Film Music Composers, Part 1: 1950s to 1990s

In this course, we explore the struggles, secrets, and compositional breakthroughs of legendary film composers who defined the sound of modern cinema across westerns, action thrillers, comedies, fiction, and romances. Through audiovisual excerpts and historical anecdotes, we analyze the scores of notable composers, including Elmer Bernstein (The Magnificent Seven), Jerry Goldsmith (Alien), Leonard Bernstein (On the Waterfront), Ernest Gold (Exodus), Aaron Copland (Our Town), the Sherman Brothers (Mary Poppins) and Philip Glass (The Truman Show). This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.