Taxi Driver is viewed as an iconic film in many respects, but the core of its impact must include Robert de Niro's central performance, Martin Scorsese's direction and Bernard Herrmann's music. This was the composer's final film and he died only hours after conducting the final recording sessions and, at Scorsese's insistance, the film carries a dedication in memory of Bernard Herrmann. The composer has many outstanding film score credits from his earlier collaboration with Alfred Hitchcock but Taxi Driver is one of his finest scores. ln the movie, de Niro plays the title role alongside an impressive supporting cast. As a cab driver, he sees a lot of the seedier side of life, and his increasingly deranged mind concocts a mission to take action against a corrupt world. The music is every bit as riveting and intense as de Niro's performance.In a departure from Herrmann's normal style, here he starts with a relatively laid-back theme in a jazz idiom which aptly depicts the sleazy setting among the city's night life. Interspersed with the jazz theme on saxophone we have dark motives and some great whooshes of sound which are clearly portents of doom. You just know that the Travis Bickle (the taxi driver) is unhinged and increasingly ready to take some kind of drastic action. Very unsettling but strangely compelling at the same time. The sax solos for the initial score tracks (conducted by Herrmann) are played by Ronny Lang, whereas the sax solos on the additional tracks (arranged and conducted by Dave Blume) are played by Tom Scott, who also has many credits as a recording artist on some major films including Bladerunner, and as composer for a variety of TV shows (see his web-site at www.TomScottMusic.com). In addition to the sax which often as on track 4 is accompanied by some lounge lizard piano, other important instruments include the snare drum perhaps hinting at the Travis Bickle's military background. Some of the instruments like bass clarinet play some slow "breathing" figures and an important descending motive. These dark "motives" become more prominent suggesting an unstoppable descent into the cab driver's own personal tortured hell. By the climax of track 10 the sax theme is taken up by muted trumpets against the firm resolve of repetitive timpani. Harp glissandi also play an important role throughout the score.
Bernard Herrmann Taxi Driver Mp3 Download
2ff7e9595c
Comments