| Atkins,
Irene Kahn
Source
Music in Motion Pictures 
(Rutherford,Fairleigh
Dickinson University Press, 1983)
Nicely
written book that contains an excellent bibliography on film sound.
|
|
Bazelon,
Irwin
Knowing
the Score: Notes on Film Music
(New
York, Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1975)
Sections
on the art and technique of composing for film as well as interviews
with composers. |
|
Bernstein,
Charles H
Film
Music and Everything Else
(
paperback, Turnstyle Music
2000) |
 |
Bernstein,
Elmer
Elmer
Bernstein's Film Music Notebook
(Film
Music Society Publication)
Thirteen installments, was originally published by
Bernstein himself between 1974 and 1978 – issued only to subscribers
of Bernstein's Film Music Collection of limited edition recordings |
 |
Brand,
Neil
Dramatic
Notes: Foregrounding Music in the Dramatic Experience
(Luton University
Press, Arts Council of England, 1998)
Excellent
and unpretentious discussion of the affective power of music. Contains
many interviews with composers e.g. George Fenton, Stephen Warbeck,
Carl Davis, Judith Weir |
 |
Brophy,
Philip: (ed)
The
World of Sound in Film
(1999)
Sidney: AFTRS Publications
A
collection of papers presented at the 1998 Cinesonic conference,
RMIT, Melbourne.
Howard
Shore and Carter Burwell give accounts of the composer's relationship
to and power over the rhythm and structure of stories |
 |
Brophy,
Philip: (ed)
Cinema
& the Sound of Music
(2000)
Sidney: AFTRS Publications
A
collection of papers presented at the 1999 Cinesonic conference,
RMIT, Melbourne. The
supersonic body popping in Hype Williams video clips.
The jazz
portraits of junkies and hipsters by Elmer Bernstein.
The many
voices of the cinematized Beethoven.
The global
ring of music on the film soundtrack.
The euphoric
strains of movie music in your local supermarket.
The psychotic
orchestration of Fritz Lang's sound with music.
The movie
music sampling performances of David Shea
|
 |
Brophy,
Philip:(ed)
Experiencing
the Soundtrack
(2001)
Sidney: AFTRS Publications
A
collection of papers presented at the 2001 Cinesonic conference,
RMIT, Melbourne. |
 |
Brown,
Royal S.
Overtones
and Undertones: Reading Film Music
(
Hardcover, Univ California Press ,1994)
As
good as any general survey of film music. Contains interviews with
composers as well as analyses of Korngold, Rózsa and Godard |
 |
Bruce,
Donald Graham
Bernard
Herrmann: Film, Music and Narrative
(Michigan,
Ann Arbor, 1985)
Analyses
of numerous Herrmann film scores. Thoughtful and readable. |
|
Burlingame,
Jon
Sound
and Vision: 60 Years of Motion Picture Soundtracks
(Watson-Guptill
Publications 2000, Paperback ) |
 |
Burt,
George
The
Art of Film Music
(Boston,
Northeastern University Press, 1994)
Analysis,
criticism and appreciation. |
 |
Coyle,
Rebecca (ed.)
Screen
Scores: Studies in Contemporary Australian Film Music
(Sydney,
AFTRS, 1997)
Series
of compelling articles on a number of Australian film including
Shine, Young Einstein and Priscilla Queen of the
Desert. |
 |
Danley,
Linda ( edit)
Hugo
Friedhofer: The Best Years of His Life
(Hardcover,
1999) |
 |
Darby,
William & DuBois Jack
American
Film Music: Major Composers, Techniques, Trends 1915-1990
(Jefferson,
N.C. McFarland, 1990)
History,
analysis, criticism and appreciation. |
 |
Davis,
Richard
Complete
Guide to Film Scoring : The Art and Business of Writing Music for
Movies and TV
Berklee
Pr Pubns; 2000 |
|
Deutsch,
Didier C.(edit)
Musichound
Soundtracks : The Essential Album Guide, to Film, Television, &
Stage Music
(2nd
edition, paperback,Visible Ink Pr; 2000) |
 |
Egorova,
Tatiana
Soviet
Film Music: An Historical Survey
(London,
Harwood Academic Publishers, 1997)
Informative,
detailed and readable history from 1917 to 1991. |
 |
Ehrenstein,
David & Reed, Bill
Rock
on Film
(New
York, Delilah Books, 1982) |
|
Eisler,
Hanns & Adorno, Theodor
Composing
for the Films
(New
York, Oxford University Press, 1947/ repr. Athlone Press, 1994)
Still
as provocative today as when it was first published. Will yield
great rewards for anyone who can see beyond its Marxist rhetoric. |
 |
Evans,
Mark
Soundtrack:
The Music of the Movies
(New
York, Hopkinson & Blake, 1975/ repr. DaCapo, 1979)
Anecdotal
work containing historical sections and brief discussions of Hollywood
film composers. |
|
Fordin,
Hugh
M-G-M's
Greatest Musicals: The Arthur Freed Unit
(paperback,
Da Capo Press 1996) |
 |
Flinn,
Caryl
Strains
of Utopia: Gender, Nostalgia, and Hollywood Film Music
(Princeton
University Press, 1992)
Significant
because it is the first, and only, work to consider gender in film
music. However, it suffers from a great lack of musical justification
for it arguments. |
 |
Francillion-Jacquet,
Vincent (ed)
Film
Composers Guide 1997-1998 (4th Ed)
(Lone
Eagle Publishing Company, 1997) |
|
Frith,
Simon & Goodwin, Andrew
On
Record: Rock, Pop and the Written Word
(New
York, Pantheon, 1989 / Routledge 2000) |
 |
Heming,
Roy
The
Melody Lingers On: The Great Songwriters and Their Movie Musicals
(Newmarket
Press; 1999) |
 |
Gabbard, Krin
Jammin'
at the Margins: Jazz and the American Cinema
(Chicago,
University of Chicago Press, 1996)
A provocative
series of essays that shed new light on how jazz fits into American
life viewed through the cinema. Detailed philosophical and historical
arguments. |
 |
Gorbman,
Claudia
Unheard
Melodies : Narrative Film Music
(Indiana
University Press, 1987)
The
seminal film music book. Contains historical and aesthetic arguments
including the movement from silents to sound, Classical Hollywood
practice and an analysis of Eisler/Adorno's critique. Zéro
de Conduite, Sous les toits de Paris and Hangover Square are also
discussed. |
 |
Hagen,
Earle
Scoring
for Films
(New
York, E.D.J. Music/Criterion Music Corp., 1971)
Contains
detailed technical explanations including click-track charts as
well as considering the legal and moral obligations of the composer.
Discusses principles for scoring diegetic music and underscoring
dialogue.
"
Scoring
for Films/Includes Compact Disc" |
|
Hoffmann,
Charles
Sound
for Silents
(New
York, Drama Book Specialists, 1970)
Historical
and practical account, includes musical examples |
|
Huntley,
John
British
Film Music
by
John Huntley (London, 1947/ repr. Arno Press,
1972)
Sections
on history, the British documentary and music recording. |
|
Kalinak,
Kathryn
Settling
the Score: Music and the Classical Hollywood Film
by
Kathryn Kalinak (Madison, University of Wisconsin
Press, 1992)
Offers
a clear introduction to basic film scoring aesthetics, such as establishment
of characters by way of themes and the heavy influence that Romantic
Era classical music had on film scores during Hollywood's Golden
Age. Kalinak focuses on Max Steiner's score for The Informer and
David Raksin's score for Laura, among others, before showing the
classic Hollywood style still at work in John
Williams' The Empire Strikes Back. |
|
Karlin,
Fred
Listening
to Movies: The Film Lover's Guide to Film Music
(Hardcover,
Wadsworth Pub Co; 1994)
Beginners
guide, an encyclopedia covering every aspect of film scores, including
profiles of notable composers and their credits, discussion of basic
aesthetic concepts, abundant illustrations, a review section, a
discussion of the studio system vs. freelancing etc.
"Listening
for Movies" discusses the scores of eight classic films, from The
Adventures of Robin Hood (Korngold) to The Magnificent Seven
(Bernstein) to The Untouchables (Morricone), with scene timings
and orchestral details that again surpass the general descriptions
given in some academic works |
 |
Karlin,
Fred & Wright, Rayburn
On
the Track: A Guide to Contemporary Film Scoring
(New York,
Schirmer Books, 1994)
A
detailed study and analysis of all aspects of film music. Especially
useful for composers. Contains an excellent section on the dramatic
effectiveness of certain types of orchestration. |
 |
Lack,
Russell
Twenty
Four Frames Under: A Buried History of Film Music
(London,
Quartet books, 1997)
History
of film music with an examination of music’s emotional
impact on the film audience. Contains an interesting section on
film music and politics. |
 |
Larson,
Randall D.
Musique
Fantastique: A Survey of Music in the Fantastic Cinema
(Metuchen,
Scarecrow Press, 1985)
Study
of music for sci-fi, horror and fantasy genres . The book
provides a historical survey of this particular brand of score throughout
the decades, spotlighting the Universal Pictures monster movies
of the 1930's and 40's, the 'alien scare' science-fiction films
of the 1950's, Japanese monster movies, low-budget horror films
of the 1960's by Roger Corman and the like, and the resurgence of
& 'fantastic cinema' in the late 1970's and beyond. |
|
Levy,
Louis
Music
for the movies
(London,
Sampson Low, 1948)
Anecdotal
description of Levy's own work for musicals and for scoring dramatic
films |
|
Limbacher,
James L.
Film
Music: From Violins to Video
.
(Metuchen, Scarecrow Press, 1974)
Contains
short articles on film music by musicians and others as well as
an inaccurate list of films and their composers .
Virtually
all aspects of film scoring are discussed, grouped into general
sections concerning aesthetics, history, animated films, documentaries,
the influence of classical music, and so on. The individual essays
vary in quality and approach, with some providing mainly historical
perspective, while others propose theories on what film music should
be; the largest section of essays is devoted to appreciations of
individual scores, most of which date from the 1930s through the
1950s. |
|
London,
Kurt
Film
music;: A summary of the characteristic features of its history,
aesthetics, technique; and possible developments
(London,
Faber & Faber, 1936/ repr. Arno Press, 1970)
An
excellent historical survey dealing mainly with the move from silent
to sound film. Contains a penetrating section on the aesthetics
of the sound film. |
|
McCarty,
Clifford (ed)
Film
Music 1
Garland
Press 1989, reprinted by Film Music Society
- Gaylord
Carter, the Dean of Theater Organists
-
"What Were Musicians Saying About Movie Music During the First Decade
of Sound?
-
"Stravinsky and MGM.",
-
Miklos Rozsa's Ben-Hur: The Musical-Dramatic Function of
the Hollywood Leitmotiv."
-
"The Music of Flash Gordon and Buck Rogers."
- "A
Conversation with Bernard Herrmann." |
|
Film
Music 2: History, Theory, Practice
(Film Music Society Publication)
Includes a broad scope of material from the 1940s
to the present. Essays are devoted to the documentary scores of
Golden Age composers Virgil Thomson and Aaron Copland; opera films
|
 |
MacDonald,
Lawrence E
The
Invisible Art of Film Music
(paperback,
Ardsley House Pub1998)
(Hardcover,
1991) |
 |
Mancini,
Henry
Did
They Mention the Music: The Autobiography of Henry Mancini
( Cooper
Square Pub dec 2001) |
|
Mancini,
Henry
Sounds
and Scores: A Practical Guide to Professional Orchestration
(Warner
Bros Pubns; Bk & CD edition 1999)
A
master of orchestration shares some of his secrets . |
 |
Manvell,
Roger & Huntley, John
The
Technique of Film Music
(London,
Focal Press, 1957/ repr. Hastings House, 1975)
A very
detailed review of film music. Contains analyses of many scores
including: 2001, Henry V, The Best Years of Our Lives and
The Devils as well as numerous statements by film composers
about their own techniques and preferences. |
|
Marks,
Martin Miller
Music
and the Silent Film: Contexts and Case Studies, 1895-1924
(New
York, Oxford University Press, 1997)
Contains
very detailed analyses of The Birth of a Nation and Entr'acte
as well as sections on music in the American silent film and
a discussion of the research materials available on film music. |
 |
Morgan,
David
Knowing
the Score
(Harper
paperback, Harper Entertainment; 2000) |
 |
Marmorstein,
Gary
Hollywood
Rhapsody: Movie Music and Its Makers
(Hardcover,
Schirmer Books1997) |
 |
Mundy,
John
Popular
Music on Screen: From the Hollywood Musical to Music Video (Manchester:
Manchester University Press, 1999) |
 |
Palmer,
Christopher
The
Composer in Hollywood
(London,
Marion Boyars, 1990)
Discussion
of American film composers. History and criticism |
|
Dmitri
Tiomkin: A Portrait
(London,
T.E. Books, 1984)
Chronological
discussion of Tiomkin' s work. Includes a complete filmography as
well as analyses of Dial M for Murder, Strangers on a
Train, and Gunfight at the OK Corral. |
|
Prendergast,
Roy M
Film
Music: A Neglected Art - A Critical Study of Music in Films
.
(New
York: New York University Press, 1977. 2nd edition, paperback, 1992)
Well
written general historical survey of film music. The primary interest
of the book is on dissection of individual scores at the notation
level. Included in Prendergast's discussion are excerpts from Rosenman's
East of Eden, Goldsmith's The Wind and the Lion, Bernstein's
The Man With the Golden Arm, Herrmann's Psycho, and
others. Prendergast freely uses music theory and terminology throughout,
and this text is recommended mainly for musicians and music scholars.
Chapter of the book on-line: "The
Aesthetics of Film Music" |
 |
Previn,
André
No
Minor Chords
(London,
Doubleday, 1992)
Reminiscences
of Previn's life and work at MGM studios. |
|
Raksin,
David
David
Raksin Remembers His Colleagues: Hollywood Composers
(The Stanford Theatre Foundation 1995)
A collection of essays written by
Mr. Raksin in association with a festival of classic film scores
at the Stanford Theatre in Palo Alto, California in April 1995 |
 |
Reay,
Pauline
Music
in Film: Soundtracks and Synergy
(Wallflower Press, 2004)
A brief history of the development of music in film
from the silent era to the present day. This book explores how music
operates on a narrative, emotional and cultural level. |
|
Romney,
Jonathan & Wooton, Adrian (eds.)
Celluloid
Jukebox: Popular Music and the Movies Since the 50s
(London,
BFI Publishing, 1995)
Collection
of essential articles on popular music in film. Contains interviews
with Quentin Tarantino, Ry Cooder and Wim Wenders among others,
as well as a good filmography. |
 |
Rona,
Jeff
The
Reel World: Scoring for Pictures
Backbeat
Books; Paperback 2001 |
 |
Rózsa,
Miklós
Double
Life: The Autobiography of Miklós Rózsa
(London,
Midas Books, 1983) |
|
Sabaneev,
Leonid
Music
for the films: A handbook for composers and conductors
(trans.
Pring, S.W., London, Pitman, 1935)
One of the
earliest books published about film music. Very interesting in historical
terms |
|
Schelle,
Michael
The
Score: Interviews with Film Composers
(Silman-James
Press; paperback, 1999) |
 |
Skinner,
Frank
Underscore
(New York,
Criterion Music Corporation, 1960)
Practical
manual for composing for films. Slightly dated but good. |
|
Smith,
Jeff
The
Sounds of Commerce: Marketing Popular Film Music
(New
York, Columbia University Press, 1998)
Very
readable work examining the emergence and development of the soundtrack
album within its economic, industrial, and historical contexts.
Contains excellent chapters on the music for Goldfinger and The
Good, The Bad, and the Ugly. |
 |
Smith,
Stephen C.
Heart
at Fire's Center: The Life and Music of Bernard Herrmann
(Los
Angeles, University of California Press, 1991)
Excellent
biography providing a real insight into the character of the man. |
 |
Thomas,
Tony
Music
for the Movies
(2nd
updated edition, paperback, Adventures Unlimited Press; 1997)
Readable
account that evenly balances anecdotal and analytical material.
Statements from numerous film composers about their work. Includes
discography. |
 |
Ulrich,
Allan
The
Art of Film Music: A Tribute to California's Film Composers
(Oakland Museum 1976)
A tribute to Elmer Bernstein, Ernest Gold, Lyn Murray, David Raksin
and Fred Steiner. The
interviews and statements by the composers are not offered anywhere
else.
|
 |
|
|
|
Useful book |
|
Ray,
Don B.
The
Orchestration Handbook
(Hal
Leonard Publishing Corporation, 2000) |
 |
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