Today marks 100 years of film composer Leonard Rosenman.
Rosenman, who studied with Arnold Schoenberg, Roger Sessions, and Luigi Dallapiccola, was known for writing some of the most challenging movie music in history, including the uncompromising score for “Fantastic Voyage” (1966). His music for “The Cobweb” (1955) is credited with being the first predominantly twelve-tone score composed for a motion picture.
Yet James Dean fans retain a particular affection for him, thanks in large part to his romantic interludes in “East of Eden” and “Rebel without a Cause” (both 1955). It was Dean who essentially discovered him and introduced him to director Elia Kazan.
Fantasy and science fiction junkies embrace him, not only for his music for “Fantastic Voyage,” but also that for “Beneath the Planet of the Apes” (1970), the Ralph Bakshi animated version of “The Lord of the Rings” (1978), and “Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home” (1986.)
Rosenman was the recipient of two Academy Awards, which he won back-to-back, for his work adapting music of Handel, Schubert, and others for Stanley Kubrick’s “Barry Lyndon” (1975), and for his score interleaving Woody Guthrie songs, for “Bound for Glory” (1976). He died in 2008 at the age of 83.
Rosenman may have had some thorns, but by any other name he could also smell as sweet. Happy centenary, Leonard Rosenman!
“Rebel without a Cause”
“East of Eden”
“The Cobweb”
“Fantastic Voyage”
“Star Trek IV”
Rosenman wins Oscar for “Barry Lyndon”
