Who in the World Is Bernard Herrmann?
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APRIL 1, 2011 AMERICAN JEWISH WORLD PAGE 11 Who in the world is Bernard Herrmann? Opera expert Phillip Gainsley offers [André] Previn. realized they lived around the corner AM: How did his personality af- from each other. “Sweeney Todd was insight into the composer’s work fect his working relationship with homage to Bernard Herrmann and and his Minneapolis connection collaborative partners? Hangover Square.” Gainsley: He had a very volatile I said to Sondheim, “Bernard By PENNY GALINSON and was an early champion of the music of personality and all the character flaws Herr mann is not exactly a household BARBARA CAMM Charles Ives. Gainsley would be able associated with genius. If partner name.” to tell us about Herrmann’s work and collaborators were not on his level, “It depends on whose household,” The Minnesota Opera is celebrating his Minneapolis connection. he didn’t like them. Herrmann could he answered. the centenary of legendary Hollywood only work with people if he knew *** composer Bernard Herrmann with Art Maven: What was your first they were brilliant, like Welles and Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish the first major production of his only exposure to Bernard Herrmann? Hitchcock. Arts Council, an initiative of the opera, Wuthering Heights, which was Gainsley: When I was in confirma- Herrmann thought there should Minneapolis Jewish Federation, completed in Minneapolis in 1951. tion class at Temple Israel, we had a be music for the shower scene in will host “Bernard Herrmann: Herrmann, the Academy Award-win- class party. One of my classmates Hitchcock’s Psycho. Hitchcock did Music Goes to the Movies (with a ning composer for directors Orson worked for Minnesota Music Com- not. Herrmann composed the music side trip to the opera),” featuring Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, François pany on Hennepin Avenue, and we anyway. He had the scene shown to opera expert Phillip Gainsley and Truffaut and Martin Scorsese, is went there to see a sneak preview of Hitchcock both with and without the composer Adam Wernick, 2 p.m. considered one of the 20th century’s Hitchcock’s The Man Who Knew Too music. Hitchcock said he preferred it Courtesy of Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Sunday, April 10 at the Minnesota greatest creators of film music. Much (1956). The climax of the film with the music. Herrmann said, “But Arts Council Opera Center, 620 N. First St., Min- was the performance of the “Storm you said you didn’t want music.” Hollywood composer Bernard neapolis. Cloud Cantata.” Hitchcock had a shot “I was wrong, my boy, I was wrong,” Herrmann will be celebrated at Rimon will also host a preshow of the Royal Albert Hall with a poster said Hitchcock. two Rimon events on April 10 reception titled “An Afternoon with announcing that Bernard Herrmann I don’t know what his life would and 17. Rimon at the Opera” 1 p.m. Sunday, was conducting the London Sym- have been like if he hadn’t known April 17 at the Ordway Center for phony Orchestra. Then we actually see Hitchcock. They had a falling out work impacting later composers? the Performing Arts, 345 Washing- Herrmann conducting the cantata. over the music style in Torn Curtain Gainsley: I interviewed Stephen ton St., St. Paul. The reception will I went to Syracuse University and and never worked together again. Sondheim in Chicago when the take place prior to the matinee per- hated it so much that I used to go Hitchcock was never happy with any Lyric Opera put on Sweeney Todd. formance of Herrmann’s Wuthering into New York to Radio City Music composers after that. Sondheim said he grew up admiring Heights and include a preshow talk Hall. There I saw the film North by AM: What moved him to write an Herrmann’s work. He wrote a letter by Allan Naplan (3-4-11 AJW). Northwest. I was 18. The music was so opera? What was the Minneapolis to him after seeing the 1945 film For information about Rimon, sensational, I said, “This is something connection? Hangover Square about an unstable contact David Harris at 952-381- Rimon: The Minnesota Jewish Arts special.” That was my real introduc- Gainsley: He had tried his hand at musician. Sondheim said that when 3449 or: [email protected], or Council, an initiative of the Minne- tion to Bernard Herrmann. a couple of operas, but they didn’t Bernard Herrmann wrote back, he visit: www.rimonmn.org. apolis Jewish Federation, has made AM: What was Bernard Herrmann’s work. He loved Wuthering Heights Herrmann the focus of two exciting significance as a composer? and started writing the opera in 1943. events in April. You won’t want to Gainsley: Most composers wrote His wife, Lucille Fletcher, was the miss opera expert Phillip Gainsley and background music. Bernard Herrmann librettist. composer Adam Wernick discussing wrote music expressing the emotions He finished it here in Minneapolis POETRY MONTH Herrmann’s timeless scores at the of his character: Citizen Kane, Psycho, in 1951 while visiting a girlfriend. Rimon Artist Salon titled “Bernard North by Northwest, Vertigo, The Man Herrmann was chief conductor of the Herrmann: Music Goes to the Mov- Who Knew Too Much, Taxi Driver. He CBS Symphony Orchestra then and A quality of spontaneity, of grace, a quality that stirs the ies (with a side trip to the opera)” on wrote the music as the movies were knew Dimitri Mitropoulos, who was imagination. April 10; and a preshow reception, “An being shot. His music underscores conductor of the Minneapolis Sym- That is what the dictionary tells us is “poetry.” And that’s Afternoon with Rimon at the Opera,” phony Orchestra. Herrmann called the action. what we celebrate all April-long, joining in the coast-to- prior to the matinee performance of Herrmann was an unsung hero. He Mitropoulos and asked, “Do you have Wuthering Heights on April 17. never got his due with his other works a studio where I can work?” Mitropou- coast festivities that mark National Poetry Month. Art Maven wanted to interview as he did with film, especially those los arranged for a studio with the CBS Here’s how to partake: Throw caution, self- Gainsley to find out more about he did with Hitchcock. He wanted to affiliate WCCO in the old location consciousness, timidity and fear to the wind and Bernard Herrmann. We knew that be accepted as a classical composer, on Sixth Street. Herrmann spent the enter the 6th Annual St. Paul JCC Spring Poetry Herrmann was the son of observant but he was never taken seriously. That summer here, using the WCCO piano, Russian Jewish immigrants, grew up wouldn’t be true today. For example, and finished the opera. Contest. This is especially important to do if you have on New York’s Lower East Side and think of [Leonard] Bernstein and AM: Are there any instances of his never written a poem before. Spring demands some stretching and a new approach. Stay updated and get a first glimpse of Jewish World stories at: Hence, our contest theme (only if you want to use it – subject matter is totally up to you) is just that – RENEW…….an overdue library book, your marriage AJWNews.com. vows, the apartment lease, that appliance protection plan and your own sweet self. Write in absolutely any form you choose: haiku? limerick? prose poem? sonnet? rhymed verse? Yes, yes, yes, yes and yes. Hand in your poems to the JCC Front Desk or send via email to [email protected]. Winners will be judged in the categories of: pre-school, school-age, teen and adult. Prizes will be given out and their work will be displayed at the JCC. And throughout April, don’t forget to check out our poetry wall featuring a “Poem for the Day” and their tiny counterparts, Poems for your Pocket. Renew, refresh, revive, regenerate, retell…it’s April, it’s spring’s beginning, it’s Passover and it’s National Poetry Month. Get writing..