Beginning with the era of synchronized sound in the 1920s, music has been an integral part of motion pictures. Whether used to heighten the tension of a scene or evoke a subtle emotional response, scores have played a significant—if often unrealized—role in the viewer's enjoyment.
In The Invisible Art of Film Music, Laurence MacDonald provides a comprehensive introduction for the general student, film historian, and aspiring cinematographer. Arranged chronologically from the silent era to the present day, this volume provides insight into the evolution of music in cinema and analyzes the vital contributions of scores to hundreds of films.
MacDonald reviews key developments in film music and discusses many of the most important and influential scores of the last nine decades, including those from Modern Times, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, Laura, A Streetcar Named Desire, Ben-Hur, Lawrence of Arabia, The Godfather, Jaws, Ragtime, The Mission, Titanic, Gladiator, The Lord of the Rings, Brokeback Mountain,and Slumdog Millionaire. MacDonald also provides biographical sketches of such great composers as Max Steiner, Alfred Newman, Franz Waxman, Bernard Herrmann, Elmer Bernstein, Henry Mancini, Maurice Jarre, John Barry, John Williams, Jerry Goldsmith, Dave Grusin, Ennio Morricone, Randy Newman, Hans Zimmer, and Danny Elfman.
Updated and expanded to include scores produced well into the twenty-first century, this new edition of The Invisible Art of Film Music will appeal not only to scholars of cinema and musicologists but also any fan of film scores.

- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
eBook - ePub
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Subtopic
Film & VideoTable of contents
- Contents
- List of Biographical Sketches
- Preface
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction: Music and the Birth of Film
- Chapter 1: The Evolution of Synchronized Sound
- Chapter 2: The Dawn of the Golden Age
- Chapter 3: World War II and Its Aftermath
- Chapter 4: The Decline of the Studio System
- Chapter 5: The Changing of the Guard
- Chapter 6: The Revival of the Symphonic Film Score
- Chapter 7: The Influence of Synthesized Sound
- Chapter 8: The Rise of Independent Films
- Chapter 9: The Derivative Decade
- Epilogue
- Bibliography
- About the Author
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Yes, you can access The Invisible Art of Film Music by Laurence E. MacDonald in PDF and/or ePUB format, as well as other popular books in Media & Performing Arts & Film & Video. We have over 1.5 million books available in our catalogue for you to explore.