herrmann and bernstein film essay

8/11/2019 Herrmann and Bernstein Film Essay

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David Raksin once told this anecdote about the director Alfred Hitchcock:One of [Hitchcocks] people said to me, Theres not going to be music in our

picture and I said, Why? WellHitchcock says theyre out on the open ocean.Where would the music come from? So I said, Go back and ask him where thecamera comes from and Ill tell him where the music comes from! 1

As innocuous as the comment may seem, it does catch the paradoxical nature ofmusic in film. On the one hand, a director is seeking to convey a world that, for all

purposes, is real within the narrative; on the other hand, who lives their life with anor chestra playing an accompanying role, commenting on and reflecting onesexperiences? Such a situation is ludicrous, however, music is important because of itsability to evoke certain ideas through its association with particular onscreen objects.Maurice Halbwachs, writing on the power of music upon ones memory, argues that ifmusic were not present in a scene, the silent figures would convey much lesseffectively the illusion of reality and certain ideas may be lost on the viewer. 2 This isnot the place to discuss the relative merits of different musical styles that have beenused, suffice to say that music plays an indispensable role in film. 3 In this essay, I will primarily discuss the music of Cape Fear (1962), directed by J.Lee Thompson with a particular focus on the formal elements and musical techniquesof the score. This serves to introduce aspects of the music from Martin Scorseses1991 remake of Cape Fear in relation to the original. Although there are minordiscrepancies between the two plots, the general premise is a convicted rapist [MaxCady, played by Robert Mitchum and then Robert de Niro] is released from prisonand proceeds to torment a lawyer [Sam Bowden, played by Gregory Peck and Nick

Nolte] as revenge for Bowden having played an important role in his trial andconsequent conviction. Cady never commits a crime, however, and thus Bowden isforced to take vigilante action leading to a climactic fight-scene at his houseboat onthe Cape Fear River. The original film presents a relatively clear distinction betweenthe good and bad characters whereas Scors ese (rather typically) introduces varioussub-plots, such as Bowdens marital infidelity and his daughters precocious andrebellious nature, that blur the viewers sympathetic posit ion towards the characters.Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) composed the orchestral score for the original Cape

Fear . Herrmanns collaboration with Thompson has arguably been overshadowed bythe composers more documented work with Alfred Hitchcock; Page Coo k evencontends that Cape Fear was one of the worst films of the year and is sorryHerrmann had to work on it. 4 Critical reception of the film aside, the score displaystypical features of Herrmanns compositional style and underpins the psychologicalnature of the film; as Steven Smith bluntly states, Herrmann was perfect for Cape

Fear and his score was able to reinforce the savagery of the narrative.5

Martin Scorseses Cape Fear was scored by Elmer Bernstein (1922-2004). The moreremarkable featu re of the music is that much of it was appropriated from Herrmanns

1 David Raksin, Composers and the Creative Process, symposium presented at the Virginia Festivalof American Film, Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 October, 1990, reprinted in,Kathryn Kalinak, Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film (Madison, Wisconsin:University of Wisconsin Press, 1992), xiii.2 Maurice Halbwachs, The Collective Memory , trans. Francis J. Ditter, Jr., and Vida Yazdi Ditter (NewYork: Harper & Row, 1980), pp. 158-159.3 Robynn J. Stillwell, Music in Films: A Critical Review of Literature, 1980 -1996, The Journal of

Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002), 19.4

Page Cook, Bernard Herrmann, Films in Review 18, no. 7 (1967), 411.5 Steven C. Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann (Los Angeles:University of California Press, 1991), 252.


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score and adapted for the remade film. Bernstein also used material from Herrmannsinfamously rejected score for Hitchcocks Torn Curtain (1966) in the climactic scenesof the film and composed new material that features in the opening credits. Bernsteinhimself says that Herrmann was one of [his] heroesand it [was] a privilege to workon one of his scores. 6 He further praises Herrmanns score:

The wonderful thing that film music can always do is [to be] not totally explicit, toget b ehind and inside the characters I think that the score of Cape Fear does that

not in terms of the characters so much, but the overall feeling of the music to mefeels inside the film, not on top of it. 7

A quote such as this could, in fact, be applied to much of Herrmanns work. When theaugmented chords are heard as Marion Crane is stabbed in Psycho (1960), they do notmerely mimic the stabbing actions carried out on screen. The harshly played stringinstruments combined with the complete lack of a tonal centre (arguably afundamental component for musical stability in Western music) convey the brutalnature of both the scene and Cranes killer, Norman Bates. Similarly, Herrmannsmusic for the opening of Vertigo (1958) dissonant arpeggiated figures in contrarymotion does not just reflect the onscreen vertigo, but conveys a sort of musicalvertigo and dizziness. A common technique by film composers was to use musicalstyles or genres that the audience would associate with the visual image; as Bernstein

points out, Herrmanns approach was not intellectual (such as composing a RuleBritannia- like figure to accompany a navy ship) but emotional in that the musicwould capture the inner essence of t he films narrative and characters states -of-mind. 8 I will first examine Herrmanns score and the principal musical motifs used in Cape

Fear (1962) keeping in mind how the music does manage to get inside the film.Even the most amateur movie critic (or indeed fan) will arguably be aware of thecharacteristic sound of Herrmanns scores; my purpose here is to uncover themusical elements that lead to such a sound. Bernsteins approach to scoring the latermovie will also be considered how he adapted Herrmanns material and how hisown music was integrated into the soundtrack. Lastly, it is worth examining the use ofsource music in both films. Although the sourced material may not necessarilyconcern Herrmann and Bernstein it was more likely a collaboration between thedirector, music editors and consultants it appears to have been selected purposefully

because its content illuminates and reflects aspects of the narrative. It must be notedthat the musical examples provided throughout this essay are transcriptions of themore salient features of the score; there is, of course, further instrumentation that hasnot been presented.

Before progressing to the music in detail, it is necessary to outline a few aestheticideas pertaining to film music. Con sider the term film music it is evidently aninterdisciplinary subject that involves knowledge of both film and music theory. Asan academic sub-discipline it is youthful and this presents challenges, in part, asWilliam Rosar acknowledges, because the scholarly contributions have come from a

6 Elmer Bernstein, Bio, Elmer Bernstein: Biography, Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc. , fromhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.html (accessed 17 July, 2010).7 David Morgan, F-C-B- F Spells Fear: Composer Elmer Bernstein and the Scoring of Cape Fear,Elmer Bernstein: News and Events, Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc. , from

http://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.html (accessed 17 July, 2010). 8 Joshua Waletzky, Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann , VHS (New York: Sony MusicEntertainment Inc., 1992).
http://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.htmlhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.htmlhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.htmlhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.htmlhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.htmlhttp://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.html


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diverse range of backgrounds. 9 Consequently, there is a level of uncertainty aboutwhat should actually be studied if one is to engage with film music. Rosar furtherstates that the more common approach has been to examine the various functions ofmusic in film, treating it as non-autonomous entity that has a specific purpose. 10 Thereis nothing wrong with such an approach; however, it is suited to writers with a film

background. After all, a functional appraisal of the music in film only requires arudimentary understanding of, and engagement with the technical aspects of themusic. For example, one could quite easily comment that music with fast-movingrhythms reflects the visual content in a car chase scene; if the music then changes toslower rhythms it might contradict the same visual content. If the functionality of themusic is the desired point of the study then there is no need for requisite musicalknowledge, rather one only needs to analyse the visual images and link it to the auralcontent.

From a musicological perspective the task is the same; that is, to examine therelationship between what is seen and heard. The musicologist, however, is moreconcerned with musical elements melody, harmony, and so forth rather thansolely focusing on the scores functional aspects. To discuss these and then relatethem to the visual content raises another issue though: the meaning of music. AsKalinak notes, there is a question of how music can stand for concrete andidentifiable phenomena when its method of signification is neither direct norinherent. 11

Fortunately, it seems there is no reason to get weighed down by such aestheticconcerns. After all, in film (as in song) the meaning is communicated extra-musically,in this case by what is seen, something which can easily be explained in concreteterms. In discussing the relationship of music to the visual content, one is ratherstraying into the territory of musical perception theory in that the musical contentgains its meaning, so to speak, depending on how it is associated with the visualimages. Without becoming involved in debates over psychological interpretations ofmusic, it is necessary to postulate the theory that the listeners (viewers) of Cape Fear feel a sense of stability and comfort when the harmonic and tonal elements of themusic are in accordance with the rules of the Western tonal tradition (and vice -versa). One could cite evidence against such a claim 12 and furthermore, one mustconsider the breakdown of tonality in twentieth century Western art music.Herrmanns score was composed in the late 1950s, well after the advent of serialismand other non -tonal idioms. Thus it seems difficult to asc ribe a degree of stability to

tonal music, given this particular harmonic system had become one among manyoptions for composers, as opposed to its assumed superiority that had prevailed inthe preceding centuries.

9 William H. Rosar, Film music Whats in a name? Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002), 1.10 Ibid., 13.11 Kalinak, Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film , 13.12 For example, Nicholas Cook conducted an experiment in which tonal pieces of music were altered soas to avoid ending in the tonic key and then presented to students who were asked to rank the pieces interms of several criteria, including tonal closure. The results suggested that the idea of tonal unity and

closure was relatively weak and hardly perceptible. For a discussion of this experiment, see:Robert Gjerdingen, An Experimental Music Theory? in Rethinking Music , eds. Nicholas Cook andMark Everist (New York: Oxford University Press, 1999), pp. 161-170.


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However, as Hyer rightly states, the dissolution of tonality is an historical not acognitive phenomenon; most of the music in the public consciousness throughout thetwentieth century has been rooted in a rather conservative tonal idiom. 13 Furthermore,Roger Scruton argues, in relation to atonal music, that even though the formalelements of the music might shift away from tonality, it is the order of triadic

tonality that is heard in music in a Western culture.14

That is, even if the music is notconstructed according to triadic tonality conventions, the listener will attempt toimpose such a framework on what is heard. Royal S. Brown emphasises this point; hestates that the central feature of tonal music is the expectation of resolution andconclusion. He goes on to argue that the haunting nature of Herrmanns scores arises

precisely because the music never reaches these conditions. 15 It is therefore plausiblethat the listener should feel unsettled if their tonal expectations are not met.Bernard Herrmanns score for the original Cape Fear is centred on a set of varied, butclosely related, motifs. The film opens with what Elmer Bernstein describes as eighthorns playing the main Cape Fear theme.

Figure 1. Cape Fear Theme

The theme immediately establishes the interval of a semitone as important itoccurs as the central interval in the first statement and its variation in the second bar.The interval of a semitone permeates the entire score, either as part of a motif or as asingle musical gesture by itself. The initial presentation of the theme also contains theinterval of an augmented fourth between the B and F, an interval that in Westernclassical music has been linked to tonal ambiguity and instability. 16 The combined useof the semitone and the tritone certainly upsets any notion of tonal stability in thetheme. The Fs that bound each bar suggest a tonal centre; however, the intermediateintervals dispel this idea, as do the lack of thirds or any supporting harmony that mayconfirm either a major or minor tonality.

The tonal ambiguity, though, is contrasted with a strong rhythmic structure. Thetheme unfolds in even crotchets at a slow but steady tempo of approximately 60 beats

per minute creating a sense of march-like uniformity compared to the unknown tonalcentre. Yet even the rhythmic structure is jolted out of its regularity; after three bars,Herrmann seamlessly shifts to another musical idea, denying the listener theexpectation that the Cape Fear theme will continue as repetitions of a two -bar

phrase.

When the theme returns later in the opening credits, the flutes assume the melodywhich is harmonized by tremolo lower strings.

13 Brian Hyer, Tonality, in Grove Music Online , Oxford Music Online , fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102 (accessed 4 August, 2010).14 Roger Scruton, The Aesthetics of Music (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997), 285.15 Waletzky, Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann , VHS. 16

William Drabkin, Tritone, in Grove Music Online , Oxford Music Online , fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403 (accessed 30 July, 2010).
http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403http://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102


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Figure 2. Cape Fear Theme Harmonized

The tonal instability is heightened by the movement of the bass either up a semitoneor down a tone. It would be possible to identify the harmonies that are created but itwould be impossible to identify any function or relationship between them. Thetonality is further confused when the variation of the theme (bars 3 and 4 above) arerepeated (in the hypothetical bars 5-6) over a D b in the bass, thus creating a softerand more gentle rendition by hinting at a D b major seventh chord (the operativenotes being the D b and C).

Following the opening Cape Fear theme, Herrmann introduces two motifs that areused extensively throughout the film, titled here as Motif I and Motif II.

Figure 3. Motif I

This motif clearly takes the idea of a semitone as its starting point its main feature is

the contrary motion chromatic scale played by the violins and double basses. Insidethis scale are small semitone fragments played by the horns which follow the violinsin a descending sequence. Like the opening theme, Motif I destroys any notions ofstability and Herrmann toys with the listeners rhythmic expectations in conjunctionwith the tonal ambiguity.

To illustrate this point, consider a Western major scale. The importance of the tonicnote in the major scale creates a goal for the music, a point towards which it isdirected. By comparison, there is no hierarchy of pitches in a chromatic scale andconsequently, a lack of harmonic direction. Extrapolating from these ideas, it isunderstandable that Motif I conveys a sense of endlessness; because it is formed from

two chromatic scales, there can be no point of resolution and therefore no momentwhen one naturally detects a conclusion to the phrase. In this sense, when Herrmannends the motif after five bars, it is unexpected and unsettling for the listener. Not onlydoes a five-bar phrase fall outside the conventional four-bar length associated withWestern classical music but there is seemingly no reason why the motif should end atthat point as opposed to a bar later or a bar before or at any point. The particular tonalambiguity highlighted here therefore crosses over into rhythmic and structuralambiguity.

Motif II follows the harmonized Cape Fear theme in the opening credits. Figure 4. Motif II


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Motif II should sound and look familiar it is derived from Motif I. The horns are

given the melody that is, the three-note rising semitone idea that descends inminor 3rds; while the descending chromatic scale played by the violins is placed inthe background as a figure that fills the middle of the bar. In the opening credits, thisfollows the softened Cape Fear theme (with the D b major harmony) and one canargue that this is appropriate given the more relaxed nature of the motif. Granted thereis no more sense of a key than anything preceding it; however, with the prominenceof the horn line, one hears the shape of the melody as featuring the descending minorthird which is arguably less harsh and discordant than a continuous chromatic scale(as had been the case with Motif I). Furthermore, the lack of a bass line removes thetension that had occurred in Motif I when the two chromatic scales weresuperimposed on one another.

The issue at this point is how the music relates to the onscreen content. The motifsoutlined all occur in succession during the opening title sequence, in which a man(who the audience does not yet know is Max Cady) walks through the township of

North Essex towards the courthouse. It is a sunny day and the town is presented as anidyllic and placid setting. The score, at first, completely undermines this idea with thetonally dissonant motifs that suggest and foreshadow the disturbing narrative that willfollow. When the Cape Fear theme is re -presented, some of this tension between thevisual and musical content is relaxed, arguably through the presence of harmonies inthe string part. However, the continued lack of a tonal centre throughout the motifsmaintains the underlying sense of anxiety.Smith argues that Motif I (not referred to as such by Smith) foreshadows the conflict

between Cady and Bowden; the chromatic voices move slowly toward each other,analogous to the impending game of cat -and- mouse played by the maincharacters. 17 Smith further argues that the closer proximity of the voices, as seen inMotif II, reveals that the Bowden and Cadys game will result in a deadlyconfrontation. 18 One suspects that this interpretation may be a little too poetic,especially given that neither of the main characters is killed. 19 Nonetheless, one canunderstand how the initial music may provide some insight into the films synopsis.Furthermore, the music implicates Cady as the villain Motif II continues, played

by the lower strings with a pizzicato bass, as he walks into the courthouse. When hewalks into the courtroom, the music ends, seemingly put to rest by the presence of thehero, Sam Bowden. Therefore, the music through the opening sequence essentiallyserves to warn the audience of the villain, Max Cady, and the role he will play in thefilm. Herrmann s score fulfils this purpose through the use of tonal instability andstructural disjointedness, features that convey musical unsettlement, thuscomplementing the films disturbing narrative. The mood of the film changes little throughout Bowden and his family are inconstant fear of Cady. This aspect is arguably reflected in the music; Herrmanns raw

17 Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann , 252.18 Ibid., 252.19

NB: The private detective hired by Bowden is killed by Cady at the Cape Fear River but thischaracter is unmentioned by Smith; therefore it seems highly unlikely he was in fact referring to thisaspect of the plot.


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material is slight, using the same motifs (the notable exception is the Cape Feartheme which does not return until the closing credits) albeit with subtle variations.The motifs are often fragmented or varied Motif II, for example, is at times

presented in inverted form. In this sense, Herrmanns music may loosely correspondto Roy Prendergasts category of the developmental score (compared to a

leitmotif or monothematic score).20

The basis of the developmental score is thatthe primary ideas are presented in the opening of the film, comparable to theexposition of sonata form; this forms the nucleus from which later musical ideas aredrawn or derive. 21 The initial presentation of Motif I and Motif II in relativelyextended forms is appropriate due to the length and introductory nature of the scene.The ensuing fragmentation of motifs is invariably a practical consideration (i.e. itwould be infeasible for Herrmann to compose full-length motifs for every scene);however, one might also argue that the seemingly irregular presentation of briefmusical figures reflects the apprehension of Bowden. The music never settles on aregular and consistent form, just as Bowden is never able to settle his own fears.That said, there are new motifs introduced in the course of the film. Motif III isintroduced in the scene in which Bowden goes to visit the victim of Cadys attack.Figure 5. Motif III

The motif is repeated and then harmonized in open fifths.Figure 6. Motif III Harmonized

Motif III is evidently similar to the earlier motifs through its manipulation of thesemitone. Played by the horns in their high register, it evokes an eerie and ominousmood, echoed by the hollow fifths. This interval has the ability to convey such anidea, arguably, because in conventional harmony terms it remains undefined withregards to either a major or minor tonality. There is also a sense of melancholycontained within the melody. This is perhaps a consequence of the horns timbre afull but unimposing sound and also the legato technique employed in the phrase.The earlier motifs were marked by tremolo and a comparatively detached playingtechnique; in short, the notes are attacked fiercely by the orchestra.Motif III is also the first to both descend and ascend in the same figure and as aconsequence presents the listener with a goal of sorts the F # that appears overthe barline. This provides only a partial sense of completion and structure within the

phrase, however, it seems significant relative to the previous musical themes. Motifs Iand II with their rather more relenting nature (each voice continuously descends orascends, but not both) unambiguously convey the harsh and disturbing nature of thefilms conflict. The sense of balance contained within the shape of Motif III suggestsa more subtle emotion which seems appropriate given its initial appearance in thenarrative. Bowden has gone to visit one of Cadys victims anticipating that she willtestify against Cady. She refuses though and thus Bowden is left with the realisationthat Cady will remain a free man. Motif III, with its suggestion of increased stabilityand melodic direction, capture the fleeting optimism of Bowden; the omnipresence of

20

Roy M. Prendergast, Film Music: A Neglected Art, 2nd

ed. (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1977), pp. 231-234.21 Ibid., 234.


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the semitone interval, though, is reminiscent of the primary musical ideas. Theevocation of tension and anxiety contained within this interval (which is furtherintensified by the use of harmonically uncertain fifth intervals) is ultimately sufficientto overpower the stability of the melodic line, just as Bowdens hope of peace isextinguished.

Herrmann introduces a new motif during the climactic scene on the houseboat. Itfeatures a racing violin melody of alternating major thirds (F-D b ) in a syncopatedrhythm. The thirds are then transposed up a semitone to F# and D before wavering

between the two sets. This motif is developed further in the remake by Bernstein andused in multiple cues throughout the film. He maintains the syncopated rhythmicelement but uses the major third interval in a longer ascending sequence.Figure 7. Major Third Motif in Cape F ear (1991)

Although only a brief cue (no more than 10 seconds long), it best highlights the senseof irrationality present in Herrmanns scores, a concept discussed by Brown. 22 Heargues that a common feature of Herrmanns scores was to take a musical figure thatis conventional within a Western music framework, something rational, and place itin a co ntext that renders it irrational. 23 The use of consecutive major thirds is aspecific example of this technique. Regarded as the pillar of stability within theWestern tonal system, the third takes on a completely different meaning when placed

outside t he normalcy of the major or minor triad.24

In an isolated situation, the thirdof F-D b would hint at a D b major triad and tonal stability; this idea disintegrateswhen the third is placed next to a third a semitone higher and the motif thus reinforcesthe dramatic tension of the scene. Although there is negligible evidence to suggest adirect relationship between the two composers, this technique parallels a moment inthe first movement of Alban Bergs Violin Concerto in which his tone-row ismanipulated to produce four successive bars of diatonic harmonies (Gm-D/F # -Am/E-E/G # , bars 11-14) before denying the listener the comfort of tonal order.Elmer Bernstein makes much use of the motifs from Cape Fear (1991) although insmaller fragments on occasions, a music cue may only last a bar and simplyoutline a semitone interval. This possibly reflects the comparative complexity of

Scorseses remake; the various sub -plots create a layered narrative which iscomplemented by a segmented score. It is not necessary t o discuss Bernsteins use ofHerrmanns motifs in any detail they serve the same purpose as in the original, thatis to emphasise the tension and anxiety that exists in the narrative. Of more interest isBernsteins original score that is used in the tit le sequence.The flutes open the score with a figure that draws on Herrmanns motif consisting of

juxtaposed major thirds.Figure 7. Cape Fear (1991) Flute Figure

22 Royal S. Brown, Herrmann, Hitchcock, and the Music of the Irrational, Cinema Journal 21, no. 2

(1982), 17.23 Ibid., 17.24 Ibid., 20.


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Here, the thirds are presented as diads (as opposed to Herrmanns horizontal thirds)

but the unsettling effect is again reproduced by taking the traditional Western

harmonic device and placing it outside its conventional context. The visual sequencelists the films credits superimposed on the background of rippling water, whose

presence foreshadows the setting of the climax of the film (the Cape Fear River). Thewavering shape of the flute figure therefore reflects the ripples while also establishingthe psychological tone of the film. The figure is reintroduced later in the sequence

played by tremolo violins with a low-brass counter-melody. [two different keys? Twodifferent worlds?]Figure 8. Opening Figure and Counter-Melody

The stark timbral contrast between the harsh sound of the fast tremolo strings and thefull, powerful tone of the brass highlights the instrumental tension in accompanimentwith the existing harmonic tension in the string figure. The bass line does nothing toachieve a resolution or provide a harmonic foundation if anything, the semitoneintervals that occur between the bass and upper parts heighten the dissonance. The

bass line also hints at the Cape Fear theme; the first bar outlines the first three notesof the theme before coming to rest in the second bar on the C. This motif leads into avariation of the Cape Fear theme played by the trombones with the horns andtimpani accenting the F on the first beat of the bar.Figure 9. Cape Fear Theme Variation

The variation differs only in the fourth note the G b but still emphasises thesemitone interval which now occurs from C-B and G b -F (across the barline). Moreimportantly, the prominent use of the Cape Fear theme, and especially the similarinstrumentation, in the opening sequence acknowledges the musical lineage of thefilm, as it were, and pays homage to Herrmann, while still hi ghlighting Bernsteins

impact on the remake.Bernsteins imprint is apparent in the final melody of the opening sequence. The brasssection play repeated octaves that move, once again, in semitones above and below C.This idea similarly calls to mind the Cape Fear theme by providing a foundation thatsuggests a tonal centre, even if no key is established. Within the brass octaves, theviolins play an ascending, semi-quaver figure that utilizes the Locrian mode 25 on thetonic notes played by the brass. T he Locrian mode is the least used of the modes inthe Western classical system 26 and destabilizes the tonal centre because its tonictriad is a diminished chord. Thus, the listener (viewer) is presented with a melody in

25 B-B on white notes of the keyboard, or major scale with flattened second, third, fifth, sixth and

seventh degrees.26 See passages from Shostakovichs Op. 5, No. 1, March; Brittens Death in Venice ; and, Debussys Jeux .


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a foreign arrangement which is difficult to relate to the familiar notions of the majoror minor scale. Like the opening flute figure, the shape of the Locrian melody imitatesthe rippling water both in its immediate shape, in which each violin ascent is felt as asurge that runs through the brass framework, and in its wider structure in which thetonal centre of the melody rocks from C to B and back before inverting this

movement and alternating between C and D b . It is of no surprise, therefore, that theLocrian melody returns when the Bowden family arrives at the Cape Fear River.All the music examined so far has been non-diagetic music that is situated in the

background of a scene. It is also pertinent to discuss the diagetic music of both films music that is contained within the scen e and heard by the characters. As MervynCooke notes, both types of music are capable of generating continuity, narrativemomentum and subliminal commentary. 27 Diagetic music faces the added challenge,though, of being plausible within the world in which it is heard. In other words, theaudience must believe that the characters would realistically hear and respond as suchto that particular music in their world.The diagetic music in Cape Fear (1962) is confined to a few scenes, most notablywhen Bowden meets Cady at the local bar. In the background [of the bar], a small

jazz combo plays an improvised twelve-bar blues in D b , a style of music that isobviously appropriate for the setting. The music seems innocuous enough, but takeson greater significance in relation to the narrative. Bowden attempts to pay Cady alarge amount of money so he will leave the town. Bowden is apprehensive and has anair of desperation about him, having resorted to bribery in order to end his suffering;Cady, on the other hand, calmly rejects the offer and laughs at Bowden, who is left tocontemplate the though of further psychological trauma. While this tense conversationunfolds, the musicians continue to play in a laidback and relaxed manner. The musicdoes not comment on t he narrative (as Herrmanns score does); rather it provides astriking contrast when the two are juxtaposed. There are two examples of diagetic music in Cape Fear (1991) that deserve mention.After an argument between Bowden and his wife, his daughter, Danielle, runs into herroom and turns on her stereo, playing Patience by hard -rock band Guns N Roses.At first it appears to confirm the perceived trend since the 1970s of using popularmusic in the place of a classical score to appeal to the Hollywood audiences. 28 Thechoice of song, though, seems to have a specific purpose. Taken from their album G

N R Lies , the song was released in 1988 (and reached #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart 29); it is conceivable that a teenage girl would know this song in the presentsetting of the film. Furthermore, although the origins of the song are debated, thelyrics clearly suggest it is about failed relationships in general. Therefore the songs

content links itself to the films narrative: as Cady continues to torment Bowden, theintra-family relationships deteriorate as was evident in the argument of the precedingscene.

27 Mervyn Cooke, Film music, in Grove Music Online , Oxford Music Online , fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/09647 (accessed 6 August, 2010).28 See Julie Hubbert, Whatever Happened To Great Movie Music?: Cinema Vrit and HollywoodFilm Music of the Early 1970s, American Music 21, no. 2 (2003), pp. 180-213, and (ironically),Elmer Bernstein, What Ever Happened To Great Movie Music? High Fidelity , New York, July

(1972), pp. 55-58.29 Billboard, Paitence Guns N Roses, Billboard , fromhttp://www.billboard.com/charts#/song/guns-n-roses/patience/2137178 (accessed 21 September, 2010).
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Finally, when Cady follows Bowden to the airport, he turns on the car radio and afterflicking through several stations settles on Per te dimmenso giubilo, the weddingmarch from Donizettis Lucia di Lammermoor . At an elementary level, the upbeat and

jubilant nature of the song reflects Cadys (sadistic) pleasure at the psychologicaldominance he has over Bowden. This pleasure is seemingly magnified as the scene

shifts to the airport lounge where Cady continues to watch Bowden; accordingly, themusic takes on a greater presence in the scene as it is transferred from the diagetic

position of the car radio to the non- diagetic position of the films so undtrack. Thereare further resonances when the chorus is considered in terms of its place in the opera.It initially occurs in Act II.ii but is reprised in III.ii immediately before the charactersdiscover that Lucia has gone mad and killed her groom. 30 The chorus is therefore anironic celebration before the gruesome and tragic events of the opera. Evidently, thereis no connection between the marriage aspect of Per te dimmenso giubilo and Cape

Fear . However, the idea of impending madness and murder is common to both texts;the joyous music, therefore, serves as a darkly humorous contrast to the reality of thenarratives.One may also comment on the use of classical music as an accompaniment to theonscreen villainy. This feature is not confined to Cape Fear (1991). 31 Oneexplanation may be a connection between European music and the continental(especially Italian) origins of the stereotypical mafia-like criminal. This would hardlyseem satisfactory though in Cape Fear (1991) in which Cady is assumed to be from asouthern American state given his accent. 32 Perhaps a more credible theory is that byusing classical music, generally perceived as a product of high culture, the directorestablishes a direct opposition with the immoral and villainous character who isassociated with low culture. A dichotomy is created between the music and thenarrative and consequently, the audience is engaged from this juxtaposition of tworival ideas or associations.The work of Bernard Herrmann and Elmer Bernstein is rightly considered to be at theforefront of film music composition. Although neither man s input into the twoversions of Cape Fear would be regarded as his magnum opus, these scoresdemonstrate their composers ability to enter into the world of the film and underpinthe drama and emotional content of the narrative. At a general level this is achievedthrough the avoidance of identifiable tonal centres and digression away from Westernharmonic conventions; this idea is further reinforced through the use of structurallyambiguous motifs and their fragmented repetition throughout the films. Consequently,the music denies the listener any sense of regularity or predictability, which echoesand reflects the problems encountered by Bowden and his family at the hands of

Cady. Herrmann stated that it shows vulgaritywhen a director uses music previously composed. 33 Even if it initially appears innocuous (perhaps even trivial),the discussion of sourced, diagetic music highlights the important role it can play infilm as a means of complementing and, indeed, enhancing the narrative.

30 For further plot information, see William Ashbrook, Lucia di Lammermoor, in Grove MusicOnline , Oxford Music Online , fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/O004252 (accessed 1 September, 2010).31 In particular, see Francis Ford Coppolas The Godfather (1972) and Martin Scorseses The Departed (2006) which also draws material from Lucia di Lammermoor .32 Audiences may take into account the actor Robert de Niro and make an unconscious connection

between his name and an Italian origin, though this is a purely speculative idea.33 Bernard Herrmann quoted in, Smith, A Heart at Fires Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann , 358.
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Smith states that Bernard Herrmanns orchestration, using only flutes, horns andstrings, for Cape Fear (1962) ultimately served as a rehearsal for Torn Curtain in1966. 34 Such a comment seems to define the place of Herrmanns Cape Fear score inrelation to the rest of his output; that it will likely remain obscured by his moreillustrious compositions and collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock. It therefore is

fitting that Bernstein could later adapt the score for the remake. Bernsteins workstands as both a tribute to his mentor in the years following his death and a vehicle bywhich Herrmanns individual sound could be presented to a new generation ofaudiences.

34 Smith, A Heart at Fires C entre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann , 252.


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BibliographyAshbrook, William. Lucia di Lammermoor. I n Grove Music Online . Oxford MusicOnline . Fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/O004252 (accessed 1 September, 2010).

Bernstein, Elmer . Bio. Elmer Bernstein: Biography. Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc. From http://www.elmerbernstein.com/bio/biography.html (accessed 17 July,2010).Bernstein, Elmer. What Ever Happened To Great Movie Music? High Fidelity 22,no. 7 (July, 1972): 55-58.Billboard. Paitence Guns N Roses. Billboard . Fromhttp://www.billboard.com/charts#/song/guns-n-roses/patience/2137178 (accessed 21September, 2010Brown, Royal S. Herrmann, Hitchcock, and the Music of the Irrational. Cinema

Journal 21, no. 2 (1982): 14-49.Cook, Page . Bernard Herrmann. Films in Review 18, no. 7 (1967): 398-412.Cooke, Mervyn . Film music. In Grove Music Online . Oxford Music Online . Fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/09647 (accessed 6 August, 2010).Drabkin, William . Tritone. In Grove Music Online . Oxford Music Online . Fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28403 (accessed 30 July, 2010).Gjerdingen, Robert. An Experime ntal Music Theory? I n Rethinking Music . Edited

by Nicholas Cook and Mark Everist, 161-170. New York: Oxford University Press,1999.Halbwachs, Maurice. The Collective Memory . Translated by Francis J. Ditter, Jr., andVida Yazdi Ditter. New York: Harper & Row, 1980.Hubbert, Julie. Whatever Happened To Great Movie Music?: Cinema Vrit andHollywood Film Music of the Early 1970s. American Music 21, no. 2 (2003): 180-213.Hyer, Brian . Tonality. In Grove Music Online . Oxford Music Online . Fromhttp://www.oxfordmusiconline.com.ezproxy.waikato.ac.nz/subscriber/article/grove/music/28102 (accessed 4 August, 2010).Kalinak, Kathryn. Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film .Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992.Morgan, David. F-C-B- F Spells Fear: Composer Elmer Bernste in and the Scoringof Cape Fear. Elmer Bernstein: News and Events. Elmer Bernstein Enterprises, Inc.

From http://www.elmerbernstein.com/news/capefear.html (accessed 17 July, 2010).Prendergast, Roy M. Film Music: A Neglected Art, 2 nd edition . New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1977.Raksin, David. Composers and the Creative Process. S ymposium presented at theVirginia Festival of American Film, Charlottesville, Virginia, 25 October, 1990.Reprinted in Kalinak, Kathryn. Settling the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood

Film . Madison, Wisconsin: University of Wisconsin Press, 1992.Rosar, William. H. Film music Whats in a name? Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1(2002): 1-18.Scruton, Roger. The Aesthetics of Music . New York: Oxford University Press, 1997.Smith, Steven C. A Heart at Fire s Centre: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann .

Los Angeles: University of California Press, 1991.
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Stillwell, Robynn J. Music in Films: A Critical Review of Literature, 1980-1996. The Journal of Film Music 1, no. 1 (2002): 19-61.


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FilmographyScorsese, Martin. Cape Fear . DVD. 1991. Australasia: Universal Pictures, 2006.Thompson, J. Lee. Cape Fear . DVD. 1962. Australasia: Universal Pictures, 2003.Waletzky, Joshua. Music for the Movies: Bernard Herrmann . VHS. New York: SonyMusic Entertainment Inc., 1992.

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