Leonard Bernstein's On the Waterfront

Released in 1954, On the Waterfront is considered one of the greatest films of all time, winning eight Academy Awardsincluding Best Pictureand placing in the top 20 on the American Film Institutes 100 Films survey. The films Oscar-nominated score represented a rare venture into film music composition by Leonard Bernstein, one of the towering figures of classical music in the 20th century. In Leonard Bernsteins On the Waterfront: A Film Score Guide, Anthony Bushard examines this landmark work, a score that continues to influence composers of film and classical music alike. The book begins with a biographical survey of Bernsteins work, followed by an exploration of Bernsteins compositional method, a look at the context of the film, and an analysis of the score itself. Though other volumes have focused on Bernsteins overall career, Bushard's book is the first to look specifically at the score of this film. A welcome examination of one of Bernsteins most accomplished works, Leonard Bernsteins On the Waterfront: A Film Score Guide highlights the invaluable contributions of this great composer and will be appreciated by fans of classical music and film scores.