Accessibility links
Bernard Herrmann Bernard Herrmann artist page: interviews, features and/or performances archived at NPR Music

Bernard Herrmann

Music Articles

Bernard Herrmann

Commentator John McDonough recalls an interview he had with the late film composer Bernard Herrmann some years ago. He's prompted to this remembrance on the eve of the opening of a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho. The new movie follows the first very closely, including the use of Herrmann's score. At the time of the original Psycho, critics were not impressed by the music — no soundtrack album was released. Today, though, Herrmann's work stands out.

Bernard Herrmann

Only Available in Archive Formats.

Music Articles

'Hitchcock's Music' Scores Big on Suspense

Film director Alfred Hitchcock was a master of suspense. A new book, Hitchcock's Music, by Jack Sullivan, examines the music in his films and how it conveys emotion in ways images cannot.

'Hitchcock's Music' Scores Big on Suspense

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/7268315/7334010" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
  • Transcript
Bernard Herrmann At 100: Master Of The Movie Score

Alfred Hitchcock's 1957 film Vertigo features music by Bernard Herrmann. Creative Commons hide caption

toggle caption
Creative Commons

Deceptive Cadence

Bernard Herrmann At 100: Master Of The Movie Score

With his unorthodox orchestrations and harmonies, Hermann changed the way we heard film music.

Bernard Herrmann: The Film Scores

  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/137495742/137494315" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Guest DJ Tom Verlaine

Tom Verlaine spins everything from Charles Mingus to The Day the Earth Stood Still soundtrack. Stefano Giovannini/Courtesy of the artist hide caption

toggle caption
Stefano Giovannini/Courtesy of the artist

All Songs Considered

Guest DJ Tom Verlaine

Guitarist Tom Verlaine, best known for his work with the New York punk band Television, talks about his own work and shares some of his favorite recordings.

Guest DJ Tom Verlaine

Listen
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/15961530/15961533" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Bernard Herrmann's Score to 'Psycho'

Bernard Herrmann. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption
Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

Music Articles

Bernard Herrmann's Score to 'Psycho'

Herrmann and Hitchcock collaborated on many other films, but Psycho is seen as the epitome of their collaboration and the definitive sound of horror music.

Bernard Herrmann's Score to 'Psycho'

Listen · 12:59
  • Download
  • <iframe src="https://www.npr.org/player/embed/1113215/147872893" width="100%" height="290" frameborder="0" scrolling="no" title="NPR embedded audio player">
Browse the section archive or search npr.org