Vertigo (film score)
Encyclopedia
The music score for Alfred Hitchcock
's 1958 film Vertigo
was composed by Bernard Herrmann
between 3 January and 19 February 1958. The recordings were made in London
and Vienna
, with orchestra conducted by Muir Mathieson
. (A musicians' strike had prevented the score from being recorded in Los Angeles
with Herrmann conducting).
What follows is a list of the music cues that appear in the film and where (or if) they can be found on the various releases of the original soundtrack recordings and significant re-recordings of the score.
character's name as Madeline, not Madeleine.
In the following list, the timing of the cues in the actual film are given. The letters afterward represent which CD release the cue can be found on, if applicable. [A] is the original version of the soundtrack recording; [B] the McNeely re-recording; and [C] the expanded re-release of the original soundtrack. [D] would be the Conlon re-recording, but as this recording contains all cues below, it was deemed unnecessary to be included in the list.
contained 34 minutes of the music score. It included most of the major musical cues from the film but represented less than half of the complete score. The album was released on CD in 1990 as Mercury 422 106-2.
released a new recording of the Vertigo score with Joel McNeely
conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
. This recording boasted much better sound quality over the then 37-year-old original soundtrack recording, and it included almost twice as much of the score.
and James C. Katz
uncovered the original master recordings of the music score at Paramount Pictures
. These stereo masters were used in the new 5.1 mix of the film, as well as a much expanded CD of the original soundtrack recording.
This CD is 64 minutes long (with the selection of cues closely matching that of the McNeely recording). Unfortunately, the tapes had not been stored under the best of conditions, and deficiencies can be heard in some spots. The CD liner notes state that the music track for the cue "The Graveyard" was too damaged to be included. For the 5.1 mix, the film restoration team was forced to lift the audio for the sequence from a music and effects reel located in Spain. However, 13 other (mostly minor) cues in the film are missing from the expanded soundtrack CD without explanation. Several can be cleanly extracted from the 5.1 mix of the film, indicating that the music tracks for some of these cues survive and were used for the new mix.
(Note that some parts of the CD are in stereo, and other parts are in mono. This is due to the London cues being recorded in stereo and the Vienna cues in mono.)
conducting the Paris Opera Orchestra, is the only recording to date to feature the entire Bernard Herrmann score for Vertigo. All 42 cues are included, though the CD presents them as one long 74½ minute track. Unfortunately, this CD is not as accessible as the previous two, as it was not released on its own. It was included with the now out-of-print Douglas Gordon
book, Feature Film.
Artangel
99003 / released 1999
Alfred Hitchcock
Sir Alfred Joseph Hitchcock, KBE was a British film director and producer. He pioneered many techniques in the suspense and psychological thriller genres. After a successful career in British cinema in both silent films and early talkies, Hitchcock moved to Hollywood...
's 1958 film Vertigo
Vertigo (film)
Vertigo is a 1958 psychological thriller film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring James Stewart, Kim Novak, and Barbara Bel Geddes. The screenplay was written by Alec Coppel and Samuel A...
was composed by Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann
Bernard Herrmann was an American composer noted for his work in motion pictures.An Academy Award-winner , Herrmann is particularly known for his collaborations with director Alfred Hitchcock, most famously Psycho, North by Northwest, The Man Who Knew Too Much, and Vertigo...
between 3 January and 19 February 1958. The recordings were made in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, with orchestra conducted by Muir Mathieson
Muir Mathieson
James Muir Mathieson was a Scottish conductor and composer. Mathieson was almost always described as a "Musical Director" on a large number of British films.-Career:...
. (A musicians' strike had prevented the score from being recorded in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
with Herrmann conducting).
What follows is a list of the music cues that appear in the film and where (or if) they can be found on the various releases of the original soundtrack recordings and significant re-recordings of the score.
Breakdown of Music Cues
Bernard Herrmann's score for Vertigo consists of 42 cues, which comprise about 74 minutes of music heard in the film. (The small bits of source music used in the film, such as the Mozart piece heard on Midge's phonograph or the music Scottie and Judy dance to late in the film, were not composed by Herrmann and are therefore not considered as part of the score.) Note that Herrmann spelled the Kim NovakKim Novak
Kim Novak is an American film and television actress. She began her career with her roles in Pushover and Phffft! but achieved greater prominence in the 1955 film Picnic...
character's name as Madeline, not Madeleine.
In the following list, the timing of the cues in the actual film are given. The letters afterward represent which CD release the cue can be found on, if applicable. [A] is the original version of the soundtrack recording; [B] the McNeely re-recording; and [C] the expanded re-release of the original soundtrack. [D] would be the Conlon re-recording, but as this recording contains all cues below, it was deemed unnecessary to be included in the list.
- Prelude [3:00] - [A] [B] [C]
- Roof-Top [1:38] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Window [0:15]
- Madeline (a.k.a. Madeline's First Appearance) [1:12] - [A] [B] [C]
- Madeline's Car [2:32] - [B] [C]
- The Flowershop [0:35] - [B] [C]
- The Alleyway [0:34] - [B] [C]
- The Mission [0:36] - [B] [C]
- Mission Organ [0:32] - [C]
- Graveyard [1:57] - [B]
- Tombstone [0:12] - [B]
- Carlotta's Portrait [1:52] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Hotel [1:24]
- The Hallway [1:02]
- The Nosegay [0:15]
- The Catalogue [0:29]
- The Gallery [0:39]
- The Bay [2:53] - [B] [C]
- Sleep [0:46]
- By The Fireside [2:51] - [B] [C]
- Exit [0:44]
- The Streets [2:20] - [C]
- The Outing [1:24]
- The Forest [3:43] - [B] [C]
- The Beach [3:27] - [A] [B] [C]
- 3 A.M. [0:20]
- The Dream [2:37] - [B] [C]
- Farewell [4:25] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Tower [2:28] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Nightmare [1:55] - [A] [B] [C]
- Dawn [1:26] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Past [1:26] - [C]
- The Girl [1:43] - [C]
- The Letter [4:14] - [B] [C]
- Goodnight [2:23] - [B] [C]
- The Park [0:35] - [B] [C]
- The Hair Color [1:20]
- Beauty Parlor [0:12]
- Scene D'Amour [4:57] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Necklace [2:08] - [A] [B] [C]
- The Return [2:37] - [A] [B] [C]
- Finale [2:24] - [A] [B] [C]
1958 Original Soundtrack LP
The original soundtrack LP on Mercury RecordsMercury Records
Mercury Records is a record label operating as a standalone company in the UK and as part of the Island Def Jam Motown Music Group in the US; both are subsidiaries of Universal Music Group. There is also a Mercury Records in Australia, which is a local artist and repertoire division of Universal...
contained 34 minutes of the music score. It included most of the major musical cues from the film but represented less than half of the complete score. The album was released on CD in 1990 as Mercury 422 106-2.
"Vertigo: From The Motion Picture Sound Track"
- Mercury MG-20384 / released 1958
- Vertigo Prelude and Rooftop (4:38)
- Madeleine and Carlotta's Portrait (3:11)
- The Beach (3:28)
- Farewell and The Tower (6:54)
- The Nightmare and Dawn (3:30)
- Love Music (re-titled version of "Scene D'Amour") (5:04)
- The Necklace and The Return and Finale (7:06)
1995 McNeely Re-recording
In 1995, Varèse SarabandeVarèse Sarabande
Varèse Sarabande is an American record label, distributed by Universal Music Group, which specializes in film scores and original cast recordings. It aims to reissue rare or unavailable albums as well as newer releases by artists no longer under a contract...
released a new recording of the Vertigo score with Joel McNeely
Joel McNeely
-Biography:Joel McNeely was born in Madison, Wisconsin. Both of his parents were involved in music and theater, and as a child he played the piano, saxophone, bass, and flute...
conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
The Royal Scottish National Orchestra is Scotland's national symphony orchestra. Based in Glasgow, the 89-member professional orchestra also regularly performs in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee, and abroad. Formed in 1891 as the Scottish Orchestra, the company has performed full-time since 1950,...
. This recording boasted much better sound quality over the then 37-year-old original soundtrack recording, and it included almost twice as much of the score.
"Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Score"
- Varèse Sarabande VSD-5600 / released 1995
- Prelude and Rooftop (4:35)
- Scotty Trails Madeline (8:22)
- (including: Madeline's First Appearance, Madeline's Car, The Flower Shop, The Alleyway, The Mission, Graveyard and Tombstone)
- Carlotta's Portrait (2:34)
- The Bay (3:08)
- By The Fireside (3:39)
- The Forest (3:25)
- The Beach (3:27)
- The Dream (2:42)
- Farewell and The Tower (6:42)
- The Nightmare and Dawn (4:10)
- The Letter (3:53)
- Goodnight and The Park (3:08)
- Scene d'Amour (5:09)
- The Necklace, The Return and Finale (07:47)
- Total Time - 62:41
1996 Expanded Original Soundtrack Re-release
Research conducted during the two-year-long restoration of Vertigo by Robert A. HarrisRobert A. Harris
Robert A. Harris is a film historian and preservationist who specializes in restoring the large-format widescreen films of the 1950s. He has restored and reconstructed a number of classic films including Lawrence of Arabia , Spartacus , My Fair Lady , Vertigo Rear Window , as well as The...
and James C. Katz
James C. Katz
James C. Katz is a film historian and preservationist who has restored and reconstructed a number of classic films. Though he began his career as a film producer, he concentrated his attention on preserving existing films....
uncovered the original master recordings of the music score at Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures
Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American film production and distribution company, located at 5555 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. Founded in 1912 and currently owned by media conglomerate Viacom, it is America's oldest existing film studio; it is also the last major film studio still...
. These stereo masters were used in the new 5.1 mix of the film, as well as a much expanded CD of the original soundtrack recording.
This CD is 64 minutes long (with the selection of cues closely matching that of the McNeely recording). Unfortunately, the tapes had not been stored under the best of conditions, and deficiencies can be heard in some spots. The CD liner notes state that the music track for the cue "The Graveyard" was too damaged to be included. For the 5.1 mix, the film restoration team was forced to lift the audio for the sequence from a music and effects reel located in Spain. However, 13 other (mostly minor) cues in the film are missing from the expanded soundtrack CD without explanation. Several can be cleanly extracted from the 5.1 mix of the film, indicating that the music tracks for some of these cues survive and were used for the new mix.
(Note that some parts of the CD are in stereo, and other parts are in mono. This is due to the London cues being recorded in stereo and the Vienna cues in mono.)
"Vertigo: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack"
- Varèse Sarabande VSD-5759 / released 1996
- Prelude and Rooftop (4:39)
- Scotty Tails Madeleine (6:15)
- (including: Madeleine's First Appearance, Madeleine's Car, The Flower Shop, The Alleyway, The Mission, Mission Organ)
- Carlotta's Portrait (1:56)
- The Bay (2:56)
- By The Fireside (2:53)
- The Streets (2:23)
- The Forest (3:45)
- The Beach (3:27)
- The Dream (2:43)
- Farewell and The Tower (6:54)
- The Nightmare and Dawn (3:30)
- The Past and The Girl (3:11)
- The Letter (4:13)
- Goodnight and The Park (3:03)
- Scene D'Amour (5:04)
- The Necklace, The Return and Finale (7:20)
- Total Time - 64:12
1999 Conlon Re-recording
This recording, with James ConlonJames Conlon
James Conlon is an American conductor and the current Music Director of the Los Angeles Opera.-Early years:Conlon grew up in a family of five children on Cherry Street in Douglaston, Queens, New York. His mother, Angeline L. Conlon, was a freelance writer. His father was an assistant to the New...
conducting the Paris Opera Orchestra, is the only recording to date to feature the entire Bernard Herrmann score for Vertigo. All 42 cues are included, though the CD presents them as one long 74½ minute track. Unfortunately, this CD is not as accessible as the previous two, as it was not released on its own. It was included with the now out-of-print Douglas Gordon
Douglas Gordon
Douglas Gordon is a Scottish artist; he won the Turner Prize in 1996 and the following year he represented Britain at the Venice Biennale...
book, Feature Film.
Artangel
Artangel
Artangel is a London-based arts organisation founded in 1985 by Roger Took. Directed since 1991 by James Lingwood and Michael Morris, it has commissioned and produced a string of notable site-specific works, plus several projects for TV, film, radio and the web...
99003 / released 1999
- [no title / complete Vertigo score]
- Total Time - 74:35
Further reading
- Cooper, David. Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo: A Film Score Handbook. Film score guides, no. 2. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 2001. ISBNs: 031331490X, 9780313314902. (Note: Page 78 of Cooper's book was misprinted. He has made the corrected page available here.)
- Kosovsky, Robert. "Book Review: Bernard Herrmann's Vertigo: A Film Score Handbook." Notes: Quarterly Journal of the Music Library Association 59, no. 1 (2002): 69-71. E-ISSN: 1534-150X. Print ISSN: 0027-4380.
- Gordon, Douglas, Bernard Herrmann, James Conlon, Raymond BellourRaymond BellourRaymond Bellour is a French writer, critic and theorist of cinema.Bellour is Director of Research Emeritus at the CNRS. Since 1986 he has taught at Paris III. In 1990 with Christine Van Assche and Catherine David he co-curated the Passages de l'image exhibition at the Centre Georges Pompidou...
, and Royal, S. Brown. Feature Film: A Book. London: Book Works, 2000. ISBNs: 1870699238, 9781870699235, 1902201051, 9781902201054.
External links
- Vertigo at Film Score Rundowns - Cue-by-cue analysis of the score.