UCSB Special Collections: Performing Arts: Bernard Herrmann Papers

Bernard Herrmann Papers, 1927-1977
(PA Mss 3)

Bernard Herrmann's score for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo

Composer Bernard Herrmann (1911-1975) conducted and scored for CBS radio including Welles' War of the Worlds before moving into film scoring beginning with Citizen Kane and many of Alfred Hitchcock's films.

The collection includes most of Herrmann's film scores as well as correspondence, financial records, and photographs, sound recordings, and published scores.

For a description of the collection, listed of items in the collection, and procedures for using or obtaining copies of scores, consult the finding guide in the Online Archive of California (OAC). Photographs in this collection have been digitized and are now available through the OAC. A paper copy of the finding guide is also available in the Special Collections Reading Room.

There are two other public institutions holding Herrmann scores. UCLA has a collection of his scores and the New York Public Library has the scores from the CBS Library. UCSB owns a microfilm copy of the NYPL materials which can be used on site in Special Collections.

Some Bernard Herrmann web resources of interest:

Bernard Herrmann Estate (Website maintained by Herrmann's estate)

The Bernard Herrmann Web Pages (Comprehensive Herrmann webreource)

Film Music Society (An organization dedicated to the preservation of film music)

Themes and Variations (Rents many of Herrmann's scores for performance)

Bernard Herrmann Papers, 1927-1977 (PA Mss 3)

Bernard Herrmann Papers, 1927-1977
(PA Mss 3)