music
Where on earth can I find the music to this?
shareAll I'm aware of is a compilation album of Hitchcock movie themes that came out about 10 years ago. One track is the opening title credits march music from "Topaz." Not sure how to find it now.
Silva records put out two CD's in 1993: A History of Hitchcock. The two separate cd's covered most of the music of his well known films (portions mostly). It did include the theme from "Topaz" as well, but that was all.
There is an internet address given of: www.silvascreen.com. It was all newly recorded in Prague, Czech Republic by their local orchestra. Okay overall, but can never equal the original intensity of the soundtrack orchestra.
As far as the whole score goes, I think that most critics agree that Maurice Jarre was a poor choice, and that he delivered a rather mediocre score; sounding more like recycled "Doctor Zhivago", than a truly inpired new score.
Other than the main theme, there really isn't much to it.
Hitchcock should have given Bernard Herrmann one more chance, he might have been inspired enough (and hungry enough!) to do something really great!
(Something like what he did for "North by Northwest". Try to imagine that movie without his wonderful score!)
Oh well...that's life; and in the end: it's only a movie...!!
Best regards,
Steve G.
Hitchcock, for various reasons (insecurity, studio pressure, anger) fired Bernard Herrmann off of "Torn Curtain" (1966) and never used him again for movie music.
These things interest me:
1. For his final four movies, Hitchcock used a different composer every time:
John Addison for "Torn Curtain"
Jarre for "Topaz"
Ron Goodwin for "Frenzy"
John Williams for "Family Plot."
Thus, Hitchcock never really felt comfortable enough to use the same composer as he had 8 times with Herrmann.
2. Hitchcock hired the great Henry Mancini to score "Frenzy" (1972) -- and then fired Mancini just as he'd fired Herrmann! Evidently, Mancini's score was too "scary" for Hitch's taste.
3. Bernard Herrmann died in December of 1975, having done two scores for new young directors (Scorcese's "Taxi Driver", DePalma's "Obsession") which were both Oscar-nominated after Herrmann's death. They didn't win, "The Omen" score beat them.
But here's the thing: by living to the end of 1975, Herrmann COULD have scored all the Hitchcock movies from "Torn Curtain" to "Family Plot," if just barely. I find that ironic.
Hitchcock's firing of Bernard Herrmann is the one "black mark" against Hitchcock I can think of.
Blake Edwards and Henry Mancini: inseparable until Mancini's death.
Spielberg and John Williams: Inseparable from "The Sugarland Express" til today.
But Hitchcock fired the music man who scored his greatest films, and never really got such good music again (except maybe from John Williams for "Family Plot.")