Film Music Review (Spring 2009)

Read about this multi-talented singer, songwriter,
arranger, and choral director at

Recently several large lists that include film scores have been published.

The first one was a list of the Top 100 film scores as described in The Hollywood Reporter.

This is the top ten film scores in the Top 100, as chosen by film industry people:

1. THE GODFATHER -- Nino Rota
2. JAWS -- John Williams
3. STAR WARS -- John Williams
4. THE GOOD, THE BAD AND THE UGLY -- Ennio Morricone
5. PSYCHO -- Bernard Herrmann
6. E.T. - THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL -- John Williams
7. LAWRENCE OF ARABIA -- Maurice Jarre
8. GONE WITH THE WIND -- Max Steiner
9. RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK -- John Williams
10. CHINATOWN -- Jerry Goldsmith

Another list appeared in Classic FM magazine (May 2009). This issue has the "2009 Hall of Fame" with 300 classical works chosen by radio listeners in the UK, and includes these film scores (arranged by their number on the list of 300 works):

285: HARRY POTTER AND THE GOBLET OF FIRE -- Patrick Doyle
243: RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK -- John Williams
233: ROMEO AND JULIET -- Craig Armstrong
215: JURASSIC PARK -- John Williams
165: WARSAW CONCERTO -- Richard Addinsell
157: HARRY POTTER AND THE PHILOSOPHER'S STONE -- John Williams
148: STAR WARS -- John Williams
145: SAVING PRIVATE RYAN -- John Williams
137: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL -- Claus Badelt
119: GLADIATOR -- Hans Zimmer
116: PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MAN'S CHEST -- Hans Zimmer
58: LADIES IN LAVENDER -- Nigel Hess
21: THE LORD OF THE RINGS: FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING -- Howard Shore
20: ASHOKAN FAREWELL (from Tv servies, THE CIVIL WAR) -- Jay Ungar

What an odd list of film scores! There is only one vintage score -- WARSAW CONCERTO (not really a "concerto") from the 1940s film, BRIEF ENCOUNTER. All the rest are film scores from the 1970s onward. Once again John Williams is well repesented with 6 out of 15 film scores on this list. But where are all those great classic film scores from the 1930s, '40's, '50s and 60's?

Christopher Palmer with Maurice Jarre (on right)
during recording of A PASSAGE TO INDIA
[From CD -- DOCTOR ZHIVAGO: The Classic Film Music
of Maurice Jarre, Silva America, 1995]

Sadly, another of filmdom's most revered film composers
has left us at the age of 84.

Maurice Jarre was one of the most respected film composers.
He composed over 200 scores during his long career,
from his first film score in 1952 until his last one in 2001.

He received three Oscars for major films directed by David Lean:
LAWRENCE OF ARABIA (1962)
DOCTOR ZHIVAGO (1965)
A PASSAGE TO INDIA (1984)

In an interview, Jarre quoted his favorite director, David Lean, as saying:

"Maurice, you are the doctor of the film. It is true that music can help a scene run more smoothly, but it has to be a good film for the music to have its best effect. Music can cure a minor sickness
but it cannot help the terminally ill!"

Contributing Writer Steve Vertlieb has sent in the following announcement...

Bonhams Fine Art Auctioneers and Valuers will be auctioning off Bernard Herrmann's original manuscript for PSYCHO on
24 March 2009.

BERNARD HERRMANN Music and Film: Scores, manuscripts and books sold on behalf of Norma Herrmann

Autograph full score of his music for Alfred Hitchcock's film Psycho, including the Murder in the Shower scene ('The Murder') and the 'Prelude', the first page signed and dated "Bernard Herrmann/ Jan 12 - Feb 12/ 60", written between January and February 1960 and reassembled by the composer in 1968 to form his concert suite Psycho: A Narrative for Orchestra, the present manuscript comprising:

Part I

(Cue 1) "1. 'Psycho' Prelude", incorporating "Flight": autograph manuscript of the first page of the original score in black ink, with paste-overs for bars 63-78, 109-110 and 129-131 (conclusion), timings in red ballpoint (up to one minute 57 seconds), later marked up for the suite in red felt-tip pen ("Pt I"), including suite revisions to the final three bars in red and blue felt-tip pen, 5 pages

(Cue 2) "2. The City": photocopy reworked in red ballpoint, plus timings in red ballpoint, paste-over autograph title (also originally reading "The City"), later marked-up for the suite in felt-tip pen, one page

(Cue 10) "10. The Rainstorm", incorporating "Flight", "Flight B", "Prelude", and "Flight": comprising a twice-repeated photocopy of the 'Prelude', paste-over titles (see note below), reworked in red ballpoint at bars 51-74, 93-96, and 209-216, adapted for the suite in red and blue felt-tip pen, 3 pages

Part II

(Cue 14) "14. The Madhouse": autograph manuscript of the original score in black ink, with paste-overs for bars 18-19, adapted for the suite in red felt-tip pen and inscribed on the blank recto "Psycho (Pt II)" and at the head "(Pt II)", one page

(Cue 17) "17. The Murder": autograph manuscript of the original score in black ink, adapted for the suite in blue felt-tip pen, 2 pages

(Cue 21) "21. The Water": autograph manuscript of the original score in black ink, with revisions (rests scraped out and replaced), timings in red ballpoint, 2 pages

In all 20 pages, on Ricordi music paper and photocopies thereof, partly taped together with some consequent discolouring affecting the edges and versos, 4to, mostly 12 January to 12 February 1960 [with further alterations made in 1968]

Sale 16761 -
Printed Books, Mansucripts, Music & Photographs
24 March 2009
New Bond Street
Lot No. 198

LONDON (AP) — A British auction house says it was unable to sell the score to Alfred Hitchcock's bloodcurdling movie "Psycho."

Bonhams says the 20-page work was withdrawn from a sale Tuesday after failing to make its minimum price. Minimums are typically set at or just below the auctioneer's low estimate — in this case, 30,000 pounds ($44,000).

The music was composed by Bernard Herrmann to accompany Hitchcock's 1960 thriller. The manuscript carries the notes to the slashing, shrieking violin sounds that play when a knife-wielding killer bursts in on actress Janet Leigh as she showers in the Bates Motel.

The auctioneer had hoped to sell the piece for up to 40,000 pounds ($56,000).

Bonhams said Wednesday the score would be returned to Herrmann's third wife, Norma.

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Only a few copies remain of
the updated 3rd edition of
A Guide to Film Music: Songs and Scores

When you order this guide you will also receive a Free CD-R with
film music examples.

For more details, click on this link:

The Special Merit CDs are chosen at any time during a month for outstanding overall production of a soundtrack or compilation.

The Editor's Choice - Best of the Month designation is for those CDs that are singled out for their excellence. They are chosen anytime within a given month and may not be chosen every month.

Capsule review: This set is a bit disappointing, especially the awkwardly filmed and edited documentary, "Becoming John Ford." Commentary by Julie Kirgo and Nick Redman on DRUMS ALONG THE MOHAWK is very good. Film transfers are clean and sharp, but with great scores by David Buttolph and Alfred Newman, these classic films deserve to have isolated music tracks. Rating: ***1/2

Music by Bernard Herrmann
Commentary by film & music historians John Morgan,
Steven Smith, William Stromberg, and Nick Redman

Rating: ****

THE ROBE (1953)
(Special Edition)

music by Alfred Newman
Commentary by
film composer David Newman,
film historians Jon Burlingame, Julie Kirgo, and Nick Redman

Rating: ****