Tonic Jukebox History
WEEK 46 - Movie Music Maestri 1
When Classic FM started including film music I was quite sceptical. "This is not classical music", I cried. But I was wrong. There is a huge store of wonderful music that has been written for the cinema and much of it is worthy to be considered alongside the classical repertoire. Our focus this week is on 6 of these great composers who have added so much to the cinema, the movie music maestri. Choosing this week's pieces was very difficult so most days I offer two tracks, and there will be a second (and probably) a third week of movie music maestri in the future. So get out the popcorn, make a drink, turn down the lights, sit back, and enjoy.
Monday January 25
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein (1922 – 2004) was an American composer and conductor known for his film scores. He composed over 150 original movie scores, as well as scores for nearly 80 television productions. Examples of his work are scores to The Ten Commandments (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Great Escape (1963), and Ghostbusters (1984). Bernstein won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and was nominated for 14 Oscars in total.
The Great Escape (1963)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Tuesday January 26
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand (1932 – 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His work includes The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Yentl (1983), Summer of ’42 (1971). Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
The Windmills Of Your Mind (1968)
Summer of 42 (1971)
Wednesday January 27
Dimitri Tiomkin
Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (1894 – 1979) was a Russian-born American film composer and conductor. He became best known for his scores for Western films, including High Noon, The Big Sky, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Last Train from Gun Hill. He received 22 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars.
The Guns of Navrone (1961)
High Noon (1952)
Thursday January 28
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone (1928 – 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player who wrote music in a wide range of styles. He wrote 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works. His filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films including La Cage Aux Folles, The Mission, Cinema Paradiso, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The good the bad and the ugly (1966)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
There is a sequence of 7 notes in 'Paradiso' that (for me) comes straight out of Guys and Dolls.
Do you hear it and if so, do you agree with me?
Friday January 29
Erich Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 – 1957) was an Austrian-born composer and conductor. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores. I saw his opera, Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City) at the Royal Opera House in 2009. Due to the rise of the Nazi regime, he moved to the USA in 1934. Once there, he wrote the score for 16 Hollywood films, winning two Oscars.
Film: Sea Hawk (1940)
Main theme
Fanfare And Finale
Weekend January 30/31
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre (1924 – 2009) was a French composer and conductor. Although he composed several concert works, Jarre is best known for his film scores. Jarre composed the scores to all of David Lean's films starting with Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Jarre was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning three in the Best Original Score category for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984).
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Dr Zhivago (1965)
Elmer Bernstein
Elmer Bernstein (1922 – 2004) was an American composer and conductor known for his film scores. He composed over 150 original movie scores, as well as scores for nearly 80 television productions. Examples of his work are scores to The Ten Commandments (1956), The Magnificent Seven (1960), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962), The Great Escape (1963), and Ghostbusters (1984). Bernstein won an Oscar for his score to Thoroughly Modern Millie (1967) and was nominated for 14 Oscars in total.
The Great Escape (1963)
The Magnificent Seven (1960)
Tuesday January 26
Michel Legrand
Michel Jean Legrand (1932 – 2019) was a French musical composer, arranger, conductor, and jazz pianist. Legrand was a prolific composer, having written over 200 film and television scores, in addition to many songs. His work includes The Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), Yentl (1983), Summer of ’42 (1971). Legrand won his first Oscar for the song "The Windmills of Your Mind" from The Thomas Crown Affair (1968).
The Windmills Of Your Mind (1968)
Summer of 42 (1971)
Wednesday January 27
Dimitri Tiomkin
Dimitri Zinovievich Tiomkin (1894 – 1979) was a Russian-born American film composer and conductor. He became best known for his scores for Western films, including High Noon, The Big Sky, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and Last Train from Gun Hill. He received 22 Academy Award nominations and won four Oscars.
The Guns of Navrone (1961)
High Noon (1952)
Thursday January 28
Ennio Morricone
Ennio Morricone (1928 – 2020) was an Italian composer, orchestrator, conductor, and trumpet player who wrote music in a wide range of styles. He wrote 400 scores for cinema and television, as well as more than 100 classical works. His filmography includes more than 70 award-winning films including La Cage Aux Folles, The Mission, Cinema Paradiso, and The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.
The good the bad and the ugly (1966)
Cinema Paradiso (1988)
There is a sequence of 7 notes in 'Paradiso' that (for me) comes straight out of Guys and Dolls.
Do you hear it and if so, do you agree with me?
Friday January 29
Erich Korngold
Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897 – 1957) was an Austrian-born composer and conductor. He was a noted pianist and composer of classical music, along with music for Hollywood films, and the first composer of international stature to write Hollywood scores. I saw his opera, Die Tote Stadt (The Dead City) at the Royal Opera House in 2009. Due to the rise of the Nazi regime, he moved to the USA in 1934. Once there, he wrote the score for 16 Hollywood films, winning two Oscars.
Film: Sea Hawk (1940)
Main theme
Fanfare And Finale
Weekend January 30/31
Maurice Jarre
Maurice-Alexis Jarre (1924 – 2009) was a French composer and conductor. Although he composed several concert works, Jarre is best known for his film scores. Jarre composed the scores to all of David Lean's films starting with Lawrence of Arabia (1962). Jarre was nominated for nine Academy Awards, winning three in the Best Original Score category for Lawrence of Arabia (1962), Doctor Zhivago (1965), and A Passage to India (1984).
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Dr Zhivago (1965)