Just when did the marriage of music and movies begin? How did the courtship between the two genres get started?
The fact is, says Jim D'Arc, that even so-called "silent movies" were not silent; they were almost always accompanied by music. So from the very first, it was hard to consider one without the other.
A number of theories explain the pairing, says musician and composer Kurt Bestor, who has been researching film music as part of a symphonic program he is developing. One is that early silent movies generated something of a spooky feeling; the images of people were like ghosts on the screen. And it was felt that music would soften and soothe away the fear.
Another explanation involves the bad acoustic conditions in early theaters. Early movie projectors were so noisy, something pleasing was needed to cover up that sound.
A third theory is that movies involve motion, and audiences are not used to viewing motion as an art form unless it is accompanied by sound. Music gives the movie a sense of rhythm.
There's probably some truth to all the theories, says Bestor, but in his mind, "the last one probably most accurately portrays the unique relationship between the silent movies and music."
As time went on, the movie-music relationship changed and evolved. Here's a look at some of the highlights:
Early years
The first known use of music with cinema occurred on Dec. 28, 1895, when the Lumiere family tested the commercial value of their first films. The screening took place in Paris, accompanied by a live piano.
In 1908, the French company Le Film d'Art encouraged the idea of providing each film with its own music. Most well-known among them was Camille Saint Saens. What became known as his Concerto Opus 128 for strings, piano and harmonium was first written for film.
In 1909, Thomas Edison's film company started distributing "special suggestions on music" for the films it produced. Most were works of classical composers, such as Beethoven, Mozart, Grieg, Bach and Tchaikovsky.
D.W. Griffith's "The Birth of a Nation" consisted of a collage of parts taken from Liszt, Verdi, Beethoven, Wagner and Tchaikovsky, as well as some traditional U.S. songs.
One of the most important composers of music specifically for movies was the German Edmund Meisel. His score for Sergei Eisenstein's "Potemkin" is considered a masterpiece.
1920s
With the advent of the talking pictures, music once again established itself as a vital element in the film industry. Most continued the practice of compiling music from classical Western composers.
1930s
In 1932, Max Steiner wrote the first completely original score for a movie, "Symphony of Six Million."
American songwriters, such as Irving Berlin, George Gershwin, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers, wrote songs and scores for musical theater and movies.
Classically trained composers, such as Aaron Copeland and Wolfgang Korngold, were drawn to work with movies.
1940s
Composers refined their expertise. In addition to Steiner and Korngold, an influential composer from this era was Bernard Herrmann.
1950s
Up until now, film music had been entirely symphonic. In the '50s, however, jazz opened the industry to a vast new world of possibilities. Alex North's "A Streetcar Named Desire" was one of the first scores to be derived from Dixieland jazz.
Dimitri Tiomkin ("High Noon," "Giant," "Friendly Persuasion") was among the European-trained composers who continued the classical tradition. Others included Hugo Friedhofer, David Raksin and Alfred Newman.
1960s
Perhaps the most successful use of jazz in a movie score was Quincy Jones' "The Pawnbroker."
Ennio Morricone gained attention for creative and bizarre scores for "spaghetti Westerns."
Henry Mancini, who created the theme for the TV series "Peter Gunn" in 1959, moves into films with music for such movies as "Breakfast at Tiffanys" and "The Pink Panther."
1970s
The release of "Star Wars" with music by John Williams, brought about the renaissance of the Big Orchestral Sound.
Textural scores, such as Jerry Goldsmith's "Planet of the Apes" and "Alien" were also popular.
1980s
Another revolution in film music introduced the analogue synthesizer in place of the orchestra. It was heralded by Vangelis in "Chariots of Fire" and followed by others, such as Harold Faltemeyer's "Beverly Hills Cop."
It became theoretically possible to score an entire film using only one performer and the synthesizer. This advent caused popular songs to become the basis for entire scores.
1990s
This decade saw the emergence of hybrid scores (combining synthesizer and orchestral work).
Other important trends include use of world and indigenous music, the rise of "sound-design" scores featuring a variety of special effects and increased use of improvisation.
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