Sixth Sense and Unbreakable, and his third collaboration with composer James Newton Howard. Well received by audiences and critics alike, the film was often cited by reviewers for its music. With its dependence on a single motive, the score is unique in Howard’s career, and one of his most effective and haunting works. In James Newton Howard’s Signs: A Film Score Guide, Erik Heine provides the first close reading of the composer’s work. Heine discusses Howard’s musical style and influences, as well as his ability to compose for a variety of genres, acknowledging him as one of the most versatile composers working today. The book shows how early sketches of cues for Signs were developed into the final score, allowing the reader insight into Howard’s compositional process. The book also demonstrates how Howard’s style is difficult to pigeonhole, since his focus is on serving the needs of the film. Drawing on completed orchestrated scores, as well as other material from the James Newton Howard Archive at the University of Southern California, the level of musical detail provided in this volume is unsurpassed. As a book that addresses Howard’s compositional style—and the only volume that significantly examines the music in any Shyamalan film—James Newton Howard’s Signs: A Film Score Guide will be of interest to music scholars, film scholars, and fans of the composer’s work.