For more than a century, original music has been composed for the cinema. From the early days when live music accompanied silent films to the present in which a composer can draw upon a full orchestra or a lone synthesizer to embody a composition, music has been an integral element of most films. By the late 1930s, movie studios had established music departments, and some of the greatest names in film music emerged during Hollywood’s Golden Age, including Alfred Newman, Max Steiner, Dimitri Tiomkin, and Bernard Herrmann. Over the decades, other creators of screen music offered additional memorable scores, and some composers—such as Henry Mancini, Randy Newman, and John Williams—have become household names. The Encyclopedia of Film Composers features entries on more than 250 movie composers from around the world. It not only provides facts about these artists but also explains what makes each composer notable and discusses his or her music in detail. Each entry includes Biographical material Important dates Career highlights Analysis of the composer’s musical style Complete list of movie credits This book brings recognition to the many men and women who have written music for movies over the past one hundred years. In addition to composers from the United States and Great Britain, artists from dozens of other countries are also represented. A rich resource of movie music history, The Encyclopedia of Film Composers will be of interest to fans of cinema in general as well as those who want to learn more about the many talented individuals who have created memorable scores.

Musicians, both fictional and real, have long been subjects of cinema. From biopics of composers Beethoven and Mozart to the rise (and often fall) of imaginary bands in The Commitments and Almost Famous, music of all types has inspired hundreds of films. The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film features the most significant productions from around the world, including straightforward biographies, rockumentaries, and even the occasional mockumentary. The wide-ranging scope of this volume allows for the inclusion of films about fictional singers and bands, with emphasis on a variety of themes: songwriter–band relationships, the rise and fall of a career, music saving the day, the promoter’s point of view, band competitions, the traveling band, and rock-based absurdity. Among the films discussed in this book are Amadeus, The Blues Brothers, The Buddy Holly Story, The Commitments, Dreamgirls, The Glenn Miller Story, A Hard Day’s Night, I’m Not There, Jailhouse Rock, A Mighty Wind, Ray, ’Round Midnight, The Runaways, School of Rock, That Thing You Do!, and Walk the Line.With entries that span the decades and highlight a variety of music genres, The Encyclopedia of Musicians and Bands on Film is a valuable resource for moviegoers and music lovers alike, as well as scholars of both film and music.

Art Song Composers of Spain: An Encyclopedia describes the wealth of vocal repertoire composed by 19th- and 20th-century Spanish song composers. More than 90 composers are discussed in detail with complete biographies, descriptions, and examples of the song literature, as well as comprehensive listings of stage works, books, recordings, compositions in non-vocal genres, and vocal repertoire. Opening with a thorough history of Spain and its political scene, author Suzanne Rhodes Draayer examines its relation to song composition and the impact on composers such as Fernando Sor, Sebasti_n de Iradier, Federico Garc'a Lorca, Manuel de Falla, and many others. Draayer discusses Spanish art song and its various types, its folksong influences, and the major and minor composers of each period. Beginning with Manuel Garc'a (b. 1775) and ending with Carmen Santiago de Meras (b. 1917), Draayer provides biographies of the composers, a discussion and analysis of songs available in print in the US, and a complete list of solo songs for each. Musical examples are given for 175 songs, demonstrating a variety of compositional techniques and lyrical text settings, and illustrating characteristics of orientalism (Moorish) and cante jondo (gypsy) elements, as well as influences such as the German lied and French mZlodie. The final chapter lists contemporary composers and considers the difficulties in researching music by women composers. Complete with a foreword by Nico Castel, a bibliography, and additional indexes, Art Song Composers of Spain proves the importance of the Spanish song as an essential part of vocal training and concert repertoire.

“Wow! What a book!” — Katharine Hepburn “Recommended for any reference collection in need of a world view of film.” — Booklist “The best movie reference book, hands down.” — Newsweek

This indispensable guide is the reference book for anyone interested in musical film. Its fact-packed, alphabetically-arranged pages include over 1600 entries covering not only the most important actors, composers, lyricists, directors, choreographers, and producers but also the most memorable songs and best-loved films. Beginning in 1927 with The Jazz Singer--the first part-sound motion picture--the film entries provide brief plot outlines, behind-the-scenes information, all the songs from the particular film with the names of the singers (including songs ultimately cut from the film), roles played by the particular actors and actresses, plus names of composers, lyricists, directors, and collaborators, and much more. The volume also features listings of Motion Picture Academy nominations and winners, British and American film title changes, who played whom in what films, and a general bibliography and discography. Now in a newly revised paperback edition, it offers updated information on the people included in the book, additional films under existing entries, and the most recent Academy Award winners.

This book provides a comprehensive and lively introduction to the major trends in film scoring from the silent era to the present day, focussing not only on dominant Hollywood practices but also offering an international perspective by including case studies of the national cinemas of the UK, France, India, Italy, Japan and the early Soviet Union. The book balances wide-ranging overviews of film genres, modes of production and critical reception with detailed non-technical descriptions of the interaction between image track and soundtrack in representative individual films. In addition to the central focus on narrative cinema, separate sections are also devoted to music in documentary and animated films, film musicals and the uses of popular and classical music in the cinema. The author analyses the varying technological and aesthetic issues that have shaped the history of film music, and concludes with an account of the modern film composer's working practices.

Offers background information and commentary on 1,200 popular songs from a variety of styles and genres written between the mid-nineteenth century and the mid-twentieth century.