The Origin of Film Music

The Early Roots of Film Music

Silent film era (1894-1929) forms the beginning of film music. Although films didn’t have sound, live music was often played to accompany the scenes.
Early film music was primarily made up of classical compositions or improvisations performed by pianists, organists or small orchestras in the cinema.
The music was not specific to the films but chosen or improvised to match the mood or action taking place on screen.
The first original piece of music to be written for a film was ‘The Assassination of the Duke of Guise’ in 1908. The score was composed by Camille Saint-Saëns.

The Arrival of Sound in Film

The Jazz Singer (1927) was the first film with synchronised sound and music, known as a “talkie”, signalling a shift in film music.
With the advent of sound in film, established compositional techniques were incorporated to enhance the narrative and emotional content of a film, leading to the so-called leitmotif technique.
Leitmotifs are repeating musical themes associated with specific characters, places, ideas or emotions. A famous example is John Williams’ theme for Darth Vader in Star Wars.

The Golden Age of Film Music

The period from the 1930s to the 1950s is often referred to as the ‘Golden Age’ of film music. During this time, film music was dominated by orchestral scores.
Composers such as Max Steiner, Bernard Herrmann, and Erich Wolfgang Korngold popularised the use of orchestral scores and established many of the conventions of film scoring we are familiar with today.
Examples include the sweeping score written by Steiner for Gone with the Wind (1939) and Hermann’s innovative, all-string score for Hitchcock’s Psycho (1960).

The Contemporary Era of Film Music

The late 20th and 21st century witnessed the incorporation of popular music and electronic elements into film scores.
Composers such as Hans Zimmer, John Williams, and Ennio Morricone brought a fresh range of styles, techniques and soundscapes to film music.
Experimental approaches to film scoring have come to the fore in recent years, with many scores blending orchestral, electronic and world music elements to create a unique sound.

Key Takeaways

The history of film music can be traced back to the silent film era, and has evolved over time to incorporate a wide range of musical styles and techniques.
Understanding this evolution can help to further appreciate the function and impact of music in today’s films, and build a thorough knowledge of the conventions of film scoring.