Erich Korngold

Lecture 5 - Erich Korngold and The Adventures of Robin Hood

Born in 1897 in Vienna.

• Childhood prodigy, son of noted music critic

• Teachers included Strauss and Mahler.

• 1934, Mendelssohn’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream”

  • Known as a conductor, for playing Mendelssohn’s

• Liked Hollywood, returned several times over the next few years to do scores.

  • liked how efficient it is, the quality

• Academy Ward for Robin Hood

  • First time award was given directly to composer, not head of music department.

• remained in Hollywood, died in 1957.

  • dissapointed that he was never able to regain his position as a “serious composer”

• Freelanced, composed only 19 films scores in 12 years.

Style Wrote in a 19th century romantic style (Like Wagner and Strauss) - considered his scores to be like “little operas”

• Focus on extended melodies (thematic transformation: Wagner style, themes, melodies) - Established convention for battle music scenes
• Developped a series of approaches for battle scenes:
  • Loud Dynamics
  • Use of rapid scale passages
  • Irregular, aggressive accents, keep you up in the air
  • Occasional motive reference

Style of Korngold

• Romantic orchestral operatic approach
• Use of themes / thematic transformation
  • reflect what’s going on by constantly changing the themes
• Often phrases the drama
  • recognizes that constantly hitting the action is tiring, Mickey Mousing can be distracting
• Limited use of hitting the action, would use it for comedy or key moments of the drama.
  • He holds off
  • Mickey mousing for comedic effect

Will dominate for the next decades or two. Steiner and Korngold. Until 1940s where more realistic films make their appearances.