Jerome Moross's The big country : a film score guide / Mariana Whitmer.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Whitmer, Mariana.

Series:

Scarecrow film score guides ; no. 13.

Scarecrow film score guides, ; no. 13

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Moross, Jerome, 1913-1983. Big country.

Moross, Jerome.

Physical Description:

xv, 197 pages : illustrations ; 22 cm.

Other Title:

Big country : a film score guide

Place of Publication:

Lanham, Md. : Scarecrow Press, 2012.

Summary:

With its unique focus on pacifism. 'The Big Country was an unusual Western for audiences of the 1950s. Produced in 1958, this epic film featured an all-star cast that included Gregory Peck. Charlton Heston, and Oscar-winner Burl Ives. One of the most enduring elements of the film has been Jerome Moross's score. Inspired to rethink the traditional Western score and approach it in a way that enhanced the emotional content, rather than simply accompanying the action. Moross created one of the great achievements of cinematic music.

In Jerome Moross's The Big Country Film Score Guide, Mariana Whitmer examines Moross's landmark work, a score that continues to attract listeners and influence composers of film, Westerns and otherwise. This book begins with a biographical survey of Moross's formative years, his early dramatic compositions in ballet and musical theater, and his early film work, providing a historical context for understanding his approach to scoring 'The Big Country. Drawing on Moross's orginal manuscripts and correspondence, Whitmer looks carefully at the score itself. She relates the history of this magnificent score and how the film's music differs significantly from contemporary trends in the Western genre. Whitmer also examines the music's individual cues and describes how Moross approached the film as a dramatic entity, delineating sections of the narrative into megascenes through the music. Finally, the aftermath of this score is considered, including how it has influenced not only subsequent Westerns but also music videos. Book jacket.

Contents:

Jerome Moross in Hollywood

Scoring drama : composing for theater and film

The critical/historical context of The big country

Changing the western soundscape

Analysis of the score.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN:

9780810885004

081088500X

9780810885011

0810885018

OCLC:

777251272