 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Posted: |
Sep 25, 2020 - 12:57 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Howard L
(Member)
|
"In Tucson, 12-year-old Ray Bradbury had a similar epiphany. 'It was Steiner’s King Kong score, when I was on the exhilarating/excruciating rim of puberty in 1933, that made me realize there was a vast, puzzling and unknown art-form out there in the world inside the silver screen that was capable of summoning up images, within the instant of hearing, a week, a month, or a year later…It was a beginning for me and thousands like me, an invitation to listen as well as look.'”
Ummm...this book was written for me. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
"In Tucson, 12-year-old Ray Bradbury had a similar epiphany. 'It was Steiner’s King Kong score, when I was on the exhilarating/excruciating rim of puberty in 1933, that made me realize there was a vast, puzzling and unknown art-form out there in the world inside the silver screen that was capable of summoning up images, within the instant of hearing, a week, a month, or a year later…It was a beginning for me and thousands like me, an invitation to listen as well as look.'”
Ummm...this book was written for me. cool
***
I don't have my copy of the book handy at the moment, but I'm guessing the Bradbury quote is from the liner notes he wrote for the infamous Leroy Holmes LP of KING KONG, (one of four infamous LPs, you may recall, along with Steiner's A STAR IS BORN, Herrmann's CITIZEN KANE, and Newman's THE PRISONER OF ZENDA). It's a shame that Bradbury's notes were wasted on that album, they deserve to be affixed to the genuinely faithful recordings by Fred Steiner or Morgan & Stromberg.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"'Listen to the incidental scoring behind the recitatives,' Steiner told an interviewer. 'If Wagner had lived in our times, he would have been our top film composer.' (Wolfgang Wagner shared that opinion: 'If my grandfather were alive today, he would undoubtedly be working in Hollywood,' he said in the 1970s.)"
This early passage brought to mind a post of 20+ years ago wherein its author mused how George Gershwin composed film music "before they called it that." And how do you like that, it turns out Steiner collaborated and became great friends with Gershwin in the Broadway years. Almost fell out of my chair upon reading that Steiner conducted short-lived "Blue Monday" a/k/a "135th Street" for George White's Scandals. That number was recreated in the Gershwin pseudo-biopic Rhapsody In Blue. But Steiner did not appear as himself; Paul Whiteman played himself as conductor.
Hey Preston N Jones, wherever you are, did you know all that?
***
I posted a link the other day to the Alex Ross New Yorker article about Wagner's influence on Hollywood composers, Howard, but I assume you're asking me about the other stuff. I don't think I ever knew before this Steiner had conducted that one-time-only performance of "Blue Monday" in the GEORGE WHITE'S SCANDALS, though I dimly remember long ago learning about his pre-Hollywood career on the Great White Way, (no pun intended). Needless to say, though, there's no end to the new nuggets I'm learning on every page of Steve's great book.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just finished book yesterday. I enjoyed it so much, I was just reading a chapter a day to stretch it out. There was just the right combination of personal story and film music comment. Now I want to go back and play some of the scores that I have on CD while re-reading excerpt from the book.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It has been my distinct pleasure to work with John Morgan, and to listen to him regale his stories of his time with Max. We were able to do this at the last Max Steiner Symposium, held at BYU last November. I find John endlessly fascinating, funny, friendly and extremely kind. John and William Stromberg worked tirelessly last year to prepare a score for KING KONG which was played by live orchestra in the BYU theater there. Furthermore, Ray Faiola did an absolutely amazing job preparing the soundtrack of the picture itself for the orchestra to play along to, conducted by BYU's Kory Katseanes. Result? There are no words to describe the sheer awe of it. It was outstanding. No, beyond that; I was in tears at the end of it. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life.
Steven C. Smith's book echoes that amazing experience, but in book form. I know it sounds like review flattery, but the book really does bring Max to life, and I'll bet a large part of that is down to Steven's wonderful writing style, but also the interviews that he held with John in order to prepare for the book.
I keep a copy of the book with me at all times when working on my computer. You never know when you fancy an opportunity to dive into it.
@joan hue - Max was indeed that prolific. I have worked for years studying his composition, and discovered things that would make John Williams weep: In 1939, the year Howard L was talking about earlier on, some 13 pictures were released that bore Steiner scores. They are: THEY MADE ME A CRIMINAL (probably composed @ Oct 1938), THE OKLAHOMA KID, DODGE CITY, DARK VICTORY, CONFESSIONS OF A NAZI SPY, DAUGHTERS COURAGEOUS (First sequel to FOUR DAUGHTERS), EACH DAWN I DIE, THE OLD MAID, DUST BE MY DESTINY, INTERMEZZO: A LOVE STORY (Selznick), WE ARE NOT ALONE, GONE WITH THE WIND (Selznick) and FOUR WIVES (Second sequel to FOUR DAUGHTERS). I also add DR. EHRLICH'S MAGIC BULLET since Max would have been working on that around the time the recording sessions for the score began on January 7, 1940.
It's not just the volume of scores that's fascinating, it's the sheer broad spectrum of genres that this list encapsulates. That is what is so fascinating about Steiner - not simply his work rate but his complete immersion into each project. He most likely had no desire to score any of these pictures - perhaps GWTW excepted - but when I listen to each score, I get the feeling the majority of them could be his life's work, taken out of historical context.
Cheers,
Stephen
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: |
Oct 9, 2020 - 1:18 PM
|
|
|
|
By: |
Howard L
(Member)
|
It has been my distinct pleasure to work with John Morgan, and to listen to him regale his stories of his time with Max. We were able to do this at the last Max Steiner Symposium, held at BYU last November...
...Steven C. Smith's book echoes that amazing experience, but in book form. I know it sounds like review flattery, but the book really does bring Max to life, and I'll bet a large part of that is down to Steven's wonderful writing style, but also the interviews that he held with John in order to prepare for the book.
It does come together magnificently. Would have loved to have been a fly on the wall at all the sessions you mention.
It's not just the volume of scores that's fascinating, it's the sheer broad spectrum of genres that this list encapsulates. That is what is so fascinating about Steiner - not simply his work rate but his complete immersion into each project. He most likely had no desire to score any of these pictures - perhaps GWTW excepted - but when I listen to each score, I get the feeling the majority of them could be his life's work, taken out of historical context.
That is what sticks with me throughout the ongoing read. I mean just like that he goes from his legendary Now, Voyager to Rick's Café without batting an eyelash. It's to laugh in an awe-inspired way. And it's like he's some kind of film scoring bellwether. Look at that Steiner portfolio in '39; look at what 1939 means in the history of cinema. What a perspective.
Any chance of slipping into the atavachron for a peek back?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I freaked out as a kid hearing Rocky/Cagney freaking out off-camera. Even though I came to understand as an adult what Rocky was doing before the switch was thrown I still freak out with every viewing.
Whoa, Howard, how do you know WHAT Rocky was doing? I don't! Was it doing the boys a favor, or was it cowardice?
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
