Film Music: A Neglected Art (Hardcover)

by Roy M. Prendergast (Author) "Since the days of the Greeks, music and drama have shared a close relationship..." (more)
Key Phrases: synch point, screen composers, breakdown notes, David Raksin, Forever Amber, The Redeemer (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
"Film Music" brings together the concerns of the professional musicologist and the interests of the film critic and historian. The author analyzes film music as composition and as an integral element of cinematic expression. He examines all aspects of film music, from the early techniques of synchronization and the early sound films of the 1930s, to the unique demands made by cartoon and animated films. He also looks at the problems of film music composition in the context of the complex machinery of filmmaking, the pressures of schedules, and current inventions in sound reproduction and projection. This new edition has been brought up-to-date by the inclusion of a chapter about music for television, a section on the latest technological advances and an extended bibliography.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: WW Norton & Co; 2nd edition (July 16, 1992)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0393029883
• ISBN-13: 978-0393029888
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #3,228,461 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Film Music Analysis for Professional Musicians, February 18, 2001

By	Don Benham (Oakland, CA) - See all my reviews

If you love great films, and love well crafted, magnificent film scores, this book is for you. To fully appreciate this book, you must read music, but the descriptive text is also excellent. The 3 and 4 staff musical scores clearly show how famed Hollywood composers create mood and deal with the psychology of important scenes in well known films. This is simply the best book on the analysis of film music. It describes and analyzes the drama of the film and the significance of the music in specific scences.

Hollywood, society, films, and film music were different years ago. This book covers the golden age of Hollywood and the golden age of film music. It includes excerpts of the actual scores of the best film composers who ever lived, matched with some of the best producers and directors ever.

14 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Interesting reading for the really-wanna-knowers, February 22, 1999

By	NILS-PETTER ANKARBLOM [e-mail] (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This books tells you all you want to know about the filmmusic industry but in my opinion in a little too technical point of view. Many interesting chapters (especially Music for Cartoons, about a.o. Tom & Jerry) with MANY musical examples. Unfortunately the composers mentioned are a little out of date and masters like John Williams, John Barry and James Horner are not even mentioned! Catastrophally but it can be protected when we know how hard it would be to get musical examples from these composers printed in the book. You have to have a deep desire to learn about this business if this book is gonna give you anything. If you have the desire then it's absolutely great reading and a "must-have" in your library!