# Mussorgsky/Bernard Herrman



## Inversions

I’m wondering if anyone has acknowledged the remarkable similarities in motifs from Bernard Herrmann’s scores for Hitchcock’s Psycho and North by Northwest with Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald mountain. Specifically one of the motifs which is played staccato on the winds throughout the piece sounds, to my ears, much like one of Psycho’s main motifs. Has Herrmann discussed Mussorgsky’s influence, or am I way off here? The most I’ve heard is the influence of Tristan on Vertigo’s score, but I would be curious to know if Mussorgsky’s influence on Herrmann, and by extension, film music as a whole, has been noted.


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## mbhaub

An audio file would help here.


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## Rogerx

To be honest never ever even though about it, I will listening and come back.
Welcome on the forum by the way


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## Heinrich Boswell

Inversions said:


> I’m wondering if anyone has acknowledged the remarkable similarities in motifs from Bernard Herrmann’s scores for Hitchcock’s Psycho and North by Northwest with Mussorgsky’s Night on Bald mountain. Specifically one of the motifs which is played staccato on the winds throughout the piece sounds, to my ears, much like one of Psycho’s main motifs. Has Herrmann discussed Mussorgsky’s influence, or am I way off here? The most I’ve heard is the influence of Tristan on Vertigo’s score, but I would be curious to know if Mussorgsky’s influence on Herrmann, and by extension, film music as a whole, has been noted.


Actually, I am just listening to Mussorgsky's music on radio when it came to my mind that some motifs from North by Northwest - great movie! - sound similar.


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