by Warren M. Sherk
Dimitri Tiomkin
Reporting from Los Angeles, February 9, 2012
Last year, a banner one for the music of Dimitri Tiomkin, culminated in a series of concerts by the London Symphony Orchestra in October and a number of events related to It’s a Wonderful Life in December. In fact, only hours before the year’s end the Santa Barbara Symphony performed music from the film. A reviewer wrote,
[The] subtlety and elegance with which this suite wove together the melodies of several Christmas carols with the New Year’s Eve staple ‘Auld Lang Syne’ had everyone in the spirit.
READ: “The Santa Barbara Symphony at the Granada” by Charles Donelan
January 2012 started with a bang with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra’s performance of “The Film Music of Dimitri Tiomkin” in Dublin, Ireland. Read my blog, RTÉ Concert Orchestra concert update.
With 2012 shaping up to rival or exceed 2011, here’s a rundown of what to look forward to.
Concerts galore
How many composers of the 20th-century are having their music played month-after-month in concert venues around the world? In the coming months, Dimitri Tiomkin is in the enviable position of having his music performed in Central Washington; Croydon, England; Malaysia; London; and Jerusalem.
Oscar poster features image from GIANT
The Academy Awards are right around the corner and as a four-time Academy Award winner, Tiomkin’s name is in the news. Giant, scored by Tiomkin for director George Stevens, is one of eight films selected for inclusion on the official Academy poster (at right) proclaiming “Celebrate the Movies in All of Us.”
In addition, ABC has unveiled a poster series, “We Showed You How to Be…,” that ties in to the image as seen on the Academy poster. “We Showed You How to Be COOL,” depicts James Dean and the Reata mansion in Giant (scroll down to bottom of post to view).
Tiomkin was noted as a giant of Hollywood movie music with a “distinctive sound” in a recent Los Angeles Times feature article on the collaboration of composer John Williams and director Steven Spielberg.
READ: “John Williams and Steven Spielberg mark 40 years of collaboration,” by Rebecca Keegan
Spielberg has previously gone on record with his admiration for film scores and composers. During an interview, he told Jon Burlingame,
I collected soundtrack albums. My heroes were Dimitri Tiomkin and Franz Waxman and Miklos Rozsa and Bernard Herrmann and on and on and on.
READ: “Spielberg and Lucas on Williams,” by Jon Burlingame
Negro Soldier receives National honor
Statuette depicting Tiomkin conducting Negro Soldier
Negro Soldier was added to the National Film Registry in 2011. Under the terms of the National Film Preservation Act, each year the Librarian of Congress names 25 films to the National Film Registry that are “culturally, historically or aesthetically” significant. Of the 25 films added in 2011, the Hollywood Reporter gives a shout out to composer Dimitri Tiomkin in their comments on the film.
READ: “‘Bambi,’ ‘Forrest Gump’ Added to National Film Registry,” by Mike Barnes
The beauty of the National Film Registry is that for each named title, the Library of Congress Packard Campus for Audio Visual Conservation works to ensure that the film is preserved for future generations through the Library’s film preservation program or collaborative ventures with others. Films scored by Tiomkin are well-represented on the list that includes It’s a Wonderful Life, the Why We Fight series, Battle of San Pietro, Let There Be Light, Red River, D.O.A., The Thing from Another Planet, High Noon, and Giant. Two of these classic films can be seen on cable network Turner Classic Movies.
TUNE IN: Turner Classic Movies (TCM)
February 9: Red River
February 10: Giant
More CD releases
Cover for CD booklet.
2011 saw three Tiomkin soundtracks released on CD. The new digital recording of The Fall of the Roman Empire and two archival releases, Last Train from Gun Hill and 55 Days of Peking. The Prometheus Records release of Fall of the Roman Empire was selected as among the Best of 2011 by the Film Music Society and made Daniel Schweiger’s “November Soundtrack Picks.”
READ: “Classic Film Scores: The Best of 2011,” by Jon Burlingame
Will 2012 measure up? Already announced for release is The Four Poster. And, the London Symphony Orchestra concert in October was recorded for LSO Live to be released in the fall. Check back often during the year for more information on these CD releases and others.
Only Angels Have Wings lobby card A
Howard Hawks: The Measure of Man
The Pacific Film Archive in Berkeley, California is showcasing the films of director Howard Hawks with screenings taking place through April. Tiomkin provided scores for five Hawks films. Four of the five films Tiomkin scored will be screened. (The Big Sky will not be screened.) Experience these films as they were meant to be seen and heard.
SCREENINGS: “Howard Hawks: The Measure of Man,” Pacific Film Archive
February 21: Only Angels Have Wings
March 20: Red River
April 3: The Thing from Another Planet
April 14: Rio Bravo
Cinerama Dome to screen Search for Paradise
Search for Paradise recording session, circa 1956-1957
A fall festival of all things Cinerama at the ArcLight Cinerama Dome in Hollywood, California will include a screening of Search for Paradise, with Tiomkin’s transcendent musical score. The festival takes place from September 28 to October 4 and celebrates the 60th anniversary of the birth of Cinerama and the ensuing widescreen era.
Thanks to Patrick Russ for bringing this to my attention.
SCREENING
tbd: Search for Paradise
READ: “Historic Big Screen Films Get Major Digital Makeover”
Dimitri Tiomkin: The Official Website
Tiomkin and Arthur Zepp
Each month we feature news, articles, and blog posts. Check back for our feature article on Arthur Zepp, Tiomkin’s valet during the late 1920s. Tom Zepp, Arthur’s son, has supplied us with stories and rare photographs, such as the one pictured at left dating from 1928.
Finally, more photographs and poster art will be added to the Gallery this year.
Thanks for visiting www.dimitritiomkin.com
