CD Reviews: Bernard Herrmann at CBS
Bernard Herrmann: The CBS Years Vol.
1: The Westerns ****
BERNARD HERRMANN
Prometheus PCD 152
24 tracks - 68:51
Bernard Herrmann may seem an unlikely candidate to score westerns, but
he was a good friend of CBS music director Lud Gluskin, who offered
Herrmann many such assignments. Indeed Herrmann scored a couple of
feature westerns, and while his music is unconventional for the
fictional American west, it still proves most effective for the medium.
This disc features music from the pilot of Have Gun, Will Travel, an episode
of Gunsmoke, and three suites
of library cues, to be used by filmmakers at whim on multiple episodes
of multiple series.
Have Gun is an exciting and
up-tempo score, with a main title used throughout the series' six-year
run. The Gunsmoke suite has
an eerily romantic feel to it, scored mostly for strings. The "Western
Suite," scored for woodwinds, harp and percussion, has the least
conventional western sound to it, and is very moody, dark, and
suspenseful, as is frequently the case with Herrmann. Even in the cue
titled "Gunfight," Herrmann seems to be scoring the psychology of the
battle, more what is going on inside the gunfighter's heads, not the
action of a gunfight. It comes as no surprise that cues from this suite
were tracked throughout episodes of The
Twilight Zone and Perry Mason.
The cues of "The Indian Suite" prominently feature a steady drumbeat
throughout them, and are evocative of the presence of villainous
Indians in a typical Old Hollywood fashion, without sounding
authentically Native American nor being cliché, and are
nonetheless as suspenseful as the "Western Suite."
"Western Saga" has the most traditional western sound to it, but still
carries the unmistakable Herrmann stamp, and is only traditionally
western sounding in as much as Herrmann will allow. A couple of the
cues even sound like Herrmann's monster/fantasy scoring for films like The 7th Voyage of Sinbad, and it's
a good thing to hear such atypical music for T.V. westerns.
It continually amazed me while listening to the disc that each suite is
scored for 15 instruments or less, as each on sounds so full and lush.
Finally, contact info is given for those wishing to license the music,
and it's enticing to think that Herrmann's music could still be gracing
new television productions. -- Darren MacDonald
Bernard Herrmann: The CBS Years Vol.
2: American Gothic ****
BERNARD HERRMANN
Prometheus PCD 153
26 tracks - 68:29
Prometheus continues its Bernard Herrmann series with the release of The CBS Years Vol. 2: American Gothic.
While the subtitle may not be entirely appropriate, the music contained
within will certainly delight most Herrmann fans.
The collection is comprised of seven different themes and suites
written between 1944 and 1958. Some were from radio broadcasts while
others were composed specifically for television. Almost all the pieces
were for small ensembles.
After the "Landmark Theme" gets things going with its quick military
march, the "Walt Whitman Suite" presents several dramatic cues from a
radio show that aired back in 1944. Solemn bell tolls, haunting
vibraphone and harp glissandos all make appearances in true Herrmann
fashion. "Idyll" begins with harp arpeggios behind a beautifully sweet
string melody. Halfway through, the arpeggios switch to the celeste and
a solo cello takes over the melody. Simple, but effective writing has
always been one of Herrmann's greatest powers as a composer.
The "Ethan Allen Suite" is drawn from a CBS pilot about the
Revolutionary War hero and is written for 10 brass players plus
timpani. With its incredible array of tonal colors, this track should
be required study for any would-be film composer. From huge blasts of
full-throttle brass attacks to introspective muted solos, this
10-minute suite shows what can be done with a small ensemble if the
composer has the talent. It's no wonder that the original pencil score
is on display at the UCLA Music Library.
"The Desert Suite" features music that was recorded to be used for a
variety of Western shows. Outside of the grim "Prelude," most of it is
traditional underscore and seems a little bland when compared to the
other offerings on the CD. While it's not Herrmann's most memorable,
it's still worth a listen.
The three remaining suites are the real reason Herrmann fans will want
to add this disc to their collection. "Collector's Item" is from
another pilot for a series that wasn't picked up. The show paired
Vincent Price and Peter Lorre as antiques dealers and shows that even
Herrmann's legendary grumpiness could give way to occasional bouts of
humorous writing.
From a radio broadcast of the same name, "The Moat Farm Murders" is
written for a fuller orchestra and chillingly portrays a slow decent
into madness. More dynamic than the other suites, Herrmann's
orchestrations are sure to induce chills. This is comparable to some of
Herrmann's best writing.
The album ends with the bizarre "New World Order." Scored for harp,
organ, celeste and percussion, it defies easy classification.
Interwoven musical lines are tossed about the ensemble as if it were a
game of Hot Potato, and indeed much of the music has a child-like
quality about it. Well, kind of a creepy child anyway.
Unfortunately, the downside to this new volume of Herrmann discoveries
is the sound quality of "The Walt Whitman Suite." Distortion can be
expected in older recordings, but these tracks also have a strange
phase problem between the channels. Although recorded in mono, there is
a unsettling "pseudo-stereo" sound to these tracks that may bother some
listeners. The rest of the CD is also mono, but doesn't suffer from
this anomaly, and the sound quality is more than acceptable. Most
readers will find a lot to enjoy from this wonderful collection, and
Prometheus should be applauded for their efforts to uncover more lost
treasures from one of film's greatest composers.
-- Ian D. Thomas
MailBag@filmscoremonthly.com
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