# Elmer Bernstein Anyone?



## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

As a child I remember watching the cheesy John Wayne movie: "The Sons on Katy Elder". Even at the tender age of ten I was very taken with the theme music - it stayed with me as an ear worm long after the details of the movie itself had long since faded away.

Years later in my explorations of classical music, I discovered, with much delight, the Cowboy Ballets of Aaron Copland. They had in my mind a clear aural connection, not to say similarity, with the theme music of Katy Elder and I was convinced for a long time that Copland had indeed composed the piece. Anyway, few weeks ago here in Berlin there was a special offer of three John Wayne Western DVDs for less than the price of one - including among them, Katy Elder. Naturally, I bought them to put to rest the nagging suspicion that A.C. had in fact composed the Katy Elder theme music.

As I confidently waited with a sense of sublime anticipation for the music credits to roll round, I was taken aback to discover it was in fact one _Elmer Bernstein_ and not Copland who had composed the theme.

At once I Googled the name which, up to this point in time, was unknown to me. It turns out that E.B. was drawn to A.C.'s attention as a student and that A.C. even recommended a teacher for E.B.. Not only that, E.B. was also a good friend of Leonard Berstein. Furthermore, E.B. was also the composer of, among others, the theme music for "The Great Escape" and "To Kill a Mocking Bird" additional ear worms that bore into my then young, impressionable music psyche. He was the recipient of many major music awards in the Cinema Industry and, although I dare say he was well rewarded for his talents in this genre, I can't help speculating on what he might have come up with in more _serious_ and extended genres of art music. Of course, in my ignorance he well have done so - in which case: Elmer Bernstein anyone?


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## mikey (Nov 26, 2013)

_The Magnificent Seven_ is another you should definitely check out if you like the 'American' Copland inspired music although I'm sure you would already know the theme.
He later turned to comedy - _Airplane_ is another gem - and was actually typecast for a while, I remember reading him being fed up with it.
Would be interested to know if he wrote any so called 'serious' music.


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## SONNET CLV (May 31, 2014)

*Elmer Bernstein *(no relation to Leonard Bernstein, though I've seen "reputable" sources that insist they are brothers!) proves one of the greatest film composers who ever set note to cinematic image. For some years a favorite disc in my collection is Elmer Bernstein By Elmer Bernstein, featuring the composer conducting his own film music with the Royal Philharmonic Pops Orchestra. The great numbers are here, including the theme from "The Magnificent Seven", an absolutely poignantly played suite from "To Kill a Mockingbird", and themes of "The Great Escape," "Ghostbusters," and "The Ten Commandments," just to mention a few.









If you check the official "Elmer Bernstein Website" ( http://www.elmerbernstein.com/works/works.html ) you'll find a lot of information about this great composer, including a listing of his works, both for film and other, such as this list of "Concert Material":

Woodstock Fair, 1946
Pennsylvania Overture, 1958
Concertino for Ondes and Orchestra, 1983
Songs of Love and Loathing, 1990
Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra, 1999
Fanfare for the Hollywood Bowl, 2004

The Concerto for Guitar and Orchestra remains a fascinating work -- tuneful, exciting, rich in color, and idiomatic (of both the guitar and Bernstein's "style"). I cherish the Christopher Parkening recording with Bernstein himself conducting the London Symphony Orchestra. Here's movement one:






By the way, Elmer's last name is pronounced Burn-steen, not (as is Leonard's) Burn-stine.


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## KRoad (Jun 1, 2012)

Thank you for this SONNET CLV - most appreciated.


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## ribonucleic (Aug 20, 2014)

As a soundtrack enthusiast, I can only say: Of course, Elmer Bernstein.

Classical fans might the lush string work in Far From Heaven.






Also, his 60s-lounge spy score for _The Silencers_ is a guilty pleasure.


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## Alfacharger (Dec 6, 2013)

One of my favorite Americana scores from Elmer.










Sample....


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