MUSIC246 - Film Scores

Lecture 5

• 1930s: sound film develops many of the conventions that will define it.
• Begins as an extension of the silent film but by the end of the decade, technical advances, and aesthetic changes have developped it into its own medium.

The “Émigré” Composer:

• Rise of Nazi Germany.
• Nazis forced out many of Europe’s artists and intellectuals.
• Erich Korngold, Dimitri Tiomkin, Franz Waxman, Miklos Rosza.
• Alfred Newman and Herbert Stothart are two of the few important

Erich Korngold: (1897-1957)

• Won Academy Award for Anthony Adverse (1936)
• In 1938 Korngold asked to do Robin Hood but refused.
• HOWEVER, history intervenes
  • Austria annexed by the Nazis and all his family’s wealth and property was seized.
• 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.

Everyone else worked on contract

The Sea Hawk (1940)

• Also made use of the Overture at the beginning of each film presenting the main themes.

Example 1: The Sea Hawk - Opening Credits

• Opening credits - uses an “overture” - ABA Structure
• In this case, ABA = heroic / love / heroic
• Herois theme uses brass fanfare / love theme uses string
• Tempo - Rubato

Example 2: The Sea Hawk

• Battle elements
• Phrases the drama - sets the mood and parallels the battle
• Drops under dialog - hits the thrwon kine - dropes pacin gunder the retreat…
• Blending of source and score with the sounding of the retreat
• He would drop down the music for dialog
• Korngold would blend the score and source: with the guy playing a trumpet without keys then adds on a modern trumpet by introducing notes that cannot be played on the trumpet seen on screen.
  • example of pacing too
  • phrasing the drama, lots of action, rapid accents, motive quotes, end of scene
  • bring scene to an end

Phrasing the drama VS hitting the action VS playing the action

The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)

Example 3: Robin Hood - Opening Credits

Opening - Ouverture: ABS structure - 3 Themes - Musical Form? Represents?

• First theme: sounds a little bit goofy. a march, not robin hood’s theme. the theme associated with the band he put together. every time robbin hood shows up by himself he gets into trouble. group over the individual.
• First two based on a marched - group activity
• Final theme sounds like the love theme - strings (6th interval: describe how apart two notes are from each other on a scale) often used in love theme.
• Transition into diegesis
  • brings into drums with the score, then transitions into real drums seen on the screen.

Open Credits: Tells you everything is going to be a lie, isn’t real.

Example 4: Robin Hood - Robin’s Theme

Robind Hood theme - short, fanfare(but not in opening credits)

• fanfare usually used for heroic
• not use in the opening credits, because it’s not the most important of the movie

Example 5: Robin Hood - Little John

A man of the outdoors, another convention coming from the opera Look at himself in the wild

• Theme will be used when main characters join the merry men
• First heard with Little John - French Horn (operatic link to hunter or woodsman)
• Stylistic blend of source music (played for comedy)
• Hitting the action during the dual (also played for comedy)
• Woodwind “water” theme - similar to many operatic examples
  • falls into the water
  • have a good laugh, going to be great friends, then we introduce the merry men music theme
• Concludes with merry men theme
  • Little John is going to join the band

Example 6: Robin Hood - Firar Tuck

• Similar to Little John scene
• Initial theme played primarily on bassoon and muted trumpet - comic relief
• Sword fight (when in water) - same theme as Little John battle - more exciting / swords
• Woodwind “water” theme again
• Concludes with merry men
  • This time, uses the bassoon to play the theme Rewritten the parts, adds characterization

Example 7: Robing Hood - Robin and Marion 1

• two themes during Marion/Robin dialog
  • first theme is new
  • second theme from opening credits
    • which is love theme (or both?)

Example 8: Robin Hood - Robin and Marion 2

• Love theme 1 for the big smooch
  • big strings / moments of spectable
• Love theme 2
  • quiet cello
  • love for country?

Two themes, romantic love VS love for country Love can represent patriotism too not just romantic love.

Example 9: Robin Hood - King Richard

• Love theme 2 (from opening credits) gets most dramatic statement with the reveal of Richard

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.