Voted “Composer With Most Germanically Spelled Surname”, Bernard Herrmann is one of the undisputed greatest film composers of all time. Known mostly for his work with Alfred Hitchcock and Orson Welles, he hailed from a time when the line between classical chamber music and film score was fuzzy, but so often put in focus by lack of quality and ham-fisted cliché. Herrmann’s scores were emotive without the bombast, subtly playing upon an actor’s every gesture to bring the full quality of a film to the forefront, and somehow still managing a tune you could whistle. Case in point, does this little ditty sound familiar?
And a gorgeous, gorgeous piece from Vertigo:
Happy 100th birthday, Baz you old dog!
The Vertigo piece is beautiful! Thanks for sharing it.