Overtones and undertones : reading film music / Royal S. Brown.
| Author/creator | Brown, Royal S. |
| Format | Book |
| Publication Info | Berkeley : University of California Press, ©1994. |
| Description | x, 396 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm |
| Subjects |
| Contents | Introduction -- Narrative/film/music -- Actions/interactions: "Classical" music -- Actions/interactions: historical overview -- Actions/interactions: the source beyond the source -- Styles and interactions: beyond the diegesis. Interlude I: Erich Wolfgang Korngold: The sea hawk (1940) ; Interlude II: Miklós Rózsa: Double indemnity (1944) ; Interlude III: The Eisenstein/Prokofiev phenomenon -- Herrmann, Hitchcock, and the music of the irrational -- New styles, new genres, new interactions. Interlude IV: Jean-Luc Godard: Vivre sa vie (1962) ; Interlude V: Jean-Luc Godard: Pierrot le fou (1965) -- Music as image as music: a postmodern perspective -- A brief (postmodern) conclusion -- Interviews. Miklós Rózsa ; David Raksin ; Bernard Herrmann ; Henry Mancini ; Maurice Jarre ; Lalo Schifrin ; John Barry ; Howard Shore -- Appendix: How to hear a movie: an outline. |
| Abstract | Since the days of silent films, music has been integral to the cinematic experience, serving, variously, to allay audiences' fears of the dark and to heighten a film's emotional impact. Yet viewers are often unaware of its presence. This book invites readers not only to "hear" the film score, but to understand it in relation to what they "see." Unlike earlier books, which offered historical, technical, and sociopolitical analyses, this book draws on film, music, and narrative theory to provide the first comprehensive aesthetics of film music. Focusing on how the film/score interaction influences our response to cinematic situations, the author traces the history of film music from its beginnings, covering both American and European cinema. At the heart of his book are close readings of several of the best film/score interactions, including Psycho, Laura, The Sea Hawk, Double Indemnity, and Pierrot le Fou. In revealing interviews with Bernard Herrmann, Miklós Rósza, Henry Mancini, and others, the author also allows the composers to speak for themselves. A complete discography and bibliography conclude the volume. |
| Bibliography note | Includes bibliographical references (pages 373-377), discography (pages 367-371), and index. |
| LCCN | 93046924 |
| ISBN | 0520083202 (cloth) |
| ISBN | 9780520083202 (cloth) |
| ISBN | 0520085442 (pbk.) |
Availability
| Library | Location | Call Number | Status | Item Actions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Music | Closed Stacks - Ask at Circulation Desk | ML2075 .B76 1994 | ✔ Available | Place Hold |