Program Notes - Fall Concert

Theme: "DMCO At the Movies"

1. Citizen Kane Overture  (Bernard Herrmann)

2. The Trouble with Harry (“A Portrait of Hitch”)  (Bernard Herrmann) 

3. Psycho Suite  (Bernard Herrmann)

4. Vertigo Suite  (Bernard Herrmann)

5. Star Wars Suite  (John Williams)

Citizen Kane Overture (1941). 
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)

"No composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over forty scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. From his first film (Citizen Kane) to his last (Taxi Driver), Herrmann was a master at evoking psychological nuance and dramatic tension through music, often using unheard-of instrumental combinations to suit the dramatic needs of a film. His scores are among the most distinguished ever written, ranging from the fantastic (Fahrenheit 451, The Day the Earth Stood Still) to the romantic (Obsession, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) to the terrifying (Psycho).

"Film was not the only medium in which Herrmann made a powerful mark. His radio broadcasts included Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air and its most notorious presentation, The War of the Worlds. His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic. As chief conductor of the CBS Symphony, Herrmann gave important first performances of music by such composers as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Charles Ives, whose work he particularly championed.

"Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. As complex as any character in the films he scores, Herrmann remains a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love." [Steven C. Smith]

Citizen Kane, universally acknowledged as one of the greatest (#1 on most critics' lists) films ever made owes its fame in large part to Orson Welles' creative genius (his first film, at age 25, no less), Gregg Toland's groundbreaking cinematography, and Bernard Herrmann's debut film score. The Citizen Kane Overture is not, in fact the main title music, as its name might suggest. It is a short collection of memorable music from the film, drawing mostly from the hustle and bustle of the newsroom and Kane's jubilant management style as shown early in the film, before he falls prey to his inner demons.

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The Trouble with Harry ("A Portrait of Hitch") (1968). 
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)

Alfred Hitchcock's film The Trouble with Harry (1955) takes place in a beautiful New England community in autumn. Harry's trouble is that he is dead. In this odd, but often hilarious, black comedy, Harry's corpse causes a variety of problems for the local residents. In his first collaboration with the famed "master of suspense," Bernard Herrmann composed a score that reflects perfectly the offbeat humor of the film (and of Hitchcock). Thirteen years later, as a tribute to the director, Herrmann created a suite from the music for the film and titled it Portrait of Hitch. Between a "false ending" and the final chord, a solo bassoon plays a short motif from his music for Citizen Kane, displaying another example of his sense of humor. [CJ]

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Psycho: A Suite for Strings (1960) 
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)

If there is one Hitchcock film that most represents his prowess at manipulating the viewers' emotions, it would have to be Psycho. One of the film's stars, Janet Leigh, upon seeing herself in the famous (infamous?) shower scene, became one of many audience members not able to take a shower again. And she was in the movie! Herrmann created one of his most original and disturbing scores to complement the unsettling nature of the film. Scored for strings only, the music is at turns tense, driving (as Leigh literally is driving through a rainstorm in the film), brutal, horrifying, and ironically serene. [CJ]

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Vertigo Suite (1958) 
Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975)

1. Prelude 
2. The Nightmare 
3. Scene d'Amour

"Scottie Ferguson (James Stewart), a psychologically damaged San Francisco policeman, chances on Judy Barton (Kim Novak) who bears an uncanny resemblance to Madeleine, his former love, who fell to her death from a bell tower - acute vertigo having prevented Scottie climbing the tower to save her. Scottie now attempts to expunge his guilt and reclaim his love by seeking to turn Judy into Madeleine - but with cataclysmic results.

"Bernard Herrmann's "prelude" immediately descends into disquieting territory with an unsettling six-note motif; seldom has music been structured on such an uncertain wavering ground bass. Stark brass figures come into play, but the initial motif is maintained, reiterated by harps and celesta, before steely string figures sweep the composition into a maelstrom, the music churning around, seemingly devouring itself. On screen, lurid graphics swirl, circular patterns beckon ever downward, music and visuals forming a potent correlation of vertigo. Scottie, beset by vivid recollections of Madeleine plunging to her death, is vexed with horrific nightmares - and Herrmann equals Hitchcock's disturbing visuals with a bizarrely orchestrated fandango - the Andalusian flavour prompted by memories of a Spanish portrait which so fascinated Madeleine - the music climaxing in a dense unholy convergence of tones and discords, a piercing symphonic scream; Scottie's psychological agony in music. The rising fervour of the "Scene d'Amour" accompanies the film's most climactic moment, a scene of revelation as Judy's metamorphosis is finally completed. At first the music is tentative, as anxious as Scottie himself, but as he finally espies Judy, transformed into a perceptible copy of Madeleine, the music soars in unabashed ecstasy as Scottie's spirit is overwhelmed. For him, Madeleine has returned from the dead." [David Wishart]

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Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra (1977) 
John Williams (b. 1948)

1. Main Title 
2. Princess Leia's Theme 
3. The Imperial March (Darth Vader's Theme) 
4. Yoda's Theme 
5. Throne Room & End Title

Some of the best contemporary orchestral writing can be found in films and John Williams is one of the finest of today's composers. He is probably as responsible as anyone for the resurrection of symphonic film scores. Following a period of minimalism in film composition (culminating in the "single performer on a synthesizer," as in Chariots of Fire), Williams brought back to life the large orchestral soundtracks of Hollywood's Golden Age. His music is most familiar through his association with the films of Steven Spielberg and George Lucas. Here is what he has to say about the piece we will be playing today:

"During 1997 we celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of George Lucas' classic film Star Wars. All of us connected with this phenomenal movie have been greatly gratified to see an entire new generation of very young film-goers enjoy the Star Wars trilogy and relate so strongly to its story, characters, and music.

"Also, I am personally delighted to have this new edition of the score available to orchestras and the public. It includes the "Imperial March" and "Yoda's Theme," both of which have not been available until this present printing.

"I have always felt privileged to have had the opportunity to compose music for these landmark films, and the ongoing interest in the films and their music has continued to be one of my greatest joys."

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