Editing Bernard Herrmann (section)

==Compositional style and philosophy==
Herrmann's music is typified by frequent use of [[ostinato|ostinati]] (short repeating patterns), novel orchestration, and, in his film scores, an ability to portray character traits not altogether obvious from other elements of the film.

Early in his life, Herrmann committed himself to a creed of personal integrity at the price of unpopularity: the quintessential artist. His philosophy is summarized by a favorite Tolstoy quote: "Eagles fly alone, and sparrows fly in flocks." Thus, Herrmann only composed music for films when he was allowed the artistic liberty to compose what he wished without the director getting in the way. This was the cause of the split with Hitchcock after over a decade of composing scores for the director's films.

His philosophy of orchestrating film was based on the assumption that the musicians were selected and hired for the recording session – that this music was not constrained to the musical forces of the concert hall. For example, his use of nine harps in ''[[Beneath the 12-Mile Reef]]'' created an extraordinary underwater-like sonic landscape;<ref>{{Cite magazine|url=http://www.filmscoremonthly.com/cds/detail.cfm/CDID/80/Beneath-the-12-Mile-Reef/ |title=''Beneath the 12-Mile Reef'' (1953) Music by Bernard Herrmann |year=2015 |magazine=[[Film Score Monthly]]|access-date=17 March 2015}}</ref> his use of four [[alto flute]]s in ''Citizen Kane'' contributed to the unsettling quality of the opening, only matched by the use of 12 flutes in his unused ''Torn Curtain'' score; and his use of the [[Serpent (instrument)|serpent]] in ''[[White Witch Doctor]]'' is possibly the first use of that instrument in a film score.{{clarify|date=July 2010|reason=Do you mean that it is the first use of the instrument *in a film*?}}

Herrmann said: "To orchestrate is like a thumbprint. I can't understand having someone else do it. It would be like someone putting color to your paintings."<ref>Quoted by {{Cite web|last1=Hall |first1=Roger L.|url=https://www.americanmusicpreservation.com/film.htm#bernardherrmanntribute|website=Americanmusicpreservation.com |title=A tribute to Bernard Herrmann|page=43}}</ref>

Herrmann subscribed to the belief that the best film music should be able to stand on its own legs when detached from the film for which it was originally written. To this end, he made several well-known recordings for Decca of arrangements of his own film music as well as music of other prominent composers.

===Use of electronic instruments===
Herrmann's involvement with electronic musical instruments dates back to 1951, when he used the [[theremin]] in ''[[The Day the Earth Stood Still]]''. Robert B. Sexton has noted <ref>{{Cite web |last=Staff |first=TVOX |date=2003-07-16 |title=Bernard Herrmann |url=https://www.thereminvox.com/stories/reference/bernard-herrmann/ |access-date=2024-06-20 |website=Theremin Vox |language=en-US}}</ref> that this score involved the use of treble and bass theremins (played by [[Dr. Samuel Hoffmann]] and Paul Shure), [[electric violin|electric strings]], bass, prepared piano, and guitar together with various pianos and harps, electronic organs, brass, and percussion, and that Herrmann treated the theremins as a truly orchestral section.

Herrmann was a sound consultant on ''The Birds'', which made extensive use of an electronic instrument called the [[Trautonium|mixturtrautonium]], performed by [[Oskar Sala]] on the film's soundtrack. Herrmann used several electronic instruments on his score of ''[[It's Alive (1974 film)|It's Alive]]'', as well as the [[Moog synthesizer]] for the main themes in ''[[Endless Night (1972 film)|Endless Night]]'' and ''[[Sisters (1972 film)|Sisters]]''.