Bernard Herrmann

American composer and conductor

Bernard Herrmann was an American composer and conductor best known for his innovative and influential film scores, including collaborations with legendary directors like Alfred Hitchcock. He revolutionized movie scoring and is widely regarded as one of the greatest film composers of all time.

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About the Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmannwas an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing for films. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest film composers. Alex Ross writes that “Over four decades, he revolutionized movie scoring by abandoning the illustrative musical techniques that dominated Hollywood in the 1930s and imposing his own peculiar harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary.”

An Academy Award-winner for The Devil and Daniel Webster(where he makes a cameo as the conductor at Royal Albert Hall), Vertigo(as “sound consultant”) and Marnieand Twisted Nerveand Brian De Palma’s Sistersand Obsession (1976). He composed the scores for several fantasy films by Ray Harryhausen, and composed for television, including Have Gun – Will Travel and Rod Serling’s The Twilight Zone. His last score, recorded shortly before his death, was for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver (1976).

Frequently Asked Questions

Bernard Herrmann was an American composer and conductor best known for his work in composing film scores. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest film composers of all time.

Bernard Herrmann is known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, composing scores for films like The Man Who Knew Too Much, Vertigo, North by Northwest, Psycho, and The Birds. He also scored other classic films like Citizen Kane, The Day the Earth Stood Still, and Taxi Driver.

According to music critic Alex Ross, Bernard Herrmann ,revolutionized movie scoring by abandoning the illustrative musical techniques that dominated Hollywood in the 1930s and imposing his own peculiar harmonic and rhythmic vocabulary., He pioneered a distinct, innovative approach to film music.

In addition to his film scores, Bernard Herrmann composed music for radio dramas, including Orson Welles’s The Mercury Theater on the Air. He also wrote scores for fantasy films by Ray Harryhausen and television shows like Have Gun – Will Travel and The Twilight Zone.

Bernard Herrmann was born on June 29, 1911 as Maximillian Herman, and he died on December 24, 1975.