A score like Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban is a masterpiece of colour.
Nor is his more recent work any less potent. The music in the film up to that point is quite low-key but it finally takes flight with a magnificent thrilling melody on the high strings. In contrast, the moment when the bicycles soar though the air in E.T. He was persuaded to change his mind and the famous 'chomping' of the low strings is one of the most instantly recognisable themes of all. Rumour has it that Steven Spielberg was after something subtle for the shark in Jaws - perhaps a piano motif. Whichever version you favour, there's no doubting the work's killer punch. In 1998, Danny Elfman oversaw a new production of the Psycho score which is generally regarded as the only positive aspect of Gus van Sant's dismal remake.
Over the years, various versions of Herrmann's score have battled for fans' affections, ranging from a recording conducted by the composer himself, to a performance by the Royal Scottish National Orchestra under the baton of Joel McNeely which some consider definitive. Herrmann studiously matched the black and white visuals of Hitch's masterpiece by draining the 'colour' from his orchestrations, stripping away all but the stringed instruments to create a monochrome wall of aural unease. Hitchcock, who had originally planned to play the shower sequence without accompaniment, later admitted that '33 per cent of the effect of Psycho was due to the music', and doubled the composer's salary as a reward. Yet Psycho remains Herrmann's most cutting-edge work, establishing an iconic shrieking strings motif which has become internationally recognisable as the quintessential sound of terror. Not the most easy listening score from composer Bernard Herrmann, whose career ranged from Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver, with key Hitchcock collaborations including Vertigo and North by Northwest. Apparently, if you start the album as the MGM lion roars thrice, side one is exactly the same length as the black and white section of the film, 'The Great Gig in the Sky' accompanies the tornado, and 'Brain Damage' replaces 'If I Only Had a Brain'. Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon has long been alleged to provide an 'alternative' soundtrack, thanks to a number of 'coincidental' cross-matchings.
Rumours that a stagehand can be seen committing suicide on screen as Dorothy trots down the Yellow Brick Road are baloney (it's a bird stretching its wings), but have simply added to the film's growing cult cache.
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Other recognisable hits from the movie include 'Follow the Yellow Brick Road', 'Ding Dong the Witch is Dead', and 'We're Off to See the Wizard', all of which have since passed into popular parlance, ensuring that everyone (not just Elton John) can call themselves a true friend of Dorothy.Įarly soundtrack fans had to make do with a Judy Garland 78rpm disc and a creaky Decca LP which featured key songs re-recorded by the Ken Darby Singers, but today's buyers can enjoy all the remastered originals, alongside outtakes like the 'Jitterbug' song. Covered by everyone from Gene Vincent to Kylie Minogue, it was No 1 in the Recording Industry Association of America's 'Songs of the Century'. Certainly a reprise of the song was trimmed from the final cut, but 'Rainbow' survived to become one of the most memorable anthems of the century. Legend has it that studio executives wanted to cut Judy Garland's 'Over the Rainbow' because it dragged out the downbeat Kansas opening.
Fitting, then, that our number one contender is a cross-generic masterpiece (is it a jolly kids' singalong? A dark adult fairy tale? A subversive camp classic? Even a snuff movie?) which won Oscars for both original score (for Herbert Stothart) and best original song (Arlen and Harburg). So we'll be having none of this 'incidental scores only' snobbery in our list. Film soundtracks are a broad church, encompassing classic orchestral scores and pop jukebox compilations, spoken word and sonic effects.
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