Brandeis Osher Lifelong Learning Institute (BOLLI)

Hollywood’s Classical Score: Hearing Our Way Through Hollywood’s Golden Era of Filmmaking

Course Number

MUS4-10-Tue3

Study Group Leader (SGL)

James Heazlewood-Dale

Location

This course will take place in person at 60 Turner Street. The room will be equipped with a HEPA air purifier.

10-Week Course

March 11 - May 20 (No Class April 15)

Description

This ten-week course offers an opportunity to explore the iconic music from classical Hollywood cinema. Participants will delve into the rich history of film scores from the golden era of cinema as we unpack the profound influence film composers of this period have had on the cinematic landscape.

Each week, we will focus on a different film and its score from the classical Hollywood period and build upon each topic to uncover the thematic developments, leitmotifs, and signature styles of seven renowned composers: Max Steiner, Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Dimitri Tiomkin, Adolph Deutsch, Nacio Herb Brown, Bernard Herrmann, and Alfred Newman. Through class discussions, weekly readings, and, of course, watching and listening with critical eyes and ears, participants will come to recognize and appreciate the indispensable role music plays in iconic films, such as King Kong, The Adventures of Robin Hood, Gone with the Wind, Citizen Kane, and Wuthering Heights. Finally, this course aims to encourage participants to reflect on and consider the enduring influence of classical Hollywood film scores on contemporary cinema, thereby gaining a deep appreciation for the cultural significance of the invisible art form of film scoring. 

A background in music is not required, as the instructor will explain any musical theory in the class. Digital links to the films will be provided. This 10-week course is an expanded version of the 5-week course, “Music in Classic Hollywood Cinema: A Journey Through the Golden Era”, with additional films and film composers to study.

Group Leadership Style

 Roughly the same amount of lecture and discussion.

Course Materials

 Links to all films, readings, and soundtracks will be provided by the SGL.

Preparation Time

Weekly preparation time depends on the film, Gone with the Wind is three and a half hours long. However, most of the films are under two hours, and readings are usually on the shorter side.

Biography

Growing up in Sydney's vibrant music scene, scholar, performer, and Grammy-nominated bassist Dr. James C. Heazlewood-Dale relocated to Boston to study jazz double bass at the Berklee School of Music on full scholarships. He has since performed with world-renowned artists, including Jacob Collier, Maria Schneider, and Terence Blanchard. His work can be read in Jazz and Culture (University of Illinois Press) and Environmental Humanities and the Video Game (Palgrave Macmillan). He is currently Lecturer in the University Writing program at Brandeis University, lecturing on film music and video game history.