@evanevans said:

Alright.
And yes, it is a trick question. And I'll be making sure you didn't guess. But although it's a trick question, the answer IS TRUE, and will shock you all.
Evan Evans

Hmm, a trick ha? I know! He didn't write the score - you ghost wrote it, pre-incarnation, so he could finish ghost writing the score to Pillow Talk?

@PaulR said:

Eighteen. He was at Julliard NY music college.

This was the answer I was searching for. How did you know this? Can you explain to everyone how you came to this answer?

The interesting thing is that you have answered with knowledge that is extremely undocumented. There lies maybe two documents in existence that dates this material back this far. The public opinion, even if you understand the "secret" is 1935, when he was 24.

But the correct answer, FROM MY MEMORY, is 19. But you could be right if you calculate birthday and such.

So, for your reward, you'll have to explain a little, but you have already mentioned some things that tell me you have the definitive answer. [:)]

Evan Evans

I maybe a bit lost but are you just saying he reused his themes/thematic elements and one theme used in Psycho pre dates the Sinfonietta as Smith points out in "A heart a Fire's Center" (sic).

Or are you actually saying he wrote the Psycho score before the movie had been conceived ?

Thanks

Nick

...

The film was not conceived until 1960 so if Herrmann had some motifs or whatever is being referred to that he later developed it was not Psycho. It was material he later developed into that score.

So, no one knows or has heard of Roy Webb? Maybe Val Lewton?

No? Believe me, you are missing something!

PaulR,

Still awaiting the explanation for the reward. Good work!

Evan Evans

William,

Sorry didn't get around to responding.

Roy Webb - fabulous composer! Wonderful main titles that guy has written. And score of course. How large was his output? It seems I've seen his name so many times.

Val Lewton - you will have to remind me of his films.

Dave Connor

William,

Sorry didn't get arond to responding.

Roy Webb - fabulous composer! Wonderful main titles that guy has written. And score of course. How large was his output? It seems I've seen his name so many times.

Val Lewton - you will have to remind me of his films.

Dave Connor

Hi Dave

Lewton's films were the low budget RKO horror productions of the 40s: Cat People, I Walked with a Zombie, Curse of the Cat People, Leopard Man, Seventh Victim, Isle of the Dead, Bedlam, The Body Snatcher. They are extremely atmospheric, black and white little films, imaginative use of standing sets of RKO (for example the Magnificent Ambersons' mansion) and famous for the use of suggestion instead in evoking horror instead of monsters, makeup, etc. But Roy Webb really outdid himself on the scores. They were recently re-recorded as one of that great series of old film scores on the Marco Polo label (which includes the Universal monster movies) reconstructed and orchestrated (by ear) from the original three staff scores by John Morgan to match the original orchestrations. An extremely difficult thing to do - listening to the old film soundtrack mixed with dialogue, effects, etc. as your only guide. They sound flawless to me.

...

Oh my oh my...

Where would we be without Paul on the VSL forum? I laughed so many times at that last one that I had to keep finding my place.

The first time I ever responded to a post of his, it went something like this, "Who would have thought that the most brilliant mind on the forum would show up in the form of comic relief?" I must confess it was a response to one of Evans posts (shocker there.)

Well I'm satisfied to finely know the answer to the Herrmann riddle, so can we drop this now and continue in this very serious vein about.........? gee.... what's this thread about again? where...? what...? who...? wherefore art thou...
hmm...
is this a Shakespeare thread?

David Connor

btw sorry about the redundant posts guys. I tend to edit after a glance, then find myself in duplicate later. A few peole have posted their IQ's on the forum. Obviously there's no need here. Can't operate a web browser so, no mystery there.

Cheers

DC

I decided to delete this not on any legal grounds but because of excessive silliness. I get that way at times and I guess this should be a more serious discussion.

....

PaulR,

That is very sneaky of you. My goodness. Well, kudos for your good research but I guess you sort of got the answer from the person asking the question. I will send you your prize.

Email please.

[:)]

Evan Evans

LOL!!!!

Now I truly understand! I am the reincarnation of Elfman! I know, he is still alive, but his music has changed so much over the years, hasn't it? I must have swallowed his soul in some moment, wanting so hard to become a composer... maybe I also have even swallowed John William's, JNH's or Thomas Newman's soul too... GREAT!!! ... but I must say I prefered Beethoven or Mozart's, but their souls are actually in hands of some Hollywood Lawyers and they are not letting them go...

Thanks for the clarification...

Regards [:D]

(sorry I could not resist)

....

In attempted recovery from certain other disturbing things going on here, I thought I would mention one other great composer/orchestrator - Bartok. Specifically, one of his greatest scores - Concerto for Orchestra. Another of the defining pieces of modern orchestration. The whole concept of the piece was to create a work that exhibited the different facets of the orchestra in the manner of a solo concerto, but for the entire ensemble.

William,

Bartok's Concerto for Orchestra is great on so many levels as you mentioned. We forget how modern and unique that piece is in almost all it's elements: Melody, Harmony, Modality, Rhythm, Color, Form, Orchestration and even Instrumentation if I'm not mistaken.

I like his entire body of work from Bluebeards Castle to Music for Strings Percussion and Celeste to his incredible String Quartets.

We would never have had the original theme from "The Outer Limits" (Dominic Frontiere) without Bartoks 2nd Piano Concerto. Which brings to mind his totally original writing for that instrument. He's a giant among composers of the last century.

Dave Connor