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Released in late 1960, The Magnificent Seven was a Western
reimagining of the 1954 Japanese film Seven Samurai. Despite such
stars as Steve McQueen, Yul Brynner, and Charles Bronson, the film
was not terribly successful when it premiered. However, in the
years since, the film has become recognized as a classic of the
genre. And though the movie received only one Academy Award
nomination, that honor was bestowed on Elmer Bernstein's rousing
score. Beyond the scope of the film, the score has permeated
American culture: the music has been used in countless commercials
and referenced on television shows like Cheers and The Simpsons.
But what makes this score so memorable? In Elmer Bernstein's The
Magnificent Seven: A Film Score Guide, Mariana Whitmer examines the
creation and development of one of the most iconic soundtracks in
the history of cinema. Whitmer explores the significance of the
familiar score through a variety of lenses, first delving into the
background of Elmer Bernstein and his emergence as one of the key
composers of the Silver Age of film music. The author then traces
Bernstein's early musical endeavors and considers why he was
attracted to "Americana" music, which particularly influenced his
scoring of The Magnificent Seven. The book also summarizes
Bernstein's early Western scores, noting that although they are
clearly in the mainstream of the genre's musical style, they are
also enhanced by Bernstein's own distinctive touches. Providing
unique insights into the creation of this iconic score-which was
deemed one of the ten greatest film scores of all time by the
American Film Institute-this book explains what makes this music so
enduring. Elmer Bernstein's The Magnificent Seven: A Film Score
Guide will be of interest to cinema and music scholars in general,
as well as to fans of film music and the work of one of Hollywood's
finest composers.
With its unique focus on pacifism, The Big Country was an unusual
Western for audiences of the 1950s. Produced in 1958, this epic
film featured an all-star cast that included Gregory Peck, Charlton
Heston, and Oscar-winner Burl Ives. One of the most enduring
elements of the film has been Jerome Moross's score. Inspired to
re-think the traditional Western score and approach it in a way
that enhances the emotional content, rather than simply
accompanying the action, Moross created a work that stands as one
of the great achievements of cinematic music. In Jerome Moross's
The Big Country: A Film Score Guide, Mariana Whitmer examines
Moross's landmark work, a score that continues to attract listeners
and influence composers of film, Westerns and otherwise. This book
begins with a biographical survey of Moross's formative years, his
early dramatic compositions in ballet and musical theater, and his
early film work, providing an historical context for understanding
his approach to scoring The Big Country. Drawing upon Moross's
original manuscripts and correspondence, Whitmer looks carefully at
the score itself. She relates the history of this magnificent score
and how the film's music differs significantly from contemporary
trends in the Western. Whitmer also examines the music's individual
cues and describes how Moross approached the film as a dramatic
entity, delineating sections of the narrative into mega-scenes
through the music. Finally, the aftermath of this score is
considered, including how it has influenced not only subsequent
Westerns but also music videos. The first book devoted to a Western
film score and the only biographical book on the composer, Jerome
Moross's The Big Country: A Film Score Guide, will be a valuable
read for musicologists, film scholars, and anyone interested in
Moross and his music.
Re-Locating the Sounds of the Western examines the use and function
of musical tropes and gestures traditionally associated with the
American Western in new and different contexts ranging from
Elizabethan theater, contemporary drama, space opera and science
fiction, Cold War era European filmmaking, and advertising. Each
chapter focuses on a notable use of Western musical tropes,
textures, instrumentation, form, and harmonic language, delving
into the resonance of the music of the Western to cite bravura,
machismo, colonisation, violence, gender roles and essentialism,
exploration, and other concepts.
Re-Locating the Sounds of the Western examines the use and function
of musical tropes and gestures traditionally associated with the
American Western in new and different contexts ranging from
Elizabethan theater, contemporary drama, space opera and science
fiction, Cold War era European filmmaking, and advertising. Each
chapter focuses on a notable use of Western musical tropes,
textures, instrumentation, form, and harmonic language, delving
into the resonance of the music of the Western to cite bravura,
machismo, colonisation, violence, gender roles and essentialism,
exploration, and other concepts.
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