I just watched Brian De Palma's "The Fury" which featured a top-notch Bernard Herrmann score! I don't know how I missed this!
Great score. Loved the way Williams channeled Herrmann, all the time filtering his compositions through the prism of his own unmistakable style. (And I particularly love the 'Sisters' styled cue when the Cassavetes character goes all Piniata).
OnyaBirri, I know what you mean. I have often thought of this as "the best Bernard Herrmann score he never wrote." It is simply FILLED with Herrmann stylisms. This is particularly apparent in the beginning of "Hester's Theme," the VERTIGO-like feel of parts of "Vision on the Staircase," and especially at 4:32 in "Gillian's Escape" (well, 4:32 in the CD of the original film tracks, as opposed to the album tracks).
I remember when I first got the cd of The Fury, the liner notes quoted Williams talking about how De Palma wanted that Herrmann sound, and since BH was no longer around, Williams obliged.
I remember when I first got the cd of The Fury, the liner notes quoted Williams talking about how De Palma wanted that Herrmann sound, and since BH was no longer around, Williams obliged.
Herrmann was Williams mentor and friend. This was a great homage to Herrmann's craft !
Something I discovered recently when JoAnn Kane Music posted a photo of Williams' score on facebook, is that the composer had written an entirely other main title with another theme (?) that we don't get to hear on cd. I guess it was never recorded but I'd love to hear the complete piece.
The score is very much in the tradition of the Hitchcock/De Palma/Herrmann mode, yet it is also very clearly a John Williams score. It's one of his most brooding scores, and an old Williams favorite of mine.
I remember when I first got the cd of The Fury, the liner notes quoted Williams talking about how De Palma wanted that Herrmann sound, and since BH was no longer around, Williams obliged.
Herrmann was Williams mentor and friend. This was a great homage to Herrmann's craft !
I also remember reading that, before accepting the assignment to score Hitchcock's FAMILY PLOT, Williams consulted with Herrmann concerning working for Hitchcock, given what had happened between Hitch and Hermann in the past.
I like Williams opening theme for "The Fury". It sort of reminds me of the beginning of Herrmann's opening theme for "Vertigo" but played backwards. Clever and effective.
