Bernard Herrmann - Vertigo Suite (1958) {Concertgebouw Live]

Bernard Herrmann (born Max Herman; June 29, 1911 – December 24, 1975) was an American composer known for his work in composing for motion pictures. As a conductor, he championed the music of lesser-known composers.

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Suite from the movie Vertigo (1958)
Directed by Alfred Hitchcock

I. Prelude (0:00)
II. The Nightmare (3:11)
III. Scene d"Amour (5:34)

Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra conducted by Stéphane Denève
Recorded live on 27 January 2022 at the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
https://youtu.be/pnntZbaN_vk?si=syrraUzTEk5z8qrW

Of the eight scores Herrmann wrote for Hitchcock films, his music for Vertigo (1958) is often singled out for special praise thanks to its beauty and effectiveness. The film tells a story of love, obsession and murder, and Herrmann’s score heightens the suspense of its gripping plot. After a traumatic incident in which his partner fell to his death, Scottie (Jimmy Stewart) has retired from the police force and suffers vertigo, or fear of heights. A man then hires him to follow his wife, Madeleine, a beautiful Hitchcock blond (Kim Novak) who has suicidal ideation and believes she is possessed by the spirit of a long-dead ancestor. She and Scottie fall in love, but when Madeleine climbs the tower of an old mission, Scottie’s vertigo prevents him from following her, and she jumps to her death. Soon after, Scottie meets another woman, Judy, who bears an uncanny resemblance to Madeleine. Slowly, he tries to transform Judy into Madeleine to regain his lost love, leading to a shocking, tragic conclusion.

The suite begins with the music Herrmann wrote for the opening credits, a prelude of uncanny arpeggios and menacing brass chords:
Fittingly, the harmonies contain references to Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, another tale of obsessive love that ends in death. For instance, compare the opening of the prelude from the opera with this bit of the prelude of the film. This leads to the furious tremolos and habanera rhythms of a nightmare sequence that occurs after Madeleine’s death. The haunting “Scène d’amour” (Love Scene) completes Judy’s transformation into Madeleine and concludes the suite.