ABSTRACT
This section contains 15 case studies that transect through the wealth of powerful music moments with a bespoke composed underscore, focusing on scenes that stand out, one way or another, having proven disruptive to common practice, influential, or being simply remarkable. The most influential Hollywood film composers through the decades comprise an ever more diversified field in terms of musical background and output. The early pioneers were often European emigres, classically trained composers who established the function, role, and vocabulary of music in classical Hollywood cinema. Later generation of composers followed in the footsteps of the pioneers and introduced new trends, contributing to the evolving landscape and language of Hollywood films, over the decades incorporating a wide range of new musical influences including jazz, pop, rock, and international/non-Western idioms. While some traditionalists continue the legacy of the orchestral Hollywood film score to this day, an ever-increasing number of film composers hail from a pop music background and/or were performers and/or music producers. With their contemporary influences and refreshing approach they broke with convention and acted as disruptors.
