The Transformation….  The Hollywood sound is about to be influenced by contemporary concert composers. Write primarily symphonies, chamber music, operas etc.  In America, Film music was written by experts who devoted themselves to the art, not concert composers.  These composers wrote quickly and effectively.  The modern styles and techniques of concert music gradually made its way to Hollywood.

International Films  In Europe, many leading concert comp. wrote film music.  AS a result, modern styles and comp. techniques can fist be detected in foreign scores. France England Soviet Union

Modern Music in Hollywood  2 styles of concert music influenced Hollywood at this time: Expressionism American Nationalism  We also see the development of a new style: film noir, which deals with darker subjects.  All 3 styles appear in Hollywood in the 1940’s.

Expressionism  Igor Stravinsky and Arnold Schoenberg, two prestigious composers of the time were invited by MGM to write for films. Schoenberg: Pierrot Lunaire  Both eventually lived in Hollywood, but neither actually completed a studeio score

Stravinsky  Worked on several rejected films  Some of his musical drafts were later reused in published compositions  He is said to have requested  $100,000 for a score, a year to compose it, and a voice in how the film was created…he didn’t get the job.  Stravinsky: Excerpts From Part 1 Of Le Sacre

Schoenberg  Was very influenctial on Hollywoood both as a teacher and as a model for composing expressionistic music.  Expressionist music: Continuous dissonant harmony Disjunct melodies One of the most radical sounding musical styles in the first half of the twentieth century

American Nationalism  Brought to Hollywood by Aaron Copland Best known for his ballets: ○ Appalachian Spring ○ Rodeo ○ Billy the Kid Distinctive American style His music influenced a number of film composers including Leonard Bernstein and John Williams.

Aaron Copland  All 4 of his film scores are connected to American stories  Wrote music for a film adaptation of John Steinbeck’s 1937 novel Of Mice and Men Received Oscar Nominations for Best Picture and Best Original Score in 1939

Bernard Herrmann  1 st major Hollywood film composer to incorporate the modern sounds of contemporary concert music in a consistant fashion  Wrote the score for Citizen Kane in 1941

Citizen Kane  Widely acknowledged as America’s greatest film and the high point of the Golden Age.  Plot is told from 6 perspectives : Newsreel: the public view Thatcher: the guardian Bernstein: the business partner Leland: the best friend Susan: the second wife Raymond: the butler

Citizen Kane…  Contained effects which broke contemporary practices: Stark contrast between bright light and dark ○ Used mostly in scenes with reporter Thompson Camera angles create unique shots Use of deep focus ○ Allows images in the foreground and background to stay in focus. Use of reflected images and montage

The Music of Citizen Kane  Orson Wells starred in Citizen Kane, produced it, and helped write the script.  Leonard Bernstein composed the score  Like the classic film scores of the Golden Age, music supports the drama, captures moods, and contributes a sense of unity.