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Article: The state of film music criticism. (Sound and Music in the Movies)
- Article from:
- Cineaste
- Article date:
- January 1, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Cineaste Publishers, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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"Film music is ripe, not to say sufficiently putrid, for regular and widespread criticism." British music critic Hans Keller made this remark almost fifty years ago, and we may well wonder whether the situation has improved. Has film music flowered or withered on the critical vine?
Answers are surprisingly varied. Several writers continue to consider film music a sadly "neglected art," while Rick Altman has claimed that film music has enjoyed "systematic criticism" (in contrast to nonmusical film sound). The truth, as usual, lies in between. There has existed a vast and rambling literature on film music since the late 1930s penned by enthusiasts, composers, and ...