Unusual Scoring of "The Day the Earth Stood Still" (1951)

This is the opening of the film without dialogue, the score included electric violin, electric bass, 2 theremins* (treble & bass), test oscillators, vibraphone, 4 pianos, 4 harps & approximately 30 brass instruments. Unusual overdubbing & tape-reversal techniques were used as well.
The film music composer of this score Bernard Herrmann (1911-75) is particularly known for the scores of Alfred Hitchcock's films (such as Psycho), he also composed notable scores for many other movies (such as Citizen Kane & Taxi Driver), radio broadcast & TV programs. His music is typified by frequent use of ostinati (short repeating patterns), novel orchestration & an ability to portray character traits not altogether obvious from other elements of the film. In the last years of Herrmann's life he did much to create interest in film scores as a form of music worthy of appreciation & performance.
(*More about Theremin http://youtube.com/watch?v=lX8vrt3j1xc)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Bernard
• Herrmann
• Science
• Fiction
• Theremin
• Harp
• Electric
• Violin
• Bass
• Guitar
• Psycho
• Ondes
• Martenot
• John
• Adams
• Steve
• Reich

[jakaput]

tell you what, the remake SUCKS!

[thisnextsongiscalled]

of course, our generation has an attention span of 3 seconds

[needcooling]

Watching and hearing that is like taking a big step into the past.. several decades.

[cookie123456789012]

@thisnextsongiscalled I made it through 2001: A space oddesy, Thank you very much.

[silversurfergw]

One of my favorite sci-fi movie with 2 memorable lines...."i never call you a liar Mom" and "forgive me for being blunt".

[jim102353]

Greatest sci-fi movie of all time without question, we will never see anything like it ever again!

[ion010101]

@jakaput I hate movies like that. They come in two varieties; left wing and right wing. Each attempts to frame themselves in the way they wish to be seen. Lefties wish to be seen as intellectual, hip, adopters of minority babies and the only ones who didn't fall apart in a crisis. Righties wish to be seen as good with one liners, non-guff takers, adopters of minority babies and the only ones who didn't fall apart in a crisis. And each has an audience that likes to hear what it wants to hear.

[vickyoftexas]

My favorite film & OST of all time. This is what it was all about in my youth. Michael Rennie made the best of all aliens...One who could blend in with Humanity. I still have chills when I hear Bernard Herrmann's haunting film score.

[tripsadelica]

@errolfan Hahahahah! BOTH! ;-)

[errolfan]

@tripsadelica Is that gormless or Gortless?

[jhoward1957]

@errolfan I agree earthling. this is a time tested treasure.