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Bernard Herrmann
artist

Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmann is a soundtrack artist from United States. 121 releases are catalogued on Riffiter.

Soundtrack · United States · Best soundtrack albums

121
Releases
1960–1975
Active years
1975
Died

Discography

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Jason and the Argonauts cover

Most popular

Jason and the Argonauts

1999 · 29 tracks

Singles & EPs

12

Live & compilations

8

Community

More about Bernard Herrmann

Bernard Herrmann at a glance

Born in
New York City
From
United States
Active since
1934
Educated at
New York University, DeWitt Clinton High School
Spouse
Lucille Fletcher

Facts from Wikidata (CC0). Children listed are those with their own public record, so the list may be incomplete.

About

Bernard Herrmann (June 29, 1911 - December 24, 1975) was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures. In over forty scores Bernard Herrmann enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles (Citizen Kane), Alfred Hitchcock (North By Northwest, Vertigo, Psycho, Marnie etc.), Francois Truffaut (Fahrenheit 451), and Martin Scorsese (Taxi Driver). From his first film (Citizen Kane) to his last (Taxi Driver), Herrmann was a master at evoking psychological nuance and dramatic tension through music, often using unheard-of instrumental combinations to suit the dramatic needs of a film. His scores are among the most distinguished ever written, ranging from the fantastic (Fahrenheit 451, The Day the Earth Stood Still) to the romantic (Obsession, The Ghost and Mrs. Muir) to the terrifying (Psycho). Film was not the only medium in which Herrmann made a powerful mark. His radio broadcasts included Orson Welles' Mercury Theatre on the Air and its most notorious presentation, The War of the Worlds. His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic.

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As chief conductor of the CBS Symphony, Herrmann gave important first performances of music by such composers as Ralph Vaughan Williams and Charles Ives, whose work he particularly championed. Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. As complex as any character in the films he scored, Herrmann remained a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love. "As a composer I might class myself as a Neo-Romantic, inasmuch as I have always regarded music as a highly personal and emotional form of expression. I like to write music which takes its inspiration from poetry, art and nature. I do not care for purely decorative music. Although I am in sympathy with modern idioms, I abhor music which attempts nothing more than the illustration of a stylistic fad. And in using modern techniques, I have tried at all times to subjugate them to a larger idea or a grander human feeling." - Bernard Herrmann in "Bernard Herrmann: Hollywood's Music-Dramatist" by Edward Johnson

Bernard Herrmann in brief

How many Bernard Herrmann releases are on Riffiter?
121 releases are catalogued, spanning 1960 to 2026.
What genre is Bernard Herrmann?
Bernard Herrmann is catalogued under Soundtrack.
What is the most recent Bernard Herrmann release on Riffiter?
The Egyptian (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack), released in 2026.
Who is Bernard Herrmann married to?
Bernard Herrmann is married to Lucille Fletcher.

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