Bernard Herrmann: "Scene d'Amour"
I thought for awhile about posting a song for Valentines Day, but couldn't quite make up my mind about the right tone to strike: dark cynicism (e.g. The Magnetic Fields' "I Don't Believe You") or romanticism (e.g...uh, countless other songs). I ended up deciding that it was a good opportunity to finally post a selection from one of my all time favorite film scores: Bernard Herrmann's music for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo. I think it covers both angles.
Without going into too much detail about the piece's role in the movie (to do so would give too much of the story's twist away), I'll just say that I've always loved this composition for its lush emotiveness and the way it conveys an intense romanticism while still hinting at the story's essential darkness and mystery. It's truly drama in musical form--a struggle between hope and despair that finally results in a rapturous climax around 2:52--and I've always remembered it in a way I've remembered few other film scores.
