Description
Book SynopsisMax Steiner is one of the greatestnot to mention most prolificcomposers of the Golden Age of Hollywood. The winner of three Academy Awards, Steiner's credits include King Kong, The Informer, Gone with the Wind, Now, Voyager, Since You Went Away, Johnny Belinda, and The Caine Mutiny. Though known for timeless melodies that symbolize the glamor of Hollywood's Golden Age, Steiner has also been hailed as a film scoring pioneer. In Max Steiner: Composing, Casablanca, and the Golden Age of Film Music, Peter Wegele unveils the man behind dozens of memorable scores, offering a portrait of the composer from a personal and professional point of view. Beginning with background on the history and techniques of film music, Wegele then examines Steiner's musical innovations, some of which are still used today. This is followed by a thorough analysis of one of Steiner's legendary scoresthe music to Casablanca. More than eighty transcribed musical examples demonstrate how efficient, musically clever,
Trade ReviewThe composer for such epic films as Gone with the Wind, Casablanca, and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre, Max Steiner is a major figure in film music history. His scoring techniques have been covered often; for example, Laurence MacDonald, in The Invisible Art of Film Music: A Comprehensive History, identifies Steiner as a 'godfather of film music' and treats the composer as a continual focal point throughout the text. Wegele provides a biographical study of the composer along with a detailed analysis of his score for Casablanca. In the analysis, Wegele coordinates musical examples, script excerpts (noting prerecord and score events), film reel contents, and archival documentation. He also gathers interview materials and includes photographs and a useful appendix that compares Steiner to other prominent film composers. Though some of the analysis is geared toward music scholars and musicians, the biographical material and aspects of the analysis will engage all who are interested in Steiner, regardless of their previous knowledge. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty and professionals. * CHOICE *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments Foreword by Dr. Wolfgang Thiel Chapter 1: Introduction Chapter 2: The Life of Max Steiner Chapter 3: Casablanca Appendix A: Comparison of Max Steiner with Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Alfred Newman, Franz Waxman, and Hugo Friedhofer Appendix B: Awards and Honors Filmography Bibliography About the Author
