Psycho Prelude The City Marion The Murder The Toys The Cellar Discove Finale
(Herrma ry
nn)
Context Herrmann: American composer + conductor, more experimental/innovative, influences very varied +
modernist, insisted on artistic freedom, always orchestrated own scores, complete control over details of
sounds being produced, employed aspects of many 20th century composers in his music, including Stravinsky,
Debussy and Bartok, often collaborated with Hitchcock (as in this film)
Psycho: 1960, classic horror/thriller movie, Hitchcock acknowledged that the effect of Psycho is 33% due to
the music, match the stark cold black and white disturbing images with music ‘in black and white’, tense cold
ruthless music, mad at times, occasional moments of tenderness, a young women who has stolen $40,000
takes refuge at a lonely motel, where she is murdered by a psychotic young man who is obsessed by his dead
mother
Performi Only string section of orchestra (no contrast of other sections, string writing had to be enormously creative) –
ng divisi often used
Reflects the film’s stark black and white images and tense claustrophobia with a similarly limited closed-in
Forces
sound world
and Opening Romantic Most Shrieking high Pedal of Tremolando Aggressiv Bleak,
Sonority hammered in style, conventio notes at the viola passages in e high
downbow lush nal top of each crotchet quavers accented violin line
chords Large Simple instruments’ arco Fs on Half sul chords All in high
Pizzicato cello range – all sonority range, violins/ down ponticello + Pizz in register
+ bass notes rise + fall violas alternate bows, cello half normal double until last
as pulse/off- together arco + pizz pizz Es + 10 divisi bass on 4 bars
beat Divisi with low double parts accented (low viola
Fingered cello/bass bass held notes + +
tremolo under Glissandi + Es triplet cello/doub
4 theme
th
downbows Vln1 + idea le bass)
vln2 divide
into 4
String play con sordino for all the music cues expect the murder scene full, piercing chords of this scene
more aural power + creates repressed sombre sound in all other cues
Structur Role of the music to bring unity to the often fragmentary visual language, leitmotif technique unifies musical
e cues (complex use, texture/ harmony/rhythm/melody associated with characters and psychological states),
often two-, four- and eight-bar units
Opening Pans Marion + Shower scene Marion’s Marion Figure in Bates sits
credits Phoenix + Sam’s 4 cues sister descends chair in police
, Used in 6 down to secret associated with explores cellar stairs revealed station
cues hotel room meeting murder Bates’ 8-bar units to be Recaps
associated 6 cues in hotel Chords built up bedroom Subject x4 Bates’ material
with escaping linked to A1A2A3A4, over 8 bars + Three 3- (from lowest dead from
in cars mundane based on repeated with bar to highest mother Madhouse
Four ideas (1 situations 4-bar glissandi up to phrases in instrument – A (4, 3, 2, Unrelated
always 5 varied phrases each note upper vln1 comes in 5, 4 bar last two
proceeds 2, 3 repetitions Then repeated strings – after 7bars of phrases), bars
+ 4 are more of the 2-bar phrases same vln2) with link, B Through
unpredictably opening 3 material CS1,2,3+4 All composed
interspersed) bars (e.g. repeated underneath harmonic
All undergo retrograde lower ally linked
some ) 2 bar intro
variation establishin
g accomp
Texture Homophonic Homophoni Chromati Homophonic Homophoni Fugal texture Homopho Monopho
ostinato idea c/ c chords built up c upper in up to 4 nic nic 3-part
1 + idea 3 homorhyth counter- Octave string parts – Bass/ free
(except bass mic melody cello/double chords + tremolo made cello: polyphony
pizz) Often 8 Melody + bass notes pedal the counter- Homopho
parts accomp texture polyphony melody + nic end
Sigh: underneath even more long chords
thinner (4 chaotic notes
parts)
Tonality Wide range of Unrealised Diatonic Atonal – Cmj, no Atonal – Atonal – Atonal –
accidentals Am C major!! dissonance accidentals chromaticism extremely highly
obscure any Obscured Chromati throughout , no throughout chromatic dissonant
sense of key by c scale emphasis
accidentals on C: more
on E/F
Harmony Chords used for sound rather than role in tonality, non-functional, avoids traditional progressions (e.g.
cadences), chromatic/dissonant/atonal, generally avoids triads
‘Hitchcock’ chord minor chord with an added major seventh, starkly unstable, does not develop or lead
anywhere
Idea 1: Dim 7th at Ends on Dissonant Descendin Begins with D Extension Passing
‘Hitchcock’ beginning Hitchcoc semitone g parallel octave chords – semitones
chords (Bbm of bars, k Gm 7
cluster chords major and doubled trills ends on + tritones
