Bill Wrobel's DVD - Film Score Rundowns

-Marnie (1964) *** [music ****]
http://www.amazon.com/Marnie-Tippi-
Hedren/dp/6305839395/ref=sr_1_3?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1293766800&sr=1-3
This movie is the start of the end of the notable Hitchcock career. The Birds was
the last really good film he directed. I still like Marnie as a film, and there are some
classic moments, but I normally do not revisit this film. Of course the music by
Herrmann is a different story! I already did a rundown treatment of it:
http://www.filmscorerundowns.net/herrmann/marnie.pdf
-Pique Dame (Tchaikovsky) (1992) ** [music ***]
http://www.amazon.com/Tchaikovsky-Pique-Gergiev-Grigorian-
Leiferkus/dp/B0000631A7/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1293766923&sr=1-1
This of course is the Queen of Spades opera of three hours length, music by the
Romantic master, Tchaikovsky. This is not a great work, however, although I appreciate
the Big T’s music. My favorite section is the rather Herrmannesque rhythmic opening of
Scene IV (No. 16 Scene and Chorus), Andante mosso in 12/8-4/4 time in the key
signature of three sharps (A maj). This is located on the dvd at 1:42:03. Low strings play
the repeat rhythm figures pp of C#-D-C# legato16ths to C#-C#-C# staccato 16ths (all six
notes are connected as a figure by two crossbeams) played 4X each bar. In Bar 3 violins
and perhaps violas play p a seven-note figure. So we see small octave B/Line 1 D/E#/G#
to A/Line 1 C#/F#/A to G#/B/Line 1 G#/B 8ths (crossbeam connected) to D#/F#/Line 1
A/Line 2 C# quarter notes to G#/B/Line 1 E#/G# 8ths to E#/G#/D/G#/B quarter notes to
F#/A/C#/F#/A 8ths. I believe the dark music of this dark Countess bedroom scene is
overall later set in B minor (like the Symphony Pathetique but I cannot verify now since I
only have a bit of this section of the reduction score. Scholars have stated that the B
minor was often associated with Fate and doom and gloom and other niceties!
Although back then in Russia operas were most “in” and sophisticated and serious
affairs (while ballets were given a lesser stature), I find that Tchaikovsky became
immortal with his three ballets and his later symphonies. I’m not much into operas,
although some of the Wagner operas are pretty darn good. I recall I did not find T’s
Onegin as being very memorable, and I am not sure now if I ever listened to his last
opera, Iolanta.
-The Fugitive: Season One, Volume One (1963) ***
http://www.amazon.com/Fugitive-Season-One-
Vol/dp/B000Q6GUSE/ref=sr_1_8?s=dvd&ie=UTF8&qid=1293767040&sr=1-8
Good series but it tends to wear you down after a while. It’s hard to sustain the
Man-On-The-Run format with sustained interest for several seasons! Stick with the first
few seasons. That’s enough.
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