#ClassicsaDay #ClassicalFilmScore Week 1

February 2020 Classical Movies For February 2020, the #ClassicsaDay team chose film music as its theme. What exactly is the intersection of classical and film music? Share your answers with a post on Twitter or Facebook, with a link to musical examples. Some film composers began in the classical world. And some film composers have transitioned to classical music. 

For my selections this month, I focused on composers in the classical world who also wrote for film, and the musical selections exclusively from their movie work. Here were my selections for week one of #ClassicaDay #ClassicalFilmScore. 

02/03/20 Heitor-Villa Lobos: O Descobrimento do Brasil

This 1936 film dramatized the discovery of Brazil by Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral in 1500. Its director, Humberto Mauro was an important director in the pre-war years and continued working in film through the 1970s.

02/04/20 William Alwyn: The Fallen Idol

This 1948 drama was nominated for 2 Oscars, including Best Screenplay by Grahm Greene. Greene also wrote the short story the film was based on.

02/05/20 John Cage: Dreams That Money Can Buy

Hans Richter's 1947 surrealist film had several collaborators, including Man Ray, Alexander Calder, and (in addition to Cage), composers David Diamond and Darius Milhaud.

02/06/20 Tikhon Khrennikov: They Met in Moscow

This 1941 Soviet musical-comedy established Krennikov's reputation. Some of his musical numbers were popular hits in WWII Russia.

02/07/20 Robert Farnon: Captain Horatio Hornblower

This 1951 epic starred Gregory Peck. C.S. Forester combined three of his novels (Beat to Quarters, Ship of the Line, and Flying Colours) into the screenplay.