Leonard Rosenman (1924-2008) - mainstream originals and Sci-Fi sequels

Perhaps it's just a coincidence that much of Rosenman's work on Science Fiction movies was on sequels of Star Trek, Robocop and Planet of the Apes. Certainly the music was always original even if the setting wasn't, and Rosenman's music is certainly varied including a variety of other genres and musical styles. His earlier work was seems rooted in the movie business's golden age with lush romantic scores and a touch of jazz, while later scores can range from very hip to modernistic. In the latter modernistic category it is worth noting that Rosenman studied under Arnold Schoenberg, and perhaps as a result of this Rosenman is often credited with introducing contemporary musical styles into the movie business including the use of 12-tone techniques.

Though clearly a gifted composer, it is ironic that Rosenman won his two oscars for "adaptation" scores. In the case of Stanley Kubrick's "Barry Lyndon" Rosenman adapted classical music by Handel, Schubert and Mozart.

Films by Leonard Rosenman:

• The Cobweb
• Edge of the City
• East of Eden - first of two films starring Rosenman's friend James Dean
• Rebel without a Cause - that fatalistic kind of drama associated with Bernard Herrmann
• Barry Lyndon - music adaptation and conductor
• Bound for Glory - a second consecutive oscar for music adaptation
• Fantastic Voyage
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes - compare with Jerry Goldsmith original
• Battle for the Planet of the Apes
• A Man called Horse - confusingly, given their similar names, the sequel "The Return of a Man Called Horse" had music by Laurence Rosenthal

• The Lord of the Rings - the 1978 cartoon version rather than the latest by Howard Shore
• The Jazz Singer - the Neil Diamond version
• Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home - one of the most successful of the series, with a rousing feel-good theme for the end titles
• Cross Creek - another oscar nomination
• Robocop 2 - compare with Basil Poledouris for number 1 in the series

TV themes by Leonard Rosenman:

• Marcus Welby, M.D.

Recommendations:

You will not find vast quantities of Leonard Rosenman's film music on CD, but it is worth seeking out those few scores which do exist and these examples are a good starting point:

• Twin Soundtrack: East of Eden and Rebel Without a Cause - at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
• Twin Soundtrack: The Cobweb and Edge of the City - at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
• Star Trek IV: The Voyage Home (both popular and rare so check the asking price) - at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk
• The Lord of the Rings - at Amazon.com and Amazon.co.uk