Bernard Herrmann

The Sonic Psychologist of Cinema

Bernard Herrmann stands as one of the most influential and ground-breaking composers in the history of film music. Revered for his psychological depth, innovative orchestrations, and emotionally charged scores, Herrmann helped redefine the role of music in cinema. His work transcended mere accompaniment, functioning instead as an active agent in storytelling—probing characters’ inner lives and subtly guiding audiences through complex emotional landscapes.

Perhaps best known for his collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock, including the iconic Psycho (1960), Herrmann’s career extended far beyond suspense. From Citizen Kane to Taxi Driver, his music consistently broke with tradition, pushing boundaries and forging a path that later composers—such as John Williams, Danny Elfman, and Christopher Young—would follow.

Early Life and Musical Roots

Max Herman (later Bernard Herrmann) was born on June 29, 1911, in New York City, to a family of Russian-Jewish immigrants. A precocious talent, he studied at New York University and later at Juilliard, immersing himself in composition and conducting.

Herrmann was profoundly influenced by Romantic composers like Wagner and Debussy but also intrigued by modernists such as Charles Ives. This duality—emotional romanticism paired with structural innovation—would become a hallmark of his film work.

In 1934, Herrmann joined CBS Radio, eventually becoming the chief conductor of the CBS Symphony Orchestra. There, he collaborated with Orson Welles, a relationship that would lead to one of the most significant debuts in film history.

Citizen Kane (1941): A Revolutionary Debut

Herrmann’s first film score was for Orson Welles’ Citizen Kane, often cited as the greatest film ever made. Unlike traditional Hollywood scores that leaned heavily on wall-to-wall music and lush romanticism, Herrmann took a modernist approach.

Innovations:

Use of motifs and short, sharply defined cues to mirror the fractured narrative.

Incorporation of musical pastiche (e.g., faux-arias, nostalgic waltzes) to support the film’s shifting timeframes and emotional tones.

The “Kane’s Xanadu” motif—a brooding, low-brass theme—evoked the decay and desolation of the protagonist’s life.

The score was a critical success and established Herrmann as a daring new voice in Hollywood.

Collaborations with Alfred Hitchcock

Herrmann’s most famous partnership was with Alfred Hitchcock, whom he worked with on nine films from 1955 to 1966. Their collaboration produced some of the most chilling and sophisticated scores in film history.

Vertigo (1958)

A lush, Wagnerian score that reflects the film’s themes of obsession, illusion, and death.

The “Scene d’Amour” is considered one of the most emotionally complex film cues ever written, building hypnotically to mirror the protagonist’s descent into delusion.

Use of bitonality, chromaticism, and dissonance to blur the line between beauty and madness.

North by Northwest (1959)

A dynamic, rhythmic score that captures the film’s mix of suspense and romance.

The main title is driven by Latin-inspired rhythms and angular brass motifs, propelling the narrative with breathless energy.

Psycho (1960)

Herrmann’s most iconic score, written for a string orchestra only, which heightened the stark, black-and-white cinematography.

The shrieking, stabbing “murder motif” in the shower scene remains one of the most recognizable cues in film history.

The score's minimalism and dissonance revolutionized horror music and has influenced countless films since.

Despite their creative synergy, Herrmann and Hitchcock’s relationship ended bitterly during the scoring of Torn Curtain (1966), when Hitchcock, under studio pressure, demanded a more commercial, pop-oriented score. Herrmann refused to compromise and was replaced—marking the end of one of cinema’s greatest artistic partnerships.

A Unique Musical Voice

Bernard Herrmann’s style was unlike that of his contemporaries:

Orchestration as storytelling: Herrmann treated the orchestra as a dramatic tool, not just an ensemble. He often wrote for unusual instrumental combinations—theremins (The Day the Earth Stood Still), low woodwinds, four harps, or solo organ.

Economy of material: He often used short, insistent motifs rather than long, flowing melodies.

Emotional directness: His scores often focused more on internal drama than external action.

Dissonance and tonal ambiguity: Rarely relying on major/minor clichés, Herrmann explored atonality, modality, and bitonality to underscore psychological states.

These qualities made his music ideal for suspense, noir, horror, and psychological drama.

Later Career and Taxi Driver (1976)

Though his work fell out of favour during the more pop-oriented 1970s, Herrmann remained a sought-after composer, especially in Europe.

His final score was for Martin Scorsese’s Taxi Driver. Written the day before his death in 1975, the music blends a melancholic saxophone jazz motif with eerie, dissonant textures.

The “Betsy’s Theme” contrasts romantic yearning with Travis Bickle’s isolation.

The score’s seedy, urban atmosphere is both seductive and disturbing—perfectly capturing the film’s moral ambiguity.

Scorsese and composer Elmer Bernstein, who conducted the score, preserved Herrmann’s original orchestrations without alteration. The result is a fitting swan song to a master’s career.

Television and Radio Work

In addition to film, Herrmann composed prolifically for radio and television, including episodes of:

The Twilight Zone

Have Gun – Will Travel

Alfred Hitchcock Presents

Suspense (CBS Radio)

His radio background sharpened his dramatic instincts, particularly in how music could punctuate and intensify dialogue and atmosphere in short-form storytelling.

Legacy and Influence

Bernard Herrmann’s legacy is enormous. He opened the door for psychologically complex, modernist, and experimental film scores. Composers such as:

John Williams (notably in Jaws and Close Encounters)

Danny Elfman

Howard Shore

James Newton Howard

…have acknowledged his influence.

Herrmann’s scores are widely studied in film schools and conservatories. Several of his works have been adapted into concert suites, and his music remains a staple of live film-in-concert performances.

Awards and Recognition

Despite his massive influence, Herrmann was not a frequent award-winner during his lifetime—a testament to how far ahead of his time he was.

Oscar win: The Devil and Daniel Webster (1941)

Oscar nominations: Citizen Kane, Anna and the King of Siam, Obsession, Taxi Driver

Posthumous tributes from the American Film Institute, the BBC, and many contemporary composers.

Conclusion: The Music of the Mind

Bernard Herrmann did not just score movies—he scored the soul of cinema. With each note, he explored fear, desire, identity, and illusion. Whether through the sweeping vertigo of romance or the jagged edges of paranoia, Herrmann’s music spoke the language of psychological truth.

His soundtracks are not dated relics but timeless expressions of human complexity. In an era when film music often retreats to cliché, Herrmann’s bold originality remains a beacon. As long as there are stories of obsession, mystery, and madness to tell, the music of Bernard Herrmann will echo in the shadows.