Filmography/Reviews | Biography

Elmer Bernstein in the late 1990's

"Music is the ultimate secret world. It's hard to understand the inspiration if you don't work in it. For me, I really have to make my own decisions about what the music should do in the film, although obviously I'm interested in what the filmmaker thinks. You want your imagination to be free-ranging."
-- Elmer Bernstein in 2003

With the exuberance and excitement of a man far younger than 80, Elmer Bernstein was highly regarded as one of the most talented composers and joyful individuals in the Hollywood recording industry into the 2000's. His name, both in the industry and with his listeners, is synonymous with creativity, versatility and longevity. The year 2001 marked his 50th anniversary as a feature film composer, with music written for over 200 major film and television scores. He was the only composer working at the turn of the century to span the Golden, Silver, Bronze, and Digital Ages of film music. A pianist at heart, he practiced his craft as a performer for over sixty years, and as a composer for fifty, gracing virtually all creative media with his work. People around the globe hear his legendary themes often without recognizing their origin, and yet his contribution to his field is significantly recognized by his peers and fans. Even past the year 2000, Bernstein continued to collect melodies in his head and on the piano in his modest studio, awaiting yet another film to adorn.

The personality of Elmer Bernstein was one that defines the romance of his dramas and the skip in his comedies and westerns. When discussing the topic of music, even in the most serious of settings, the boyhood enthusiasm shined through. His irrepressible youth at heart kept him active in the film score community far more than on the scoring stage, and yet the veteran continued to choose scoring projects in his alter years that emphasize strong characters and emotions. He utilized his influence to serve as a front line crusader for the rights of composers and musicians who did not have his bargaining power. He was also an outspoken critic of the way composers must now work under cue by cue micro-management by directors and front office people who often know nothing about music. Once an innovator in electronic instrumentation as a supplement to orchestral ensembles, Bernstein believed that composers must have the time and freedom to be creative. He was also a man comfortable with his talents, confident that he had nothing left to prove. His music provides the proof of his legacy.