Elmer Bernstein Elmer Bernstein
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v7n2cov 3/13/02 3:03 PM Page c1 ORIGINAL MUSIC SOUNDTRACKS FOR MOTION PICTURES AND TV V OLUME 7, NUMBER 2 OSCARmania page 4 THE FILM SCORE HISTORY ISSUE RICHARD RODNEY BENNETT Composing with a touch of elegance MIKLMIKLÓSÓS RRÓZSAÓZSA Lust for Life in his own words DOWNBEAT DOUBLE John Q & Frailty PLUS The latest DVD and CD reviews HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELMER BERNSTEIN 50 years of film scores, 80 years of exuberance! 02> 7225274 93704 $4.95 U.S. • $5.95 Canada v7n2cov 3/13/02 3:03 PM Page c2 composers musicians record labels music publishers equipment manufacturers software manufacturers music editors music supervisors music clear- Score with ance arrangers soundtrack our readers. labels contractors scoring stages orchestrators copyists recording studios dubbing prep dubbing rescoring music prep scoring mixers Film & TV Music Series 2002 If you contribute in any way to the film music process, our four Film & TV Music Special Issues provide a unique marketing opportunity for your talent, product or service throughout the year. Film & TV Music Spring Edition: April 23, 2002 Film & TV Music Summer Edition: August 20, 2002 Space Deadline: April 5 | Materials Deadline: April 11 Space Deadline: August 1 | Materials Deadline: August 7 Film & TV Music Fall Edition: November 5, 2002 Space Deadline: October 18 | Materials Deadline: October 24 LA Judi Pulver (323) 525-2026, NY John Troyan (646) 654-5624, UK John Kania +(44-208) 694-0104 www.hollywoodreporter.com v7n02 issue 3/13/02 5:16 PM Page 1 CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2002 departments 2 Editorial The Caviar Goes to Elmer. 4News Williams Conducts Oscar, More Awards. 5 Record Label Round-up What’s on the way. There’s nothing like one artist’s Elmer Bernstein receives the first ever World Soundtrack Lifetime 6 Now Playing work to inspire another. Achievement Award, here with Sir George Martin and Jacques Dubrulle. Movies and CDs in page 20 release. features 8 Upcoming Film Assignments Who’s writing what 16 The Man With the Jazzy Sound for whom. As Elmer Bernstein his nears his 80th birthday, 9 Concerts FSM takes a look back at some of the legendary Live performances composer’s influential jazz scores, from The Man around the globe. With the Golden Arm to Sweet Smell of Success, as 10 Shopping List well as his LP compilations of movie themes. By Mark Hasan 11 Mail Bag Lord of the Bag. 20 His Lust for Life 13 Downbeat Bergman, Grant and Bennett In a previously unreleased interview from the mid- Saints and Sinners. make beautiful music together. ’70s, Miklós Rózsa discusses his experience work- page 24 ing on the score to Lust for Life, one of FSM’s most 30 Score recent CD releases. The latest CD reviews, By Pav Pavelek including: An American Journey, Iris, Metropolis, Gosford Park and more. 24 A Touch of Elegance 45 The Laserphile A stylish and multi-talented composer whose Batter Up! And Grow Up! works include Murder on the Orient Express and Far From the Madding Crowd, Richard Rodney 48 Retrograde Bennett represents an orginal, if underrated, con- Snowtime for ASCAP. tributor to film music history. By James Phillips 9 Reader Ads 35 Marketplace There are a couple of Hitches to Criterion’s new DVD releases. page 45 ON THE COVER: HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MR. BERNSTEIN! Film Score Monthly (ISSN 1077-4289) is published monthly for $36.95 per year by Vineyard Haven LLC., 8503 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232. Periodicals postage paid at Culver City, CA and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send Address changes to Film Score Monthly, 8503 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232 FILM SCORE MONTHLY 1 FEBRUARY 2002 v7n02 issue 3/13/02 5:16 PM Page 2 EDITORIAL VOLUME 7 The Caviar Goes to Elmer NUMBER 2 The Kaplans pay...uh...tribute to Elmer Bernstein. editorial staff EDITOR & PUBLISHER h my god! Tim Curran is trying to force the result of counterpoint than traditional chord Lukas Kendall me to write this month’s editorial, but progressions within a given key. Either way, SENIOR EDITOR I can’t think of anything film music- Elmer proceeded to view the rest of the stu- Jeff Bond O related to talk about! That may be because I just dents’ clips, singling out for immense praise MANAGING EDITOR put all of those thoughts into my “Best of 2001” several flute-dominated cues. At the very end of Tim Curran column in Vol. 7, No. 1! Well...as you may or may class, to my surprise, Elmer announced to me, DEPARTMENTS EDITOR not know, this issue marks the 80th birthday of “And the caveat goes to you, my friend,” before Jonathan Z. Kaplan DESIGN DIRECTOR Elmer Bernstein! And as you almost certainly reiterating the comment about getting permis- Joe Sikoryak don’t know (or care), I had the pleasure of being sion from the director. At the time, I thought he CONTRIBUTING WRITERS in Elmer Bernstein’s class at USC in 1999 (the said, “And the caviar goes to you, my friend,” so Stephen Armstrong second-to-last year he would teach there). I had no idea what he was talking about. I went Andy Dursin What a swell guy that Elmer is! He’s great. For around asking people if they had ever heard the Jason Comerford those of you who will never meet Elmer or have expression “and the caviar goes to you,” but no Simon Duff the rare opportunity to one had ever heard of it. I thought Elmer meant Mark Hasan be taught by him, he has that my music sounded too snooty or upper- Steven A. Kennedy a full head of hair, a Santa class or something. The bottom line is...Elmer Nick Joy Claus-like tummy, and was right! In today’s climate, I’d be hard pressed Pav Pavelek an endearing semi- to find a director who would let me do anything James Phillips British accent, and his remotely creative. But I knew that...I was just Neil Shurley job was basically to come taking advantage of a chance to write film music John Takis in and talk about what- for a composer, not for a director. I got back a Cary Wong ever he wanted. For small dose of reality, and I thank Elmer for his COPYEDITOR instance, one time we words of wisdom! Steve Gilmartin had an interesting dis- THANKS TO cussion about which cur- ey, this is Al! I had Elmer the year after B.A. Vimtrup rent composers he most Jon did (Elmer’s last year!). I remem- UNCLE ELMA: Gentleman, teacher, admired; after his pro- ber my first class with Elmer. He business staff H scholar...and SOUTH PARK fan. tégé Cynthia Millar, his opened by asking what scores we liked that year. EDITORIAL & SUBSCRIPTIONS favorite is Thomas People raised their hands and gave the usual safe 8503 Washington Blvd Newman. A related note: Elmer hated Mychael answers: American Beauty, Cider House Rules, Culver City, CA 90232 Danna’s Ice Storm for its cold, Asian bells and etc. So I raised my hand and said South Park: PH. 310-253-9595 percussion instruments that supposedly mis- Bigger, Longer, and Uncut. A grin immediately FAX 310-253-9588 represented northeastern America. On the spread over Elmer’s face, and he began to laugh E-MAIL [email protected] other hand, Elmer loved Newman’s similarly uncontrollably. “Well, I’m glad to see this class styled American Beauty. That Thomas Newman has good taste,” said Elmer. He then went on to SALES & MARKETING MANAGER sure can cast a spell! And Elmer was so dis- explain how much he loved the South Park score, Bob Hebert gusted with the score to eXistenZ that he fer- and that he especially enjoyed “Uncle Fucka” ADVERTISING vently maligned Howard Shore, but perhaps his after the score’s relatively harmless opening 8503 Washington Blvd views on Shore have changed since the more number. (No, Elmer did not actually say the Culver City, CA 90232 tuneful revelation of Lord of the Rings... words “Uncle Fucka”). I was impressed that a PH. 323-962-6077 It wasn’t simply spirited discussions taking legend like Bernstein had the balls to admit he FAX 310-253-9588 place in Elmer’s class. Elmer had to choose a cue could enjoy a seedy masterpiece like South Park, for the class to score for live players (about 12 regardless of, or perhaps because of, its profanity SUPERVISING MAIL ORDER HANDLER performers), so he had us all score the opening and the chances it took. At 80 years old, Elmer Mailman Al scene from HBO’s Introducing Dorothy still has a wonderful sense of humor and isn’t Dandridge, the film he himself was working on afraid to let his opinions be known. I admire that, OUR WEBSITE at the time. After the scoring session, Elmer even if he doesn’t like Howard Shore. Is updated five times weekly! watched all of our cues locked to picture. As he We hope you enjoy this old-fashioned issue Point your browser at: is a nice man, Elmer was very complimentary to chock full of treats about Golden Age favorites WWW.FILMSCOREMONTHLY.COM © 2002 Vineyard Haven LLC. just about every cue that was presented. After Elmer Bernstein and Miklós Rózsa, not to men- PRINTED IN THE U.S.A. we got to my piece and played through it, he tion the renowned Richard Rodney Bennett. started saying things like, “You’d better make sure you get a director’s permission before you use harmonic language like that.” I was con- fused, as I had written a pretty simple piece, though chords were built more on fourths because a lot of my harmonies tend to be more Jon Kaplan & Al Kaplan FEBRUARY 2002 2 FILM SCORE MONTHLY v7n02 issue 3/13/02 5:16 PM Page 3 film score restorations from the Golden Age of Hollywood Franz Waxman on Marco Polo Film Score 8225148 - Objective Burma 8225037 - Mr.