The Bernard Herrmann centenary being celebrated this year with tributes all over the world will reach a triumphant crescendo the week of his birth, in Tenerife at Fimucité 5! Bernard Herrmann was born on June 29, 1911. Fimucité 5's 2011 celebration of film music will open with a panel discussion of the composer's career featuring producer Robert Townson on Monday, June 27. That same day kicks off a five-day Bernard Herrmann film festival featuring screenings of The Day The Earth Stood Still (June 27), North By Northwest (June 28), Jason And The Argonauts (June 29), Fahrenheit 451 (June 30) and Taxi Driver (July 1). Fimucité's celebration of the legendary composer culminates with a July 2 concert tribute featuring music from all four Ray Harryhausen films plus Citizen Kane, North by Northwest, The Day The Earth Stood Still and Taxi Driver. Don't miss this extraordinary event!
Soundtrack News
April 18, 2011
A VARESE TOP THREE!
Varèse Sarabande congratulates Twentieth Century Fox and composer John Powell on the #1 box office hit for the week, RIO. Congratulations also go out to The Weinstein Company and Marco Beltrami on SCREAM 4's #2 finish, as well at Universal Pictures and Christopher Lennertz on the continued success of the #3 film, HOP! All three scores are available on Varèse Sarabande as of April 19.
February 28, 2011
4 CESARS FOR THE GHOST WRITER!
Varèse Sarabande congratulates composer Alexandre Desplat on winning the French Cesar Award for his exceptional score for Roman Polanski's The Ghost Writer. Polanski himself won for Best Director. The film additionally won for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Film Editing. Congratulations to all!
February 11, 2011
IFMCA NOMINATIONS!
Varèse Sarabande albums today received 18 nominations in 9 of IFMCA's 14 award categories. Nominees included Alexandre Desplat's The Ghost Writer, John Powell's How To Train Your Dragon, James Newton Howard's Nanny McPhee Returns, Marc Streitenfeld's Robin Hood, Michael Giacchino's Lost, John Williams's Family Plot, Dave Grusin's The Goonies and Alex North's Spartacus. Alexandre Desplat, Danny Elfman, James Newton Howard and John Powell were all included in the Film Composer of the Year category and Varèse Sarabande received a nomination for Label of the Year. Congratulations to all!
January 30, 2011
JOHN BARRY (1933 - 2011)
We are heartbroken to announce the unspeakably sad news of John Barry's passing. One of film music's heroic legends, John Barry had an utterly unique and irreplaceable voice that personified great and memorable film music. I remember recording Out of Africa with Joel McNeely and the RSNO in 1997. Jerry Goldsmith happened to be in the booth, reading Barry's score while we were recording the main title. When the orchestra finished, Jerry looked up from the page and said, with great admiration, "He really can write a tune!" We all have our favorite John Barry themes and scores, followed by another and another. For me, perhaps Chaplin (1992). But that's one of many, and they will play forever.
January 25, 2011
CONGRATULATIONS, JOHN POWELL!
Congratulations go out to our friend John Powell on collecting his first Academy Award nomination for his extraordinary score for DreamWorks Animation's How To Train Your Dragon! A stunning work and a favorite of film music fans around the world! Bravo, John! And good luck!
December 30, 2010
EDITH WILLIAMS CELEBRATES HER 100th!
Robert Townson's grandmother, Edith Williams, celebrates her 100th birthday today, December 30, 2010. Norm and Edith Williams both ensured their places in film music history when they supplied start-up capitol to Robert when he formed Masters Film Music in 1985 and released his first album, Jerry Goldsmith's THE FINAL CONFLICT, in April of 1986. 1070 soundtrack albums have followed in the 25 years since, to the delight of composers and film music fans the world over. Congratulations, Edith! And thank you!
December 01, 2010
A.M.P.A.S. - BOB PEAK EXHIBIT!
A historic exhibition of original artwork by the legendary Bob Peak will go on display at the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences for three months beginning January 20, 2011. Robert Townson's collection of Peak works, including paintings from Superman: The Movie, Star Trek, Excalibur, Camelot, My Fair Lady, Silverado and Something Wicked This Way Comes will be on exhibit, along with many other Peak masterpieces including Apocalypse Now, Pennies From Heaven and The Year of Living Dangerously. Bob Peak: Creating The Modern Movie Poster will present the largest collection of Bob Peak's movie poster artwork ever assembled!
Exhibition Information
When
January 20 through April 17, 2011
Where
The Academy’s Fourth Floor Gallery
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90211
8949 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, California 90211
Public viewing hours
Tuesday – Friday: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday: Noon to 6 p.m.
Closed Mondays.
Admission: Free
November 16, 2010
RONNI CHASEN (1946 - 2010)
There are simply no words to convey the sadness and shock we are left with over the tragic loss of our friend, publicist Ronni Chasen, who was shot and killed in Beverly Hills on the way home from a Hollywood premiere on November 16. Ronni was a beloved figure in Hollywood and represented such composers as John Williams, Hans Zimmer, James Newton Howard and Elliot Goldenthal, along the World Soundtrack Awards in Ghent, Belgium.
We are heartbroken.
November 16, 2010
DANNY GOULD (1921 - 2010)
Varèse Sarabande mourns the passing of Warner Bros. Music VP and musicologist Danny Gould, who died November 4 at the age of 89. It was Gould's Herculean efforts to prepare Alex North's music from A Streetcar Named Desire, (given just four days notice!) which allowed for Jerry Goldsmith and Robert Townson to record the score in London in 1995, when the composer's schedule suddenly cleared after quitting the film Babe. Gould worked for Warner Bros. for nearly 40 years and at Paramount prior to that. Danny was one of film music's behind-the-scene legends and he will be greatly missed.
