How Bernard Herrmann Saved Psycho

Psycho Part 2 - bit.ly/3EfQBgY
We all know Alfred Hitchcock's classic film 'Psycho', but the story behind the score by Bernard Herrmann and its immense impact on the movie is far less known. This video is a deep dive into that story and also throws in some extra musical analysis for all the music buffs out there.
For further reading on this subject, Jack Sullivan’s book Hitchcock’s Music gives an excellent and thorough account of the musical content in Hitchcock’s movies.
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Commentary by Matthew King ( www.matthewkingcomposer.com )
Edited by Ian Coulter ( www.iancoultermusic.com )
Animation by Ian Coulter
Produced by Ian Coulter
#psycho #alevelmusic #musicprofessor

[@ericbrown1327]

Hitchcock also doubled Herrmann's salary, and moved his name in the opening credits right before Hitchcock's, in the same size letters -- bigger than even those of the film's stars.

[@boborrahood]

Hitchcock had said that 33% of the effect of Psycho was due to the score. He doubled Herrmann's salary after hearing the score added to his classic.

[@themusicprofessor]

He should have raised his salary by 33%

[@boborrahood]

@@themusicprofessor I was glad to find out that Hitchcock and Herrmann had reconnected again after their falling out over Torn Curtain.

[@4Topwood]

Hitchcock was a brilliant director. Herrmann was a genius. I watched Psycho with the sound off and was interested but disengaged. When I listen to Herrmann's score without watching the film, I am terrified.

[@StevenSmith-nq5xe]

@@boborrahoodAlas, they never did. I’m Herrmann’s biographer, and sadly report that they had one brief, chilly meeting two years after Torn Curtain that Hitchcock cut short.

[@marcallen4532]

@@boborrahood Benny tried to reconnect, but Hitch was cold and distant. No reconciliation occurred.

[@marcallen4532]

Hitchcock told Herrmann after hearing "The Murder" cue, was, "Well of course we'll have that." Benny (knowing he'd nailed the scene and was absolutely right) ribbed his friend, saying, "But Hitch, you said there was to be no music?" To which Mr. Hitchcock answered, "Improper suggestion, my boy. Improper suggestion."

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you. Yes indeed. “Improper suggestion, my boy!”

[@Bielostotsky]

Hitch listened his wife!

[@jamescrawford9883]

Herrmann created some fantastic film scores!

[@Dividendless]

This deserves so many more views from the music community. Bravo!!!!

[@themusicprofessor]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@alexalex13131]

Two geniuses.

[@robertvarner9519]

YES! BH was a great composer. I love the music from North by Northwest, Vertigo and Farenheit 451. The Psycho composition has a stabbing motif.

[@bordeauxcolor]

"My father wasn't able to take a shower for months" hahahahahahah

[@spactick]

you can tell him it's ok to shower now

[@geoffreylevin7054]

Thanks for the great story and analysis.

[@mayacaskie]

looking forward to the upcoming videos! more please! :)

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you! There's plenty more where that came from.

[@chrismusic6861]

Hi Matthew, I’ve always known the effect of music on a person and often reacted to music on an emotional level. I really appreciate the breakdown of the musical components and subsequent explanation in this video and I’m looking forward to more. Loved it! Chris

[@matthewking1873]

Thank you Chris. I’m really glad you enjoyed the video. The emotional effect of music on the listener is such a fascinating topic!

[@JayVermaMusic]

Amazing video Matthew!!

[@matthewking1873]

Thank you Jay!

[@rafac7384]

It's nice to hear someone who really understand about this! Good work. From Brazil :)

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you!

[@triclinium8508]

Thanks this is very helpful

[@jigowatts1304]

This was really fun! Wish I could play the piano as easily as you do! Subscribed 👍

[@themusicprofessor]

Thank you for the support!

Excelente! felicitaciones! me encanto! muy motivador!

[@nomnom8378]

Amazing

[@youtuber5669]

i just finished 🎧 soundtracks from first 3 movies first one had the best

[@johannesbluemink4581]

I'm not holding it against you,haha, but I was waiting for the line 'Improper Suggestion', encountering Herrmann's apology that he did add music to the shower scene, in spite of Hitchcock not wanting any. Both are my favorite director and composer in movies!

[@themusicprofessor]

Yes, well spotted! “Improper suggestion, my boy, improper suggestion!”

[@bleak5724]

It's a pity he didn't mention the score for "Torn Curtain."

[@comradeclaise5686]

very enjoyable! Subscribed and looking forward to more.

[@user-rp6ic8of5w]

He should have won his second oscar for this.

[@EzeICE]

He wouldn't even hurt a fly

[@boborrahood]

"I hope they are watching because they'll see. And they'll know and theyll say - Why SHE wouldn't even harm a fly."

[@PinkHouseFoods]

years go saw Vertigo with just the Herrmann track and, of course, it was clear that as with all Hitchcock, the films were at least 50% Hermann. However, I wold challenge your assertion that his films were "family entertainment"! Ever, including the silents.

[@themusicprofessor]

I am simply reporting how my parents felt in 1960 when they went to see Psycho. They told me they were expecting something 'fun' like 'North by Northwest'. My Dad was a fan of 'The Lady Vanishes' and 'The 39 Steps'. These may not be childrens' films but they are popular and entertaining.

[@PinkHouseFoods]

ah, I see!

[@plasticweapon]

hitchcock was right. the end result was good, but i wish the music or lack thereof had been handled his way this time.

[@BenTrem42]

_Well, this guy doesn't look creepy ..._

[@boneeatingsilicate580]

Herrmann's daughter stated after being taken to a screening of Psycho with her father, he said 'wasn't that the biggest piece of crap you ever saw'

[@marcallen4532]

Taffy told me the same

[@boborrahood]

BoneEating Silicate, I wouldn’t take Herrmann’s daughter too seriously. ! said that It's inconceivable that Herrmann would disparage a classic film that has one of his greatest scores! For example, she had also stated incorrectly that her father had to score Psycho using “only strings” due to budget restrictions!. In fact, Bernard Herrmann had said that he used a completely '"string orchestra to complement the black and white cinematography" of Psycho. He can also be heard speaking favorably about it in a narration used in a video about his music. And as anyone who’s a fan of his music can tell you, he rarely bothered with saying much about scores of any of his other classic movies. Was Dorothy Herrmann even aware that her father wove phrases and short sections of his well received 1936 "Sinfonietta for String Orchestra" into a couple scenes of Psycho to brilliant effect? And there weren't any budget restrictions for that major Herrmann string orchestra opus from 24 years earlier. I rest my case.

[@ericbrown1327]

@@boborrahood Originally Herrmann wanted to use a full orchestra but the film's low budget only allowed for a string score, since Hitchcock had mortgaged his home and was producing the film himself.

[@boborrahood]

@@ericbrown1327 In all my years as a long time fan of the movie and Bernard Herrmann, and music major, I've never read or heard that. I did hear Herrmann say in a documentary on Hitchcock, as well as in print, that he used an all string orchestra "to complement the black and white cinematography" Herrmann could have simply used a conventional orchestra with all the other instruments for the same price, since he composed it for a full string orchestra, not just a chamber orchestra or string quartet Paul McCartney was inspired by the title music for Psycho and asked producer George Martin to write a string accompaniment with similar rhythmic. urgency for Eleanor Rigby. Again - no brass, or woodwinds, or percussion were needed for that, as well. Oh, and NO budget considerations as well! Herrmann's string orchestra for Psycho was an aesthetic choice, not a budget limitation!

[@boneeatingsilicate580]

​@@boborrahoodnot until the film became a mega hit did Herrmann began to take it seriously..that's per Dorothy

[@outofoblivionproductions4015]

Music critique and occasional Dad jokes 🤓🤦‍♂

[@johnryskamp2943]

Actually, the scores a lot to Bartok's Divertimento. What I would like to see is the film without any of Hermann's music. Hitchcock's own sound mastery is excellent. On KZbin, you can hear the shower scene without music.

[@boborrahood]

Actually, it was gratuitous dialogue that Hitchcock didn't like. He was a visual director who could see the whole film in his head before it was filmed. Have you ever seen, or at least noticed in the first scene of Rear Window how much he lets you know through the camera what happened to James Stewart, how it happened, that it was work- related as a photographer on the job, and with no dialogue.