Search results for ""author steven c. smith""

No composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over 40 scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. In this first major biography of the composer, Steven C. Smith explores the interrelationships between Herrmann's music and his turbulent personal life, using much previously unpublished information to illustrate Herrmann's often outrageous behavior, his working methods, and why his music has had such lasting impact. From his first film ("Citizen Kane") to his last ("Taxi Driver"), Herrmann was a master of 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 "The War of the Worlds". His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic, and he was chief conductor of the CBS Symphony. Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. Smith separates myth from fact and draws upon heretofore unpublished material to illuminate Herrmann's life and influence. Herrmann remains as complex as any character in the films he scored - a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love. The films scored by Bernard Herrmann include "Citizen Kane", "The Ghost and Mrs. Muir", "Vertigo", "Psycho", "Fahrenheit 451", "Taxi Driver", "The Magnificent Ambersons", "The Man Who Knew Too Much", "North By Northwest", "The Birds", "The Snows of Kilimanjaro", "Cape Fear", "Marnie", "Torn Curtain", among others.

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Is it possible to “see God”? A close examination of the Bible suggests that answering this question is more complex—and interesting—than one might imagine. Following The Word of the Lord and The House of the Lord, this sweeping conclusion to Steven C. Smith’s trilogy asks whether it is possible to see God. After properly framing the question and citing scriptural examples, Smith takes the reader on an epic journey into the literal and spiritual meanings of biblical interpretation.Smith’s thesis is that the multiplicity of “senses” is a pathway and progression toward the face of the Lord. He leads the reader through five Old Testament theophany scenes, beginning with the patriarch Jacob “wrestling” with God and concluding with Job’s contending with the Voice from the Whirlwind. These five encounters span all three parts of the Old Testament: the Law, the Prophets, and the Writings.A tour de force much like Smith’s previous books, The Face of the Lord thoroughly examines each biblical episode from the standpoint of the Literal, Allegorical, Tropological (Moral), and Anagogical (Heavenly) senses. Smith engages all of the relevant literature—from ancient Jewish sources to Christian medieval masters to present-day theologians—without taking his eye off the central question: Can we see God? The result is a fresh, robust exploration of Sacred Scripture, drawing upon ancient, medieval, and contemporary exegesis in pursuit of this fascinating biblical question.

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No composer contributed more to film than Bernard Herrmann, who in over 40 scores enriched the work of such directors as Orson Welles, Alfred Hitchcock, Francois Truffaut, and Martin Scorsese. In this first major biography of the composer, Steven C. Smith explores the interrelationships between Herrmann's music and his turbulent personal life, using much previously unpublished information to illustrate Herrmann's often outrageous behavior, his working methods, and why his music has had such lasting impact. From his first film ("Citizen Kane") to his last ("Taxi Driver"), Herrmann was a master of 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 of the Air" and "The War of the Worlds". His concert music was commissioned and performed by the New York Philharmonic, and he was chief conductor of the CBS Symphony. Almost as celebrated as these achievements are the enduring legends of Herrmann's combativeness and volatility. Smith separates myth from fact and draws upon heretofore unpublished material to illuminate Herrmann's life and influence. Herrmann remains as complex as any character in the films he scored - a creative genius, an indefatigable musicologist, an explosive bully, a generous and compassionate man who desperately sought friendship and love.

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