I met the composer in 1994 at a Fanex film conference in Baltimore sponsored by Midnight Marquee Magazine, and we became fast friends. He was simply “Jimmy” to those he regarded as chums, and I was happily to be counted among this rapidly growing circle of companions. Tragedy befell James Bernard in 1976 when his trusted friend and life partner Paul Dehn was killed in a tragic act of violence. Traumatized by this senseless loss, Bernard retreated into both emotional and artistic retirement for many years. It was somewhere about 1997 when James Bernard’s creative energy and juices returned him to the medium he was born to write for... motion pictures. Still relatively young, Bernard yearned to return actively to composing for films.
Blog Post
James Bernard
Steve Vertlieb
Music by James Bernard: Themes for a Tapestry of Terror by Steve Vertlieb
Originally published @ Film Music Review – An online e-zine since 1998
Text reproduced by kind permission of the editor and publisher Roger Hall
While science fiction in cinema has always enjoyed enormous popularity around the world, dating back to George Melies 1902 experimental short A TRIP TO THE MOON, few would argue that the cultural renaissance of the well worn genre occurred during its most prolific flowering from 1950 until 1959. Arguably, British cinema and television seemed to understand and respect the outer limits of imagination far more than their American counterparts, treating science fiction themes with more respectability and adult interpretation than expectation would normally demand. Alexander Korda’s London Film Productions glorified the subject matter in the 1930s with H.G. Wells THINGS TO COME in 1936. With uncommon reverence for its massive presentation, Korda assigned distinguished classical composer Arthur Bliss to compose the music for the prestigious presentation.
That same serious consideration for the genre would be repeated during the science fiction craze of the 1950s, during which Britain’s tiny Hammer Films would rise to the stars as England’s chief exporter of domestic product. During its reign, Hammer Films would produce many of the finest science fiction and horror films of the period. From 1955 until 1976, the studio would film Shakespearean caliber excursions into the cinematic realm of the fantastic, featuring many of the most eloquent English speaking actors and actresses of their day. The incomparable Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee would find their greatest success in Hammer Film series playing Doctor Frankenstein and Van Helsing; Dracula and Frankenstein’s monster respectively. The exquisite Veronica Carlson lent her poetic presence to these dramatic endeavors, as well, finding rich delicacy in her subtle performances, as well as a rare sensual grace. It was with the same degree of respect and commitment that the studio would choose its musical tapestry, along with the composers who would create the unforgettable Hammer sound.
If any composer has been largely responsible for creating the sound of Hammer, or identified nearly exclusively with the musical significance and atmosphere for horror/fantasy films, it would almost certainly be James Bernard. Born September 20th, 1925 in India, the son of a British Army officer, Bernard suffered from early ill health and was relocated by his family back to his native England. Regaining his strength, he studied piano at Wellington College and joined The Royal Air force where he served proudly until 1946. Interested in music at an early age, he began a correspondence with composer Benjamin Britten who suggested that he study composition at The Royal College Of Music. Bernard had become something of a musical prodigy as a boy, offering piano recitals with ever maturing skill and natural assuredness. While learning his craft under the tutelage of Imogen Holst, the young Bernard remained close to Britten, staying at the home of his mentor in 1950 when the older composer asked his student to copy out the vocal score for his opera “Billy Budd.”
A year earlier Bernard had met writer Paul Dehn with whom he formed both a professional and personal relationship lasting twenty seven years. Together they wrote the original treatment for SEVEN DAYS TO NOON, winning the Oscar for “Best Writing, Motion Picture Story” in 1952. The idea for the story had been formulated during a conversation between the two men in 1950 during which they wondered aloud what might become of the world they knew if nuclear madness were allowed to proliferate without rules of society in place to prevent such unbridled insanity. While the treatment would serve as a successful introduction to motion pictures, it wouldn't’t be the last time film goers would either hear of, or listen to James Bernard.
BBC Television had produced a series of live science fiction serials in the early years of the decade focusing on the fascinating exploits of rocket scientist Bernard Quatermass who, engaged voraciously in the exploration of space, would ultimately need to defend his own planet from the onslaught of unwelcome predators from surrounding worlds. Written by the brilliant visionary author Nigel Kneale, THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT was a huge success throughout the British isles. Hammer Films was able to secure theatrical rights to the groundbreaking teleplays, and assigned director Val Guest to helm the first of three films. THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT was released in England under its original title, and found recognition in The United States as THE CREEPING UNKNOWN. Released theatrically in 1955, and featuring American actor Brian Donlevy in the lead as Quatermass, the first of the hugely popular science fiction melodramas had a bold, semi-documentary style approach in its presentation, lending a chilling, realistic focus to its other worldly tale.
Producer Anthony Hinds had originally contracted composer John Hotchkis to write the music for the film but, as fate so often determines, Hotchkis grew ill and was unable to fulfill his assignment. Hinds telephoned John Hollingsworth, conductor and eventual Music Supervisor at Hammer, to ask if he might suggest another composer to fill the vacancy left by the ailing Hotchkis. Hollingsworth suggested a young, twenty nine year old composer who had recently written a successful score for a BBC radio play of THE DUCHESS OF MALFI. His name was James Bernard.
Hollingsworth, according to writer David Huckvale in his biography of Bernard, -- James Bernard: Composer To Count Dracula - A Critical Biography, McFarland, 2006 -- notes that Hollingsworth was reluctant to offer the young composer a larger orchestra to perform his first film score, and so the twenty or so minutes of music for the film were performed entirely with a string ensemble and played, under Hollingsworth’s direction, by The Royal Opera House Orchestra. The three note theme written by Bernard for THE QUATERMASS EXPERIMENT was a stark, bone chilling instrumentation predating Bernard Herrmann’s searing string score for Alfred Hitchcock’s PSYCHO by five years. Bernard’s visceral music for the picture perfectly captured the grim mood of the horrific tale realizing, in its striking notes and themes, the bleak predominant threat of an alien infestation destroying London.
The studio wanted to do a follow up to the initial QUATERMASS story, but Nigel Kneale refused at first to allow his character to be used by Hammer again, due his personal distaste for American born actor Brian Donlevy. Losing neither sleep or disquiet over Kneale’s refusal, Hammer assigned writer Jimmy Sangster to write an original Quatermass screenplay without using the name of Kneale’s protagonist.
In 1956 Hammer released X-THE UNKNOWN, directed by Leslie Norman, and featuring American actor Dean Jagger as the embattled scientist fighting both alien invasion and the British political establishment. Composer James Bernard would once again contribute the very effective score and, to all appearances, this next Hammer shocker was in every way, save for both character name and permission, a QUATERMASS film.
Hammer followed their instincts and produced the second installment of the original Nigel Kneale trilogy a year later when QUATERMASS 2 was released in 1957 throughout England. ENEMY FROM SPACE was the American title for the Val Guest directed shocker, once again starring Brian Donlevy as Professor Quatermass with another chilling science fiction score by James Bernard. Apparently, Nigel Kneale had relented in his initial displeasure, now allowing the studio to adapt his second teleplay for filming. Following the same semi-documentary approach as he had used in the first film, Guest guided his actors in frighteningly realistic style to a spectacular conclusion in which huge gelatinous creatures, resembling H.P. Lovecraft’s “old ones,” collapsed in excruciating torment to the striking accompaniment of James Bernard’s economic, yet unforgettable themes.
James Bernard was now solidly a member of the Hammer repertory company. What has now become known as the Bernard years, however, would officially begin the next year in 1957 with the release of the first of Hammer’s legendary recreations of the classic Universal monster series. THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN was essentially a modern retelling of Universal’s 1931 production of FRANKENSTEIN starring Boris Karloff as The Monster, and Colin Clive as his creator, Henry Frankenstein. The startling new production would feature Hammer’s lurid colour trademark, accompanied by sexual situations, and graphic violence. Starring Peter Cushing in his first outing as Doctor Victor Frankenstein, and Christopher Lee as his abominable experiment gone horribly wrong, THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN ignited world box office records as the innocence of the original Universal productions was replaced by explicit thrills for a new generation of monster enthusiasts jaded, perhaps, by the simplicity of the earlier films. James Bernard composed the score for the film which was as profoundly impactful and dramatic as the characters and colourful horror for which it was driven.
1958 would provide the composer with, perhaps, his signature work. Now that Hammer had successfully begun mining the riches of Universal with THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, the obvious choice for their next classic monster revival was The Monster’s caped counterpart, Bram Stoker’s Dracula. Peter Cushing was signed once again to play off his earlier rival, Christopher Lee. This time Peter Cushing would play Dr. Van Helsing, while the tall, aristocratic Lee would essay the vampiric count. Released once again in lurid British Technicolour, with graphic blood letting and even more provocative sexual situations, DRACULA would prove Hammer’s greatest triumph. Released in America as HORROR OF DRACULA, this first vampiric foray by Hammer remains among the most notable, striking visualizations of Bram Stoker’s acclaimed novel. For DRACULA, Bernard would compose his most demonstratively mature, symphonic music for films to date. The three note salutation has become internationally recognized as Dracula’s theme, while the rest of his full bodied score is as remarkable and memorable as the film itself. Directed by legendary film maker Terence Fisher, with star making performances by both Cushing and Lee, and a thrilling score by a composer beginning to feel more confident of his gift, DRACULA became the standard by which all successive Hammer Film Productions would be measured.
Hammer’s next distinguished pairing of actors Cushing and Lee, with composer James Bernard, would be yet another re-telling of both a classic novel and motion picture. However, this time the studio would turn to mystery, rather than horror, with a new version of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s definitive detective yarn, THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES. Filmed earlier by Twentieth Century Fox studios in 1939, the original film would feature the legendary pairing of Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson in their initial appearance as the iconic sleuths, along with Richard Greene as Sir Henry Baskerville. For the full colour version from Hammer, Peter Cushing would play Sherlock Holmes, while Christopher Lee would essay the part of Sir Henry Baskverville. Andre Morell would appear as Dr. Watson. Directed once more by Terence Fisher, this gothic dramatization remains, perhaps, the definitive interpretation of the Conan Doyle novel. Cushing, born to play the fictional detective, delivered one of his most distinguished and energetic performances. It is difficult to imagine a more perfect Holmes than Peter Cushing, with Basil Rathbone alone sharing contention for the screen’s most memorable Holmes interpretation. Hammer, however, couldn’t quite resist the temptation to turn the Doyle classic into a horror film. Since the story is traditionally hovering on the border between suspense and terror, Hammer’s graphic treatment was hardly out of line. James Bernard’s distinctive music for the picture is brooding, commanding, and eerily effective, creating a sense of encroaching danger upon the dreaded moors.
THE KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, released by Hammer in 1963, was a thoughtful tale of vampiric infestation in a rural Balkan village, and featured a lovely suite by James Bernard who, by now, was truly maturing as a superior screen composer, as evidenced by the superb piano concerto written by Bernard expressly for this often forgotten gem from Hammer.
Bernard’s next assignment from Hammer would rank with his finest, most haunting contributions to the genre. THE GORGON, released by Hammer Films in 1964, and starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, along with Barbara Shelley and Patrick Troughton, featured a beautiful, mesmerizing score by Bernard, capturing the hypnotic menace and legend of the awful mythological creature who could turn men to stone with a mere glance of her hideous features.
Hammer turned to one of their most ambitious productions in 1965, choosing to re-imagine H. Rider Haggard’s epic novel, SHE, once more for the screen. Filmed earlier at RKO by Merian C. Cooper in 1935 with Randolph Scott, Nigel Bruce, and Helen Gahagan Douglas, an expensive new production in full colour would star Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Ursula Andress as the ageless queen. While cinematically daring, at least on paper, the completed production of SHE was, in the end, strangely static in its execution, with performances that appeared unaccountably bored, stiff, and disinterested. The one area, however, in which the film did succeed beyond its most earnest ambitions was in the musical scoring by James Bernard. Rich beyond words, and lush beyond reason, Bernard’s magnificent score for this often turgid film brought to mind and heart all of the stunning legend of an ancient sorceress who might live eternally, providing the haunting and unforgettable musical imagery sadly lacking in every other aspect of the compellingly mediocre visualization.
In the years that followed, Hammer would remake many of its earlier hits with both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee reprising their earlier triumphs, hoping to find cinematic treasure once again. The results were sporadic, offering rare moments of gold interspersed with uninspired tedium. While scripts may have become increasingly tired and mundane, however, the performances by Cushing, Lee, and James Bernard rarely lost their magical spell over audiences. While more closely identified with the bombastic themes for DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN, James Bernard revealed a softer, more poetic side to his musical signature as the familiar series wore on, writing some of the most lovely, unabashedly romantic music of the period. He would often insist that these gentler themes would identify his music far beyond the recorded recollection of those written for horrific thematic identification, and that these rhapsodic interludes would more clearly define his musical legacy. Indeed, desperation on the part of corporate executives to somehow recapture a fragment of the magic of their earlier efforts, may actually have filled a creative void in the heart of the composer, much as it had with his music for SHE. While each successive sequel demanded yet another failed homage to the films that had initially inspired them, James Bernard was asked to recall thematically the torrential music that launched a thousand ships. He found artistic solace, however, in the deeply sensitive and introspective music created for the quieter intervals in each of the studio’s sequels.
Bernard remained actively working for a variety of British filmmakers in the years that followed, writing the music for DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966), THE PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES (1966), TORTURE GARDEN (1967), THE DEVIL RIDES OUT (1968), DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE (1968), FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED (1969), FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL (1974), and the ill fated THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES” (1974). While THE DEVIL RIDES OUT was a somewhat tepid screen translation of the famed novel by Dennis Wheatley, its score remained the composer’s personal favorite of his own works, illustrating once more David Raksin’s contention that “good music has saved more bad films” than one could ever realistically imagine or expect.
There were some gems, nonetheless, interspersed along the way featuring sparkling musical champagne from the skilled hand of a now seasoned, gifted, and versatile composer. One has only to listen to the deeply sensitive, profoundly exquisite, romantic melodies delicately elevating the quieter interludes in such films as FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN (1967), TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA (1970), and SCARS OF DRACULA (1970) to recognize, and properly evaluate the poetic genius and stature of this gentle soul. Indeed, Bernard felt most comfortable with these tender, affectionate themes, sensing somehow that his true value as a composer might one day come to be recognized more for his unabashedly romantic interludes than for the full orchestral assaults associated with the more horrific aspects of his Hammer film scores.
Tragedy befell James Bernard in 1976 when his trusted friend and life partner Paul Dehn was killed in a tragic act of violence. Traumatized by this senseless loss, Bernard retreated into both emotional and artistic retirement for many years. It was somewhere about 1997 when James Bernard’s creative energy and juices returned him to the medium he was born to write for…motion pictures. Still relatively young, Bernard yearned to return actively to composing for films.
Even if new assignments weren’t immediately forthcoming, however, there seemed to be renewed interest in his earlier work. Silva Screen Records in England offered Jimmy an opportunity to prepare new concert suites for some of his scores with the intention of recording them for commercial release. Jimmy was anxious to get back to work, but had some reservations about the accessibility of his music for the QUATERMASS films. During the course of a letter, and later a telephone conversation, he asked if I thought that the earlier scores would either translate into listenable recordings, or if there would be any serious interest by fans in having a suite for QUATERMASS recorded for CD release. I assured him that there would be enormous interest in having his music preserved by Silva, and that he needn’t spend any more needless time worrying about the success of such a recording.
Happily, his music for the QUATERMASS series was recorded in 1996, along with his carefully prepared and selected suites from SHE, KISS OF THE VAMPIRE, FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, and SCARS OF DRACULA. Conducted by Kenneth Alwyn, Nic Raine and Paul Bateman, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT: Music For Hammer Films, Composed by James Bernard, is a marvelous celebration of Jimmy’s remarkable music, both splendidly conducted and performed by The Westminster Philharmonic Orchestra, together with The City Of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra.
Fortune would intercede a year later when an enterprising producer asked Jimmy to score a newly remastered edition of F.W. Murnau’s silent horror masterpiece, NOSFERATU, for a new generation of film enthusiasts. Plans were in the works to release the film theatrically, with a DVD of the restoration to follow. Jimmy was elated at the prospect of returning to his roots. Happily at home once more, the resultant score by James Bernard for the German expressionistic classic would become among the finest works of his career. NOSFERATU is a masterful work, a wonderful symphonic coda to a distinguished screen career.
The score was premiered at a prestigious, live concert event at Queen Elizabeth Hall in London on November 17th, 1997, in which the iconic motion picture was shown before an enthusiastic capacity audience, accompanied by a large symphony orchestra. Among the invited celebrity guests that evening was the score’s composer, James Bernard. Ironically, plans for a theatrical release were abruptly cancelled when funds were not forthcoming and, as often occurs in theatricality, this was ultimately a promise that was not to be. Frustration by Jimmy was tempered by an offer by Britain’s Silva Screen Records to record the seemingly lost score for posterity on CD. I cried through much of my first listen to the commercially released recording, for this was not the work of an old man but, rather, the passionate symphonic rebirth of an artist who had simply been away for a time, while growing immeasurably as a musician. There were echoes of Hammer’s DRACULA films, to be sure…but, more importantly, the new work represented a fresh, vital, and important reinvention of a singular composer’s miraculous gift for musical expression.
Exhilarated and profoundly moved by the experience, I sat down to write Jimmy a letter of my joy and exultation over his achievement, expressing my sincere belief that his score was easily the finest new film music of the year. Not long after receipt of my letter, there was a telephone call from him in which he thanked me profusely for my critical analysis of his work. It was a moment of friendship, bonding, and genuine affection between us that I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
The following year saw Jimmy writing the music for a wonderful new television documentary, produced for Turner Classic Movies, documenting the history and tradition of early horror films produced by Universal Studios. UNIVERSAL HORROR provided a sublime look into the past of the legendary studio that had offered the inspiration for Hammer Films’ remarkable rise to international recognition and success. It seemed fitting, then, that James Bernard compose the decidedly atmospheric music lovingly caressing the haunting documentary.
In the years that followed, Jimmy’s health was sadly deteriorating, while film work seemed to diminish substantially. On July 12 th, 2001, James Bernard quietly succumbed to years of disturbingly debilitating illnesses.
Jimmy is gone, but the light, laughter, and brilliance that illuminated his soul remains ablaze in the flickering image upon the screen, and on the wondrous soundtrack of our collective memories and experience.
Charles Allan Gerhardt English version adapted by Doug Raynes - FRENCH VERSION AND COLLECTION had a reputation as a great conductor, record producer and musical arranger. His major work at RCA on the Classic Film Scores series earned him recognition from film music devotees of Hollywood’s Golden Age, as well as other renowned conductors of his day. Born on February 6, 1927 in Detroit, Michigan, Charles Gerhardt developed a passion for music and percussion instruments from an early age. At the age of five, he took piano lessons, and by the age of nine, had established a solid reputation as an orchestrator and composer. He spent his early school years in Little Rock, Arkansas, then after 10 years, having completed his schooling, moved with his family to Illinois for his military duties, he served in the U.S. Navy during World War II as a chaplain's aide in the Aleutian Islands, then became an active member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars. He went on to study at the University of Illinois, at the College of William and Mary, and later at the University of Southern California. Throughout his time at school Gerhardt was attracted not only to music, but also to the sciences. Passionate about the art of recording, he joined Westminster Records for five years, until the company ceased operations, and then joined Bell Sound. One day, he received a phone call from George Marek to meet with the heads of Reader's Digest, to discuss producing recordings for their mail-order record business; a contact that was to secure his musical future and a rich career spanning more than 30 years. Gerhardt's first job for Reader's Digest was to produce a record; “A Festival of Light Classical Music”; a 12 LP box set that he produced in full. One of Gerhardt's finest projects was the production of another 12 LP box set, “Les Trésores de la Grande Musique (Treasury of Great Music)”, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by some of the leading figures of the day: Charles Munch to Bizet and Tchaikovsky, Rudolf Kempe to Strauss and Respighi, Josef Krips to Mozart and Haydn, Antal Dorati to Strauss and Berlioz, Brahms 4th Symphony by Fritz Reiner and Sibelius’ 2nd Symphony by Sir John Barbirolli. In the 1950s he conducted works by Vladimir Horowitz, Wanda Landowska, Kirsten Flagstad and William Kapeli. In the early 1960s, Gerhardt lived in England, where he made most of his recordings, but kept a foothold in the United States, mainly in New York. Often, when he went to the United States after a period of recording sessions, he would stop off in Baltimore and spend some time listening to cassettes of his new recordings. Gerhardt loved percussion instruments, especially tam-tams. One of his favorite recordings was the Columbia mono disc of Scriabin's Poem of Ecstasy, with Dimitri Mitropoulos and the New York Philharmonic. He had great admiration and respect for the many conductors he worked with, starting with Arturo Toscanini, with whom he worked for several years before the Maestro's death. It was Toscanini who suggested that Gerhardt become a conductor, which he did! His career as an orchestra director began when he had to replace a conductor who failed to show up for rehearsals. It was a position he would later occupy for various recording sessions and occasional concerts. His classical recordings include works by Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Wagner, Ravel, Debussy, Walton and Howard Hanson. Hired by RCA Records, he transferred 78 rpm recordings of Enrico Caruso and other artists to 33 rpm. He took part in recordings by soprano singer Kirsten Flagstad and pianist Vladimir Horowitz. He worked with renowned conductors such as Fritz Reiner, Leopold Stokowski and Charles Munch, from whom he learned the tricks of the trade. Still at RCA, he assisted Arturo Toscanini, with whom he perfected his conducting skills. Then, in 1960, he produced recordings for RCA and Reader’s Digest in London, and joined forces with sound engineer Kenneth Wilkinson of Decca Records (RCA's European subsidiary), The two men got on very well and shared a passion for recording and sound quality, making an incredible number of recordings over a 30-year period. Also in 1960, RCA and Reader's Digest entrusted him with the production of a 12-disc LP box set entitled “ Lumière du Classique (A Festival of Light Classical Music) ”, sold exclusively by mail order. With a budget of $250,000, Gerhardt assumed total control of the project: repertoire, choice of orchestras and production. He recorded in London, Vienna and Paris, and hired such top names as Sir Adrian Boult, Massimo Freccia, Sir Alexander Gibson and René Leibowitz. The success of this project, in terms of both musical quality and sound, earned him recognition from his employers. Other projects of similar scope followed… A boxed set of Beethoven's symphonic works with René Leibowitz and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. A boxed set of Rachmaninoff's works for piano and orchestra with Earl Wild, Jascha Horenstein and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the above mentioned 12 LP disc set “Trésor de la Grande Musique (Treasury of Great Music)” with the Royal Philharmonic conducted by some of the greatest directors of the time: Fritz Reiner, Charles Munch, Rudolf Kempe, Sir John Barbirolli, Sir Malcolm Sargent, Antal Dorati and Jascha Horenstein, with whom Gerhardt had sympathized. In January 1964 in London, Gerhardt joined forces with Sidney Sax, instrumentalist and conductor, to form a freelance orchestra. This successful group went on to join the National Philharmonic Orchestra of London, an impressive line-up that would later become Jerry Goldsmith's orchestra of choice. With Peter Munves, head of RCA's classical division, he conceived the idea of recording an album devoted exclusively to the film music of Erich Wolfgang Korngold, one of his favorite composers. Enthusiastic about the project, Munves gave Gerhardt carte blanche, and was offered a helping hand by George Korngold, producer and son of the famous Viennese composer, who owned all the copies of his father's scores. The Adventure Began : The Sea Hawk: Classic Film Scores of Erich Wolfgang Korngold. For this first disc, Gerhardt selected 10 scores by Korngold, which he recorded in the Kingsway Hall Studio in London, renowned for its excellent acoustics. The disc thus benefits from optimal recording conditions, favoring at the same time the performances of the National Philharmonic (and its leader, Sidney Sax), a formidable orchestra made up of London's finest musicians and freelance soloists. Each album was recorded in the same studio, with Kenneth Wilkinson as sound engineer and George Korngold as consultant/producer. As soon as it was released, the album's success received strong acclaim in classical music circles and received a feature in Billboard No. 37, a first in this category in December 1972. It took no less than a year to sell the first 10,000 copies in all the specialist record suppliers and the album went on to sell over 38,000 copies, making it the fifth best-selling album in the “classical” category in 1973. On the strength of this success, Peter Munves and RCA entrusted Charles Gerhardt with the production of further discs devoted to other world-renowned composers of Hollywood music. The program includes several albums dedicated to Max Steiner and Erich Wolfgang Korngold plus one each to Miklos Rozsa, Franz Waxman, Dimitri Tiomkin and Bernard Herrmann, followed by 3 volumes associated with specific film stars such as Bette Davis, Errol Flynn and Humphrey Bogart. Then, a disc devoted to Alfred Newman, a composer who was a pillar of the famous Hollywood sound, who Gerhardt admired and had met: “Newman was a charming man, full of good humor. He was friendly, fun and always had a joke. With his eternal black cigar in hand, he was a composer by trade, down-to-earth, discussed little about himself but was a first-rate advisor in my life. “ Gerhardt would consult certain composers in advance about how to recreate suites from their works, or when this wasn't possible, he would rearrange the suites himself and submit them to the composers for approval. "Some critics complained that my suites were too short, but my aim in the case of each album was to present a well-split 'portrait' of the composer, highlighting his many creative facets". Although Korngold, Newman and Steiner were no longer around to lend their support, Gerhardt was lucky enough to still work with Herrmann, Rózsa and Tiomkin as consultants who turned up at the recording studio to lend a hand. Gerhardt also had the idea of creating albums focusing on a single film star. Three specific volumes were devoted to music from the films of Humphrey Bogart, Errol Flynn and Bette Davis. Although these albums suffer from too great a diversity of genres, they still offer the chance to hear and discover rare and previously unpublished compositions. The best conceived album was arguably the one devoted to Bette Davis. Conscious of the important role played by music in her films, the legendary actress took part in the conception of the album, knowing that it favored scores by Max Steiner designed for Warner Bros. The Collection Begins ! Gerhardt's passion for certain composers knows no bounds, but he soon envisages a disc devoted to Miklos Rozsa, including suites for “Spellbound” and “The Red House”, one of his favorite scores, which he will exhume to create one of the longest suites in the series. At the same time, he received various fan wish lists and films to watch, such as “The Four Feathers”, which he had never seen and which gave him the opportunity to discover a splendid score by Miklos Rozsa that he had never heard before. He was disappointed, however, not to be able to conceive a longer “Spellbound” sequel for rights reasons. Despite RCA's full approval, Gerhardt realized that it was not easy to record film music in its original form, as few were ever edited, played and made available for rental. For The Sea Hawks album, things were simpler, as Georges Korngold had copies of his father's scores, and Warner Bros had also archived material in good condition. From the outset, Gerhardt encountered other major problems in the search for and discovery of scores hidden away in other studios, often with the unpleasant surprise of discovering missing or incomplete conductors, or others heavily modified by orchestrators during recording sessions, or the surprise of discovering, in certain cases, instrumentation information noted in shorthand on the edges of the conductor score. For the disc dedicated to Max Steiner, for example, the conductor score for “King Kong” had disappeared from the RKO archives, having been shipped in 1950 to poorly maintained warehouses in Los Angeles where it had become totally degraded and illegible. With the help of Georges Korngold, Gerhardt was able to reconstruct a substantial suite from the piano models left by Steiner at the time. This experience was repeated when the conductor score for Dimitri Tiomkin's “The Thing” was discovered in the same warehouse, in an advanced state of disintegration. Fortunately for Gerhardt, Tiomkin, who was still alive, had been able to provide precise piano maquettes with orchestration information in shorthand, revealing a complex and highly innovative style of writing. Tiomkin always composed at the piano, inscribing very specific information and signs on the edges of the scores in pencil, an ingenious system of his own invention that was difficult to decipher. “Revisiting the score of ‘The Thing from Another World’ was a complex task, involving experimental passages and an unorthodox orchestra. You can understand that I had a huge job on my hands. When I approached the recording sessions, it was not without some trepidation. However, the composer present made no criticism or comment on my work, and was delighted. He was delighted.” For “Gone With The Wind”, Steiner was against the idea of remaking a complete soundtrack, as he felt that too many passages were repeated. It was an opportunity for him to revisit his own score, integrating his favorite melodies. This synthesis gave him the opportunity to revitalize his music by eliminating the least interesting parts of the score. Conceived as long suites or isolated themes, the discs reflect the essence of the composers' work. The “Classic Film Scores” series by Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann and Miklos Rozsa etc will become a big hit with collectors. For Gerhardt, this will be an opportunity to unearth forgotten or rare scores such as Herrmann's “The White Witch” and “On a Dangerous Ground”, Hugo Friedhofer's “The Sun Also Rises” and early recordings for Waxman's “Prince Valliant” and Rozsa's “The Red House”, all with new, impeccable acoustics. For “Elisabeth and Essex”, Erich Korngold had already prepared a suite in the form of an Overture, which was given its world premiere in a theater. The suite for “The Adventures of Robin Hood” also pre-existed. Franz Waxman created his own suite for “A Place in the Sun”, which was also performed in concert. Dimitri Tiomkin, Miklos Rozsa and Bernard Herrmann acted as consultants and contributed arrangements to their scores. For the continuation of “White Witch Doctor”, Bernard Herrman added percussion to link the different musical tableaux. He did the same for the different parts of “Citizen Kane”. Miklos Rozsa saw an opportunity to add a male choir to the suite from “The Jungle Book”, based on an idea by Charles Gerhardt. For the record dedicated to Errol Flynn, Gerhardt re-orchestrated the theme “The Lights of Paris” from Hugo Friedhofer's “The Sun also Rises”, as the original was no longer available. “I wanted to go back to that time and systematically explore the very substance of the great film scores of the late 30s and 40s, sending them back directly to their images as dramatic entities. The desire to rediscover tunes we know and to take into account the contexts in which they were originally used. I decided to recreate these scores with their original orchestrations, and this could only be done by returning to the ultimate sources, as the composers had originally conceived them.” Keen to open up the collection to other genres, such as science fiction, Gerhardt dedicated two further albums to the series in 1992. The first featured contemporary sequels to “Star Wars” and “Close Encounters of the Third Kind”, promoting the work of John Williams, a leading composer of new film music. Then another called “The Spectacular World of Classic Film Scores”, presenting a disappointing compilation of scores that had already been recorded, except for the creation of a sequel to Dimitri Tiomkin's “The Thing From Another World” and Daniele Amfitheatrof's rarely heard theme “Dance of the Seven Voiles” from Salome. In 1978, the collection was published in Spain by RCA Cinema Treasures. In the USA and Europe, the Classic Film Scores LP series was reissued in the early 80s with a black art deco cover and colored star index. All Volumes in the First Series Were Reissued : By the end of the '80s, the series was running out of steam, and Charles Gerhardt planned to relaunch his collection with albums dedicated to famous American actresses, a new volume for Max Steiner and the Western, a volume reconstructing the score of Waxman's “The Bride of Frankenstein”, followed by volumes devoted to Alex North, Hugo Friedhofer, Victor Young and Elmer Bernstein... But RCA would not support Gerhardt in these projects, preferring to release the collection on CD for the first time. In early 1990, RCA asked Gerhardt to supervise and co-produce the collection, which he saw as an opportunity to revisit some of the volumes, inserting tracks that had not appeared on the LPs or extending certain suites. The volume devoted to Franz Waxman, “Sunset Boulevard”, was the first to be released. The CD did not benefit from any particular promotion, but sold very well, as did the other CDs that followed... A collection marked by a new design in silver pantone. The CDs series was reissued in 2010, still under the RCA Red Seal label, but distributed by Sony Music Entertainment. RCA Victor's Classic Films Scores series represents a unique collection in the history of film music recordings. 14 recordings of rare quality, produced by Georges Korngold and Charles Gerhardt to become one of the revelations of the reissue phenomenon. Other Concepts... Later, Gerhardt spent most of his time in London, continuing to make recordings. After retiring from RCA in 1986, he returned to independent work for Readers Digest and other record labels, a position he held in production and musical supervision until 1997. Since 1991 he had lived in Redding, California. In later years, he did not appear professionally, refusing all public invitations because of his desire to remain discreet. In his entourage he was close to three cousins, Lenore L Engel and Elizabeth Anne Schuetze, both living in San Antonio, and cousin Steven W Gerhardt of St. Pete Beach, Florida. In late November 1998 Charles Gerhardt was diagnosed with brain cancer and died of complications following surgery on February 22, 1999. He was 72 years old. Thus ends this tribute to Charles Gerhardt and the most famous collection of film music records: The Classic Film Scores series.
Following on from Tadlow’s epic recording of El Cid, the same team – Nic Raine conducting and James Fitzpatrick producing – have turned their attention to a completely different type of epic film for the definitive recording of Ernest Gold’s Academy Award winning score for Otto Preminger’s Exodus (1960). The score is something of a revelation because aside from the main theme, the music has received little attention through recordings. Additionally the sound quality of the original soundtrack LP was disappointing and much music was deleted or cut from the film.
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