Vertigo

Music by Bernard Herrmann

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vertigo (1958) is one of the best films of Hitchcock and today's placed as one of the greatest films in cinema history. Its soundtrack was also a best seller of vinyl market in the late 50. Vertigo´s broad melodic lines and presence of metals in lower registers were ideal for the listening the newborn stereo high fidelity system.

Literally dizzying, the circular melodic motifs that open the film became a model for suspense music. Effective for suggest psychological imbalance and after Halloween (John Carpenter) become easily recognized as psychopaths cliché. With the soundtracks edited in the film sequence in this recording, the music leads to the investigation and growing obsession of the protagonist, played by James Stewart. Herrmann´s habitual use of high and low strings alternations had an extra meaning here, induces sound extremes and immerges characters and listeners on its unstoppable circular moves. In Farewell and The Tower the romantic theme is briefly introduced. The Tower concludes with  Madeleine fall, underlined by cymbals explosions and timpani attacks in a musical signature of the composer. The track Love Music is the best moment of the film and the music with its growing and hypnotic construction following the circular camera motion around James Stewart and Kim Novak in the famous kissing scene. By itself this track means why Herrmann was one of the greatest in film music. Just as the film is indispensable as one of the classics of cinema, his music takes equivalent place as soundtrack.