The Encyclopedia of Film Composers [Hardcover]

Hischak offers a unique combination of opinion and painstaking research. The author asserts that film composers deserve further recognition for their influence and contributions. His objective is to fill a gap, covering hundreds of lesser-known composers. Included are 252 individuals who either created a significant number of film scores or who mainly composed in other genres but also had notable film score success. Each entry includes a biography; a discussion of the subject's work that includes Hischak's perspective on, for example, which piece was most memorable; feature film credits, including Academy Award, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, and the Golden Globe Award nominations and wins; the director; and country where the movie was produced. It's critical to read the book's introduction to understand that if an artist created the score with three or more composers, for example, it was not included on the list. Closing the volume are comprehensive name and title indexes, necessary for a book with so much detail. Verdict: Hischak's offering presents a wide scope of composers, and anyone who loves film and has previous knowledge of music and/or film will be delighted by its content.This hefty volume focuses solely on the creators of movie music. From the early silent films to today's blockbusters, accompanying music often draws as much attention as the films themselves and sometimes outlives the pictures in both popular culture and film history. Herein are more than 250 alphabetically arranged entries on composers from all over the world, covering the entire spectrum of cinema history. Entries are generally a few pages in length and contain biographical information, chronological career highlights, and an analysis of the musical style of the composer, and they end with a comprehensive list of film scores. This list is also valuable for indicating the director(s) and country of production for each film as well as any awards won by the composer or nominlóa