They shot, he scored : the life and music of Eldon Rathburn / James K. Wright with Allyson Rogers.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Wright, James K., author.

Rogers, Allyson, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Rathburn, Eldon, 1916-2008.

Rathburn, Eldon.

National Film Board of Canada--History.

National Film Board of Canada.

Composers--Canada--Biography.

Composers.

Canada.

Genre:

History.

Biographies.

Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (302 pages)

Place of Publication:

Montreal : McGill-Queen's University Press, 2019.

Summary:

"Eldon Davis Rathburn (1916 2008), one of the most multi-dimensional, prolific, and endlessly fascinating composers of the twentieth century, wrote more music than any other Canadian composer of his generation. During a long and productive career that spanned seventy-five years, Rathburn served for thirty years as a staff composer with the National Film Board of Canada (1947-76), scored the first generation of IMAX films, and created a diverse catalogue of orchestral and chamber works. With the aid of extensive archival and documentary materials, They Shot, He Scored chronicles Rathburn's life and works, beginning with his formative years in Saint John, New Brunswick, and his breakthrough in Los Angeles in connection with Arnold Schoenberg and the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. The book follows his work at the NFB, his close encounters with some of the most celebrated international figures in his field, and his collaboration with the team of innovators who launched the IMAX film corporation. James Wright undertakes a close analytical reading of Rathburn's film and concert scores to outline his methods, compositional techniques, influences, and idiosyncratic approach to instrumentation, as well as his proto-postmodern proclivity for borrowing from diverse styles and genres. Authoritative and insightful, They shot, he scored illuminates the extraordinary career of an unsung creative force in the film and music industry."-- Provided by publisher.

Contents:

Introduction

Formative years : from Saint John to L.A.

Early years at the NFB : 1945-1952

The Unit B years : 1952-1964

Career crescendo : from Labyrinth to IMAX

"Name dropping" : encounters with Schoenberg, Verèse, Ives, Thomson, Sorabji, and Havergal Brian

Covering his tracks : Rathburn's train music

Idiosyncrasies and fascinatin' rhythms : music for banjo, Jew's harp, flexatone, historical keyboards, and calliope

The concert music

They shot, he scores : looking back and looking ahead

Abbreviations

Rathburn filmography

Lists of works

Rathburn discography

Notes

Bibliography

Index.

Notes:

Description based on print version record.

ISBN:

9780773558472

0773558470

9780773558465

0773558462

OCLC:

1080221123