Unit 7 Golden Age of Film Music Continued
In Unit 6
- We looked at representative scores and composers
- Discussed the maturing of film music by pioneering masters
- Looked at achievements of style, setting and the high standards put forth by the giants of the field of film music
- Analyzed and transcribe music cues from a film
In Unit 7 we will highlight other pioneering masters of the era and analyze the works of three films:
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
The Adventures of Robin Hood
Citizen Kane
Casablanca
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Films of the Era
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Composer Spotlight-Erich Wolfgang Korngold
- Like Max Steiner was a child prodigy
- Czechoslovakian born 1897-1957
- Was hailed by critics as a second Mozart due to his great talents
- Father Julius (a major music critic for Vienna) named Erich after Mozart
- Over a 12 year career only composed 18 original film scores.
- His exclusive contract allowed him to choose his assignments and highest paid.
- Received four Academy Award nominations winning twice, for Anthony Adverse (1936) and The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
- Focused on two types of film categories: Swashbuckling adventure (the mighty swordsman and daredevil) and the romantic drama
- His orchestrator was Hugo Friedhofer (composer for The Bishop's Wife and also orchestrator for Max Steiner)
- Very successful opera and symphonic composer in Europe
- Had the ability to synchronize his music while recording to the picture without the use of any mechanical devices (click track or stopwatch)
- Viewed movies as operas without songs
- Film composing style is that of the late Romantic period composers. Major influence was the music of Richard Strauss (1864-1949) [Also sprach Zarathustra] (Thus Spoke Zarathustra, 1896)
- His scores are characteristic of a symphonic overture featuring brass fanfare followed by a sweeping melody in the strings. [Adventures of Robin Hood, Sea Hawk and King's Row Examples]
Korngold's style is far from dead....