Bernard Herrmann

“Every character has a sound. Every situation has a sound.”

“My purpose is to get inside the drama. My purpose is to amplify it.”

“Emotion is the bedrock of music.”

“I’ve always believed that the score of a film can be its heart.”

“Music is the language of the heart. It’s a universal language that doesn’t need translation.”

“I feel that music on the screen can seek out and intensify the inner thoughts of the characters. It can invest a scene with terror, grandeur, gaiety, or misery.”

“I am not interested in the music that is just a decoration. I am interested in music that can become a part of the drama.”

“The whole point of music is to be able to say things that you can’t express in words.”

“What you have to do is find a way to express yourself, and that’s what I tried to do.”

“To me, melody is a divine attribute. You can't touch it. It's a gift.”

“The simplest things are often the truest.”

“I have a great love for the electronically-produced sound.”