The legacy of composer Bernard Herrmann

Over at the Film Music Magazine website, Ron Hess takes a look at the history and legacy of legendary film composer Bernard Herrmann:

Recently, on a whim, I Googled the terms “unusual orchestration” and “film” together in a search for new and exotic “highs.” (Remember my recent “Orchestrational Aptitude Test?” Here’s where some of us get our jollies…) I found that, to the outside world, the term is so mis- and over-used as to be almost meaningless. Most of the links led to rather conventional film and concert scores, making me wonder if the use of live players at all is now considered “unusual.” Or perhaps the word has become such a relative term that it could even be applied to potato chips by one dining on a steady diet of chicken broth (ask any digestive track surgery patient…)

Read the full post here.

Also be sure to check out Jim Sullivan’s detailed look at the score for Psycho – you’ll find this right here.