Valentine's Day, Sunday, February 14, 2010 at 10:20 am

vault is one tough nut to crack open! I never was able, as a researcher, to get in to studythe written scores—though I tried repeatedly. I think Bill mentioned (in the FSM forum?)that he would probably do some of the Alfred Hitchcock Hour episodes Herrmann did.That’s very nice, especially my pick of superb episodes/scores such as Nothing EverHappens in Linvale, Consider Her Ways, The Jar, A Home Away From Home, Change ofAddress, and maybe a few others. Some episodes I would not be too interested, includingThe Life & Work of Juan Diaz (a very tedious episode and score alike!). Definitely lowerdrawer or second tier score by Herrmann, relatively uninspired, a case of overexposure ofa motif! Where the Woodbine Twineth is also rather inferior in comparison to all the rest.While Alfred Hitchcock has immediate name appeal, and a cd of the AHH scores wouldprobably sell well, I personally would take a risk and go for the more obscure (but overallmore interesting) scores for Revue-Universal. For example, I would record the“Nightmare” episode of the Bob Hope Chrysler Theater—wonderful score with lots ofmoody music! I would do a few Virginian episodes such as “Show Me A Hero” (11-17-65), “Nobility of Kings” (11-10-65), and “The Reckoning” (9-13-67).Of course I also discussed the CBS written scores of interest, which are indeed nowavailable to researchers and cd producers. But television material is rather iffy or takinga-chancein terms of making a profit, I suppose. Safer to stick to feature films, especiallyof a high recognizable name. Although Alfred Hitchcock (as in the Alfred HitchcockHour) should see fairly well. But I never had luck getting into Universal to study thescores, despite repeated attempts. I wonder if cd producers who put $$$$$$$ up frontwould have better luck?Thanks for your time.Talking Herrmann: Film Score Rundowns Updated (Twilight Zone & Born Free)Reply by: Bill Wrobel ()______________________________________________________________________8-22-09:Not Hitch:I listened to that YouTube selection. It started at about mid-point of the "A Tempo"section (the 2:25 point of my Radio Symphony Orchestra disc, or track # 4) so it was notorganized very precisely. That movement lasts 5:14 in my cd. The Star Trek three-notestart theme you are referring to in the You Tube selection is actually from the "SubitoAllegro" section that lasts about four minutes. In YouTube you hear that three-note(actually six note for the actual Mahler piece--but the first three are reminiscent to you ofStar Trek) mini-phrase first at the 4:05 point, then 4:20 point, then 4:32. On my cd it is1:40 then 1:58 then 2:10.The fact that the horns play the motif and they both start as a three note initial theme(daaa-da-DAAAAAAAAAA) would naturally kick in for most people the associativeprocess of similarity to the Star Trek theme (Courage) but it is simply a section of thelarger six-note musical thought form of Mahler's because he simply repeats it at a higherpitch more or less, whereas the Courage theme is an 8 and then 10-note structure--quite106