Released in 1954, On the Waterfront is considered one of the greatest
films of all time, winning eight Academy Awards-including Best
Picture-and placing in the top 20 on the American Film Institute's 100
Films survey. The film's 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
Bernstein's 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 Bernstein's work, followed by an exploration of
Bernstein's compositional method, a look at the context of the film, and
an analysis of the score itself. Though other volumes have focused on
Bernstein's overall career, Bushard's book is the first to look
specifically at the score of this film. A welcome examination of one of
Bernstein's most accomplished works, Leonard Bernstein's 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.