psycho - Bernard Hermann

Question 1

When was the movie and music Physco released?

Answer 1

It was released in 1960 near the end of the cinematic golden era.

Question 2

Who composed the music for Physco?

Answer 2

Bernard Hermann (1911-1975)

He was an american composer and conductor who specialised in film music.

Question 3

What kind of features did Bernard Hermann use a lot in his music?

Answer 3

His music often features:

Ostinato patterns

Unstable dissonant chords

Question 4

What composers does physco show influence of?

Answer 4

Shows influences of:

Debussy

Bartok

Stravinsky.

Question 5

Give possible sentence starter to what film music could have the function to create.

Answer 5

To depict

To suggest a place

To suggest a time

To enhance tension

To provide comic commentary

To enhance emotional impact

To suggest a character or scene (leitmotif)

To appear in the film itself. (diagetic)

Question 6

What kind of film is Physco?

Answer 6

It is a tight budget film which only allowed Hermann to use an only string orchestra at a stretch.

Furthermore, it is a black and white Gothic horror.

Question 7

Describe performance forces in prelude cue.

Answer 7

Fingered tremolo (b41)

Opening ‘hammered’ chords

‘Obsessive’ quaver ostinato figures

Pizzicato cello and double bass notes, sometimes a pulse (b 5-14)

Sometimes as syncopated punctuation (b21-24)

Question 8

Describe the structure in prelude cue.

Answer 8

Built up of 4 ideas, assembled into a flowing driving whole.

1) (b1-3) ‘stabbed’ syncopated ‘Hitchcock’ chords

2) (b3-20) busy, obsessive ideas made up of a short ostinato

3)(b21-24) repeated dotted rhythm block chords answered by an off beat low bass pizzicato.

4)(b37-48) A more conventional melodic line which is stepwise.

These are all played in different orders + All ideas undergo variation or transposition

Question 9

Describe the tonality of the prelude cue.

Answer 9

Psycho generally avoids traditional tonal centres and key schemes. (Atonal)

Overall language is chromatic + dissonant

Question 10

Describe the texture of the prelude cue.

Answer 10

Homorhythmic (b1-3)

ostinato (b27-34) layers 3 ideas

Homophonic (b37-48)

Use of polyphony

Longer melodic phrases from bar 37.

Question 11

Describe the melody of the prelude cue.

Answer 11

Upwards semitone which critics connect to schizophrenia - first heard in bar 3 used in many works throughout the film.

Ostinato b3

Double in thirds and simultaneously inverted.

A ‘sighing’ motif - inverted.

Melodic ideas also heard elsewhere in the score for example murder and toys.

Question 12

Describe the harmony of the prelude cue

Answer 12

Non-functional harmony - avoids traditional progressions such as cadences.

Much of the harmony is chromatic, dissonant or atonal and avoids conventional triads for the most part.

Opening of prelude - dissonant chord - known as ‘Hitchcock’ chord ( minor chord with added major 7th) - extension chords make major triads dissonant.

‘Hitchcock’ chord creates an unstable sound and does not develop.

Question 13

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre of the prelude cue.

Answer 13

Fast in tempo ( allegro molto agitato)

2/4

Strong rhythmic drive fuelled by incessant quaver movement - interrupted by syncopated rhythm.

Nervous Bartok like triplet semi-quaver figure.

Contrasting dotted quaver/semi-quaver figure always concluded by syncopated pizzicato accent in the bass.

Moments of relaxation in idea 4 (b37-48)

Question 14

Describe performing forces and their handling in the cue the city

Answer 14

Strings are marked tutti con sordini.

The string writing is lush and played arco.

It is very romantic in style, with octave doublings and high writing in all instruments, especially at the start.

Subdued dynamics, starting pp and returning to soft playing rapidly whenever it gets louder.

Double basses join at bar 9.

Chords are played divisi.

Question 15

Describe the structure of the cue the city

Answer 15

Based on varied repetitions of the opening 3 bars.

Bars 4 + 5 are an exact melodic retrograde of bars 1 + 2, an octave lower in violin and with some rearrangements of accompanying parts.

Question 16

Describe the tonality of the cue the city.

Answer 16

Chromatic and dissonant

Question 17

Describe the texture of the cue the city.

Answer 17

Chordal homophonic texture throughout.

Starts with 8-part chords, never fewer than 4 parts.

Question 18

Describe the melody of the city.

Answer 18

Linked in with structure, as the whole cue is built around the repetitions and variations of the opening melodic idea (descending chordal shapes).

Question 19

Describe the harmony of the cue the city.

Answer 19

Slow harmonic rhythm helps create the mood.

Chords built largely on 4ths.

Opens with a diminished 7th chord and uses half diminished chords.

Question 20

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre of the cue the city.

Answer 20

Slow tempo, marked lento molto sostenuto.

Metre is 4/4 simple quadruple

More of a sense of pulse than rhythm, as it works in crotchet beats throughout ( apart from the quaver rests of the end of the 2 note sighing phrases).

Question 21

Describe the performing and handling of the cue Marion.

Answer 21

Strings are marked tutti con sordini.

Cellos and basses only enter at bar 9

Simple lines, mid-range

Between 3 and 6 part arco string writing

Dynamics are an important feature of this cue, with lots of details.

Question 22

Describe the structure of the cue Marion.

Answer 22

simple AABA structure based on 4-bar phrases

Finishes with a ‘Hitchcock’ chord held on a pause in bar 17 (creates no sense of resolution and closure could foreshadow Norman Bates’ impending fate and create a sense of vulnerability and instability.

Question 23

Describe the tonality of the cue Marion.

Answer 23

Although still with some chromatic elements in the accompaniment, one of the more tonal cues partly because of the diatonic nature of the descending melodic lines.

Question 24

Describe the texture of the cue Marion.

Answer 24

Melody and accompaniment texture, although it has several layers at times.

Descending semitone figure in violas inverted and turned into a tone at bar 9.

Question 25

Describe the melody of the cue Marion

Answer 25

Based on a sequential 3 note pattern that continues throughout the piece, passed between the violins.

Violin 2 repeats the opening melody down an 8ve.

This melody uses rising and falling perfect 5th intervals

The middle (B) section retains rhythm of the opening but modifies the phrase to a rising diminished 5th and falling perfect 4th.

Question 26

Describe the harmony in the cue Marion.

Answer 26

More conventional harmony in this cue, despite being based on a descending chromatic scale.

Ends with a ‘Hitchcock’ chord (b17)

Question 27

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre in the cue Marion

Answer 27

Very slow tempo, marked lento assai.

4/4 simple quadruple metre

Slow syncopated rhythms

Anacrusis at the start of each 4 bar phrase.

Question 28

Describe the performance forces and their handling in the cue the murder.

Answer 28

Strings are marked tutti senza sordini - only cue without mutes, making the aggressive, violence in the music more effective.

Uses shrieking high notes, near extreme top of instrumental ranges.

Dynamics are extremely loud (sffz) - sforzanto (loud and accented with legato)

Violas,cellos and double basses all divided, creating 8 parts.

B17 violas and violins play low pitched, cluster chords alternating arco and pizzicato.

At the same time, lower strings play sinister, off beat figures - slashing chords marked with down bow.

Question 29

Describe the structure in the cue the murder.

Answer 29

B1-8 ‘slashing chords’ build up

Glissandi up to each note.

Dies in silence at end of chord.

Question 30

Describe the tonality in the cue the murder

Answer 30

Atonal and extremely dissonant

The tonality adds another element of fear on screen action

Question 31

Describe the texture in the cue the murder

Answer 31

Texture builds down from top note, each of the 8 parts come in to create a complex, 8 note cluster.

Then instruments grouped into upper and lower strings for the low pitched cluster chords.

Question 32

Describe the melody in the cue the murder.

Answer 32

Melody is not the most prominent element in this cue but it is related to melodic motifs heard in the other cues.

The semitone motif first heard in the prelude (b3) is inverted to create a major 7th interval, which is used to build up the cluster chords at the start (b1-8).

The same semitone motif becomes reversed (a descending semitone) in cellos and double basses from (b 17-28).

Question 33

Describe the harmony in the cue the murder

Answer 33

Dissonant cluster chords, based on notes a semitone apart dominate this cue.

The opening cluster chord uses Eb, E, F, Gb in descending major 7ths.

Other chords (bar 18) are interacting augmented 4ths.

Question 34

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre in the cue the murder

Answer 34

Fast tempo marked molto forzando e feroce (very forceful and fierce).

3/2 simple time - violent pulse accentuated by the down bow bar 17 upper strings have rhythmic chords at the start marking of each bar.

Question 35

Describe the Performing forces and handling in the cue the toys.

Answer 35

Violins marked divisi and play descending parallel seventh chords.

There is an ostinato double pedal

viola plays arco F crotchets

Underpinned by pizzicato Es a ninth below in the cello and held E pedals a further octave below that in the double bass.

Question 36

Describe the structure in the cue the toys.

Answer 36

3 bar phrases in the upper strings made up of descending parallel chords over the ostinato double pedal.

Question 37

Describe the tonality in the cue the toys.

Answer 37

It is chromatic but keeps a sense of tonal centre.

The Es in the cello and double basses clash with the F in the viola part however they remain dominant.

Question 38

Describe the texture in the cue the toys.

Answer 38

It is loosely melody dominated homophony despite there being no specific melody.

The combination of upper string descending chords and a pedal in the lower end of the range creates 2 very clear layers which feel quite separated this could be linked to the actual plot of the film.

Question 39

Describe the melody in the cue the toys.

Answer 39

The descending parallel chords figure first heard in bar 3 of prelude - an upwards semitone heard as a verticalisation (played as a chord) in the bass of toys (viola, cello and double bass).

Question 40

Describe the harmony in the cue the toys.

Answer 40

The last bar contains a very dissonant interval - minor 9th (pedal E in the bass against an F in the violin). The changed parallel major and minor 7th chords make a tense atmosphere - non functional harmony.

Despite the clash between the F and E pedals, the help to create the sense of tonal centre for most of the cue.

Question 41

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre in the cue the toys.

Answer 41

Slow tempo in 4/4. There is a ‘throbbing’ crotchet pulse in the viola, cello and double bass.

Very slow at 54 bpm. When the slow moving tempo and the ‘throbbing’ pulse is combined this cue gives a sense of anticipation.

Question 42

Describe the performing forces and handling in the cue the cellar.

Answer 42

Begins with a D octave double trills in all instruments.

Bar 5-46 tremelando passages moving in quavers, building up a fugal texture.

Musical phrases here are shared between 10 divisi parts, which each half of the section overlapping the other by quaver each time.

Bar 47 tremelando continues but now with a change of sound playing sul ponticello (near the bridge) in half of each part.

At the same time cellos and basses begin to play longer notes, again splitting the section between normal arco and ponticello bowing.

The cue finishes with contrasting sustained chords, building a chord from the cellos and basses and ending with a high unresolved chord in the first violin.

Question 43

Describe the structure of the cue the cellar.

Answer 43

Played as Marion descends cellar stairs.

Builds up a fugal texture from 8 bar units, beginning at bar 5.

Four related contrapuntal ideas eventually combined.

Question 44

Describe the tonality of the cue the cellar

Answer 44

Generally avoids traditional tonal centres and key schemes.

Uses a dissonant, chromatic language with some reference to tonal centre.

Question 45

Describe the texture of the cue the cellar.

Answer 45

Fugal (contrapuntal) textures in up to four parts - bars 5-46.

Question 46

Describe the melody of the cue the cellar

Answer 46

Melodic material for fugal texture, ideas are all related.

1) 8 bar subject rises sequentially, related in terms of melodic inversions and possibly retrogrades.

2) Counter subject 1, chromatic scale patterns and moving downwards in sequence.

3) Counter subject 2, crotchet rest separating the notes of the idea in order to maintain excitement of the quaver movement.

4) Further development of the subject, this time using 3 notes to a bar.

All these ideas eventually evolve into ‘empty’ downward chromatic scales as the cue draws to a close.

Question 47

Describe the harmony in the cue the cellar.

Answer 47

Non-functional harmony avoids traditional progressions such as cadences.

Chromatic, dissonant and mostly atonal.

Question 48

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre in the cue the cellar.

Answer 48

Has a fast tempo (allegro molto) 2/4

Rests are injected into the 3rd and 4th ideas here to vary rate of progress through material.

Much longer note values in concluding bars ‘settle’ the end of the extract dissipating some of the tension.

Stream of continuous quavers (molto perpetuo) - build up tension heightened by use of tremolandi.

Question 49

Describe the performing forces and handling in the cue Discovery.

Answer 49

Use of accents both on and off beats - syncopated dell that is disjointed.

Performed by a string octet.

Dynamics start as fortissimo and diminuendo till the end of the cue violins play divisi (b27) where it is pianissimo.

Pizzicato in double bass.

Question 50

Describe the structure in the cue Discovery.

Answer 50

b1-18 homphonic, homorhythmic pattern

b19-26 Bass cross rhythm enters, disrupts the rhythm from the upper parts.

b23-26 repeated chords in upper strings, leads us into change of section.

b26-36 change of time rapid descending chordal line above sustained bass notes.

b37 abrupt ending chord fading into nothing

Question 51

Describe the tonality in the cue discovery.

Answer 51

Almost completely atonal.

Highly chromatic and dissonant - adds to elements of fear.

Question 52

Describe the texture in the cue discovery.

Answer 52

Use of chordal homophony and homo rhythms at the start within the upper strings and cello.

Double bass creates cross rhythms between the upper and lower strings.

Use of bass pedal at b27 (the change into 3/8) to underpin the texture.

Question 53

Describe the melody of the cue discovery.

Answer 53

Lack of clear or distinct melody at the start.

Use of sporadic repeated notes in the melody.

Use of disjunct angular motion in the top notes of the chords, moving by tritones and semitones.

Some use of sequential melody ideas

B26 descending chromatic sequence that repeats and plays out until the end of cue.

Question 54

Describe the harmony of the cue discovery

Answer 54

Very atonal making use of non-functional harmony

Chords change sporadically without lingering on one chord for very long.

Chords used for sound rather than a functional purpose.

Use of repeated Hitchcock chord -sense of instability.

Closely dissonant cluster chord

Ends on C# 7b9 chord provides feeling of restlessness and lack of resolution.

Question 55

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre of the cue discovery

Answer 55

2/4 metre at the start (simple duple time) but shifts to 3/8 (allegro feroce) fiercely fast 138bpm.

Crotchet triplets in lower strings contrast upper string semiquavers

Some syncopation.

Question 56

Describe the performing forces and their handling in the cue finale

Answer 56

‘Bleak’ string texture beginning with a single viola line, joined by high violins in a chromatic, polyphonic texture.

Viola introduces 3 note ‘madness’ motif at (b 15-16), taken up in octaves by cellos/basses (bar 17-18).

Concludes with dissonant ff low register chord combination.

Upper strings are pushed to the top of their ranges played muted and pianissimo until last 3 bars - sudden dyanamic change to forte than cresc. to ff

Question 57

Describe the structure of the cue finale

Answer 57

Recaps material from the ‘madhouse’ cue (not part of this study) makes prominent use of ‘madness’ motif -F-Eb-D in the last 4 bars.

Question 58

Describe the tonality of the cue finale

Answer 58

Generally avoids traditional tonal centres and key schemes.

The finale is an atonal cue much like ‘the murder’.

Question 59

Describe the texture of the cue finale

Answer 59

3 part polyphony violin 1, violin 2 and viola.

Celli and contrabasses don’t play until the last 3 bars.

Question 60

Describe the melody of the cue finale

Answer 60

Upper strings are pushed to the top of their ranges played muted and pianissimo until last 3 bars - sudden dynamic change to forte than cresc. to ff

Wide use of the rich timbre of the violas

legato, chromatic and disjunt.

Question 61

Describe the harmony in the cue finale

Answer 61

Unresolved at the end, perhaps links to Norman Bates’ impending fate as he is at a police station.

Chords are played divisi

There is lots of dissonance.

Question 62

Describe the tempo, rhythm and metre in the cue finale

Answer 62

4/4 and 3/4

Sad and slow (adagio e mesto)

Bleak and directionless rhythms avoiding a sense of metre.

Make ‘finale’ seem like it is confined, no space to escape.

Syncopated viola idea bars 12-14