Works for String Orchestra (1936-1955)

I first fell in love with string orchestras when I heard Bernard Herrmann’s complete score to Psycho. It was captivating in a way that classical/film music had never been for me before. So, when I saw this Koch disc at the public library, I was intrigued. When I brought it home and played it, I was changed forever. I’m not a fan of atonal music at all, but that's not really what these pieces are about. They're more about dissonance, tension and release, something altogether different than abandoning tonality. That tension and release, and the interplay between the string sections, is something that resonates deeply for me, and this will forever be one of my favorite discs of music.

The disc begins with Franz Waxman’s “Sinfonietta for String Orchestra & Timpani.” Written in 1955, this is most tonal selection and the most accessible of the bunch. The timpani is a brilliant addition to the orchestra. It absolutely makes the music soar, and brings to mind the melodic and percussion work on Waxman’s music for Universal’s The Invisible Ray. The three movements last about fifteen minutes and, for me, perfectly evoke the fifties in a sonic way that even visuals could never do.

Miklós Rózsa has two selections here. The first is an “Andante for String Orchestra” from 1950. It’s a medium tempo piece about ten minutes long that has nice sections of counterpoint and drama that make it . . . dare I say the word, cinematic. And that is the beauty of all these pieces. Though written for the concert hall, they evoke in a powerful way each composer’s work in the cinema. Rózsa’s next piece is a “Concerto for String Orchestra,” written in 1943, three movements that clock in at almost twenty-five minutes. There is more dissonance in this than the previous piece along with, ironically, a strong melodic leitmotif that carries through all the movements.

The final work on the Koch disc is by Bernard Herrmann, and it is easily the most dissonant on the album, and also the earliest piece composed. His “Sinfonietta for String Orchestra” is from 1936. Five short movements around three to four minutes each, they instantly bring to mind his work on Psycho, in a fantastic way. In addition to this tremendous music I added a selection to the album from another disc to my iPod, the “Symphonic Serenade” for strings by Erich Wolfgang Korngold from 1947. It’s from a German import by CPO and makes this a complete string orchestra experience for film score lovers. This is my favorite music of all time, and I’m sure that other fans of film scores will find it equally enriching.