Methods of Madness
| Selections | A Night Piece For Orchestra..Prelude & Blues (from Taxi Driver) - Bernard Herrmann
Prelude (from On Dangerous Ground) - Bernard Herrmann
Prelude (from Psycho) - Bernard Herrmann
Scene d' Amour (from Vertigo) - Bernard Herrmann
The Wild Ride (from North By Northwest) - Bernard Herrmann
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Hear it all on Mediabox
Brooding, loud, dark, intense, thoughtful and subject to sudden mood swings.
This description might be seen to describe both the music and the personality
of one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century, Bernard Herrmann.
What makes Herrmann so unique in the art of film music was his approach to composition.
His was the music of emotion. Herrmann said, "I count myself an individual.
I hate all cults, fads and circles. I believe that only music that springs out
of genuine personal emotion and inspiration is alive and important." He
avoided the overly romantic scores of the time, preferring an individual expression
that concentrated on atmosphere and sounds, which reflect the emotional turmoil
of a fictional character.
The Blue Devils explore Herrmann's methods of portraying a characters psychology through selections from some of his most famous works: Martin Scorsese's
Taxi
Driver (1976), Nicholas Ray's
On Dangerous Ground (1951), Francois
Truffaut's
Fahrenheit 451 (1966), and Alfred Hitchcock's
Psycho (1959),
Vertigo (1958),
and
North By Northwest (1959).
The introduction to the show is 'Night Piece for Saxophone and Orchestra', the
main title music from
Taxi Driver. The scene is contemporary New York,
a 'city of dreadful night', and Herrmann in his unique way creates music that
reflects the torment of 'God's lonely man.' The first production begins as 'Night
Piece' softens in mood. It marks the first time Herrmann merged the traditional
orchestration with jazz. The jazz blues motif becomes the theme for Travis Bickle's
(Robert De Niro) introspection, revealing a more fragile, human side of a soul
in torment.
After a brief percussion interlude, the second production begins with 'Prelude
from On Dangerous Ground'. The music reflects a recurring theme of Herrmann's--a
fierce reflection of the urban landscape, city streets revealed through the windows
of a prowling police car. The sharp, staccato phrases dented by a bruising anvil
are the perfect correlation for Jim Wilson's (Robert Ryan) obsessive hunt for
a criminal. Woven into the texture this arrangement of 'On Dangerous Ground'
are echoes of
Psycho, perhaps Herrmann's most well known piece. The 'Narrative
for Orchestra' from
Psycho reflects the madness of Norman Bates (Anthony
Perkins), truly one of the most infamous characters in the history of film.
The third production relaxes in mood with some of Herrmann's most beautiful and
nostalgic music. It begins with the melancholy strains of 'The Book People' from
Fahrenheit
451. The music is serene, but still highly complex, infused with a sadness
that intensifies the theme of Truffaut's movie-- a futuristic society in which
books are outlawed. It is the music of loss. The production evolves into 'Scene
d'Amour' from
Vertigo, music Herrmann described as a "long crescendo
of emotional fulfillment." In the movie, for the full five minutes of 'Scene
d'Amour', Hitchcock allowed almost no dialogue, saying to Herrmann, "We'll
have just you and the camera." The result is Hermann's most beautiful music
of love. The dramatics of the score heighten the sadness and aching nostalgia
of Scottie's (James Stewart) longing for Madeline.
The final production is the frantic, agitated sounds of 'The Wild Ride' from
North
By Northwest. Herrmann described the score as a 'kaleidoscope orchestral
fandango designed to kick off the exciting route that follows--the crazy dance
about to take place between Cary Grant and the world." The fandango is a
Spanish dance that Herrmann employs for its lithe propulsive rhythm. In this
comedy-thriller the comedy lies in the elasticity of the dance rhythms underlined
by trademark Herrmann techniques, such as repeating small snatches of sound over
and over, the brash melodies and tumbling tempos combining to hammer the senses
into exhaustive submission.
To Herrmann the music of movies is the communicating link between the screen
and the audience, reaching out and enveloping all into one single experience.
The Blue Devils invite you to enjoy with them the experience of Bernard Herrmann's
music. A wild and fun ride full of music of great passion, intensity, and wit.
Written by Jay Murphy
Program notes are supplemented by "The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann" by
Matt Williams (Prism , the BFS Newsletter, Vol. 23. No. 1) and The Composer in
Hollywood, by Christopher Palmer. 
