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

Talking Herrmann: SUSPENSE THEME (CBS microfilm)New topic by: Bill Wrobel ()______________________________________________________________________Grace Gill in another Topic wanted to know if Herrmann's Suspense Theme for CBSradio was available somewhere. Here was my reply:quote: I hand-coped a reduced score version of the Herrmann Suspense theme in myresearches somewhere. There was an "Opening," a "Closing," "New Suspense Theme"and "Suspense Opening."The organ (or strings/brass) plays Line 1 Bb/Line 2 Db/F/Gb whole notes in C time tiedto next bars. After a quarter rest, the chimes sound Line 1 Gb quarter note to F half note(repeated). In Bar 2, the harp plays ascending to descending "3" triplet 8th note figures onsmall octave Gb-Bb-Line 1 Db up to F-down to Db down to Gb (keep repeating). In Bar3, the bassoon (and maybe the bass) play the Great octave Gb half note to F dottedquarter note to Ab 8th to (Bar 4) Gb half note to F dotted quarter note to E 8th up to (Bar5) small octave C half note down to Bb-A-Ab "3" triplet value quarter notes to (Bar 6)Gb quarter note to F half note down to C quarter note up to (Bar 7) Eb half note to Dbhalf note to (Bar 8) C whole note.Hope this rudimentary rundown helps! I’ll see if I can find in my old notes a full scorecopy....I know that the Suspense Opening and Closing is within Reel 4 of the CBS radiomicrofilm at UCSB (and LOC I believe), Largo et Grave, dated June 17, 1942.So, yes, the score is available both at the CBS Collection in certain forms but also inthe CBS microfilm available at UCSB in full score. Here is the first page:{Image http://img260.imageshack.us/img260/713/r10.jpgIf you cannot read it clearly, Herrmann wrote it on June 17, 1942--unless that was theairdate of the first episode. I'll check....Yes, that 6-17-42 date corresponds to "TheBurning Court" episode airing. The bassoon and muted celli and contrabasses play theSuspense "melody" line starting in Bar 6.I do not believe Herrmann wrote anymore original music for the series beyond theopening and closing music. You hear his music in the rest of the 1942 shows and intoearly 1943, and so forth, but I believe these were lifted or self-borrowed from otherscores like from Columbia Workshop. If I get time I'll try to make a rundown of cuesafter listening to the episodes I have._______________________________________________talkingherrmann mailing list*********************************141