Topic Three (1.3): Composers for Film and Stage

Topics Icon.png Objectives for this topic

This topic will explore the work of composers of film and stage music, and focus on the life and work of your choice of composers. By exploring the work of a range of famous composers, you will have the chance to discover composers whose work your particularly enjoy.

Quiz Icon.png Instructions

Use the list of famous film and musical composers for this topic. This list gives five examples of the very best, and most prolific, composers in both genres across modern history.

DOWNLOAD – Film and musical composers Download DOWNLOAD – Film and musical composers

Begin by listening to examples of each of their work. The following websites will allow you to listen to examples of their work:

EXPLORE – YouTube Links to an external site.

EXPLORE – imbd.com Links to an external site.

You could also use any music app you already have access to, to search for examples of their work, e.g. Spotify, Apple music. Some of the composers also have dedicated websites to their work, for example, the Steven Sondheim Society website. 

Choose a film and a musical composer whose work particularly appeals to you. Then create a biography of their life and work. You may want to use the biography template.

DOWNLOAD – Biography template Download DOWNLOAD – Biography template

Review Icon.png Review

  • Have you listened to examples from all of the suggested composers?
  • Have you selected a film and a musical composer who particularly appeals to you?
  • Have you made notes about their work, life and achievements that you will be able to refer back to later in this module?

Bridge Icon.png  Support activity for this topic

Use the list of composers, and suggested websites/apps to explore their work. Once you have listened to examples from all 10 composers, choose the film composer and then the musical composer that you most like the work of. 

Then make a note of five pieces of work from the film composer that you really enjoy, and also five examples of songs from the musical composers that you really enjoy. These examples will be helpful in the upcoming tasks in the module.

Stretch Icon.png Extension activity for this topic

Some musicians will bridge different forms of music and genres. One of those is Barbra Streisand. She is a famous singer, actress and songwriter. She was the first female to win an Academy Award for song writing, the first woman to direct, produce, write and star in a major motion picture, and the first and only woman to receive a Golden Globe Award for Best Director.

To become aware of her impact on film and musicals, here are two examples of her at work: directing and singing. The song you will hear is a show song from the musical ‘Chorus Line’. The first example documents her direction of the song (for her musicals album ‘Encore’) with other famous actresses, and the second the end result, i.e. their recording of the song in full.

WATCH – At The Ballet - directing  (YouTube) Links to an external site.

WATCH – At The Ballet – audio full version (YouTube) Links to an external site.