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Published bySuzanna Warren Modified over 9 years ago
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Expressionism in Film Scores
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Concert Composer vs. Film Composer Concert Composers wrote music for music’s sake(symphonies, operas, chamber music). Included new, innovative sounds. Film composers had to work quickly & efficiently and still used the traditional style 1940s: elements of the concert music started to bleed over into film music
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Expressionism Expressionism: continuous dissonant harmony and disjunct melodies – Hanns Eisler: brought expressionism to Hollywood Hangmen Also Die (1943): expressionist score Hangmen Also Die (1943): Schoenberg requested $100, 000, a year to compose and a voice in how the film was created - Eissler was one of the first Hollywood figures called before the House Un-American Activities Committee under suspicion of promoting communism. He voluntarily deported due to reputation being ruined
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Modern Music in Hollywood Bernard Herrmann: first major film composer to consistently use modern concert music sounds in film scores – The Devil and Daniel Webster : used telegraph wires and layered tracks to create eerie effects The Devil and Daniel Webster :
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Citizen Kane (1941) America’s Greatest Film, even though it runs against many of the trends at the time Orson Welles: starred in it, produced it, and helped write the script Plot: the rise and fall of Kane, told from 6 people’s perspectives. An anonymous reporter, Thompson, links these all together as he searches for the meaning of Kane’s last word: “Rosebud” Cinematographic effects made it innovative
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Stark contrast between bright light and darkness
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Camera angles used to create unique shots
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Deep Focus
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Reflected Images
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Citizen Kane: The Music Composer by Bernard Herrmann Like classic Golden Age film scores: supports drama, captures moods, creates unity Different in its orchestration (dark), harmony(dissonant) & melody(cold sounding)orchestration (dark), “Rosebud” refers to the sled that represents Kane’s happy childhood. “Rosebud” Breakfast Montage: shows the demise of Charles Kane’s marriage Breakfast Montage
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VertigoVertigo (1958) – Score by Bernard Hermann – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock – Uses film noir devices: sustained moods, low woodwinds, & wavering tones – Underscoring is essential in sustaining suspense Underscoring is essential in sustaining suspense – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8cWjLMuJg o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8cWjLMuJg o
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North by Northwest (1959) – Score by Bernard Hermann – Directed by Alfred Hitchcock – More traditional scoring due to action genre More traditional scoring due to action genre – Most famous musical moment is silence when the plane is chasing the lead Most famous musical moment is silence when the plane is chasing the lead – Love theme played by clarinet & oboe to sound more mature than saxophone used in other films
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