He was asked to score The 49th Parallel, but had to refuse for another job.
He was glad he didn’t do this movie because it marked the debut of Ralph Vaughn
Williams’ first movie score.

Rozsa had to do some additions and refinements for two scores, and he didn’t
like stepping into the arena of other composers. He had to modify some of Walton’s
score for Major Barbara, and he wrote the whole final scene to Beau
Brummel, but demanded that he not be listed in the credits.

Didn’t have as many hassles with directors as he is did with the heads
of music departments that said he used too much dissonance. One record
executive told him that he used too many themes in his scores, that in King
of Kings he used 14 themes, and that Dr. Zhivago had only one theme and
sold over a million records.

He liked Herrmann and admired Herrmann’s tenacity and ability to not compromise
his standards. Herrmann wanted to score Julius Caesar, but Rozsa got the job.
Later, Herrmann played his ideas for Julius Caesar for Rozsa and was please
when Rozsa praised his melodies.

He was up for the job of Duel in the Sun, but Selznick hired 6 composers
including Rozsa to write themes for two weeks and then Selznick would
pick one. Rozsa refused this as he thought is was humiliating.

He was nominated for Oscars for both Spellbound and The Lost Weekend,
and he won for Spellbound; however, he felt his Lost Weekend score
was the better of the two. His third Oscar for Ben Hur was the one
he cherished the most.

He divides his scores into certain arenas. First: Oriental or exotic sounds.
The Four Feathers, Thief of Baghdad, Jungle Book, Sahara. Second:
Psychological thrillers like Spellbound, Lost Weekend, Strange Love of
Martha Ivers, The Red House. Third: Hard Hitting Action/film noirs like
Brute Force, Desert Fury. Fourth: Epic/Historical/
Biblical scores which began with Quo Vadis, and lead to King of Kings, Ben Hur,
and El Cid.

Hitchcock only met with him two times on Spellbound and didn’t call to
congratulate him on the Oscar. He felt Hitchcock was pompous.

He was invited by USC to teach their first class on film composition.
He worked with hundreds of students, some who were very talented, but
only one really made it big in the movie industry, Jerry Goldsmith.

He felt El Cid was his last major film score and his last important film with the exception
of Providence.

He enjoyed working the Resnais, the director of Providence. “In my view the music should
add a new dimension, should tell the audience something it can’t be told in any other way.
And I was pleased to hear Resnais say that in the dubbing there would be no conflict
between music and effect; either one or the other would be featured, not both
simultaneously. I remembered the long heavy battle scenes in films like Ivanhoe and El
Cid, the millions of notes I expended in composing music designed to carry the action
forward and invest it with all the necessary colour, drama and excitement. In the dubbing
the music would be all but annihilated by the tiring realism of effects.”
(Ah, good point. I too find this frustrating when trying to hear a score in a movie.)

The title of this book Double Life refers to Rozsa’s efforts to privately compose
concertos and other concert works while balancing his love for composing
film music. He didn’t regret composing for the vital world of cinema even though
at times it was exasperating. He ends by saying that he is an, “unashamed champion of
tonality.” Composers can still find new things to say within its framework. “I have never
felt the need to move outside the orbit of the tonal system. Tonality means line; line means
melody; melody means song, and song, and especially folksong is the essence of music.”

It was an interesting book to read. Rozsa seemed to like people who were intelligent,
cultured and always courteous or gentlemanly. It is how his book reflects his own
image. I wish we had some new composers that critics would label with a,
“Rozsaesque disposition for melody or a Rozsa predilection for themes.” I’ve loved his
music. (O.K. Class dismissed. )

Here's a list of my Rozsa collection...I really need to get more!!

Spellbound (original mono recording)
Spellbound Concerto
The Lost Weekend (original mono recording)
Ben Hur Vol I (tape)
Ben Hur (different artwork)
Ben Hur (extra music)
The Classic film Scores of Miklos Rozsa (Gerhardt)..highlight is the wonderful "The Red House" suite
The Immortal Film music of...
Epic film scores of...
Miklos Rozsa Movie themes
Quo Vadis
El Cid
The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes (Violin Concerto)
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
Providence
The Last Embrace/Lydia
Time after Time
Eye of the Needle

quote:

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Originally posted by Gae:

Here's a list of my Rozsa collection...I really need to get more!!

Spellbound (original mono recording)
Spellbound Concerto
The Lost Weekend (original mono recording)
Ben Hur Vol I (tape)
Ben Hur (different artwork)
Ben Hur (extra music)
The Classic film Scores of Miklos Rozsa (Gerhardt)..highlight is the wonderful "The Red House" suite
The Immortal Film music of...
Epic film scores of...
Miklos Rozsa Movie themes
Quo Vadis
El Cid
The Private Lives of Sherlock Holmes (Violin Concerto)
The Golden Voyage of Sinbad
Providence
The Last Embrace/Lydia
Time after Time
Eye of the Needle

[Message edited by Gae on 01-25-2001]

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Get the Intrada recordings of Ivanhoe and Julius Ceaser. They are excellent.

King's Thief
Madame Bovary
Plymouth Adventure
Story of Three Loves (excellent!)
Valley Of The Kings

All are Tickertape/Tsunami releases. I've received Story of Three Loves and Valley Of The Kings so far and the sound quality is excellent.

I met Rozsa in 1977 while a freshman in David Raksin's film music class at USC. He was on hand to attend a showing of Thief of Bagdad and discuss the score. Afterwards, he graciously consented to sign some of my albums. Alas, they were the first to go when I was forced to sell my soundtrack collection a few years later.