MUSIC246 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Max Steiner, David O. Selznick, Footfalls
Document Summary
Cimarron (1931) score by max steiner: music within the film was all source music, but it added to the narrative as well, david selznick at rko recognized that more music might be good. King kong (1933: worried that it would be a flop - test audiences were laughing at it, not getting scared by it, steiner was asked to compiled a score due to the tight schedule until release. He convinced the studio to let him write an original score. Reinvents film music conventions as he goes. Gives an opening theme to the film - defining king kong. Simple theme created that can be manipulated in various ways. Sped up, slowed down, different ranges, different instruments. Because it represents a dangerous, unpredictable, creature of instinct. Uses the opening theme in the credits, then nothing until the reach the fog bank. Creates the association between music and the fantastic. Use of arpeggios - unpredictable and uncertain.
