Bernard Herrmann

Herrmann scored seven Hitchcock films, including *The Trouble with Harry* (1955), *Vertigo* (1958), *North by Northwest* (1959), *Psycho* (1960), and *Marnie* (1964). Their partnership ended dramatically during *Torn Curtain* (1966) when Hitchcock, under studio pressure for a more commercial sound, fired Herrmann after he had already begun composing.

The iconic shower scene music is performed entirely by a string orchestra, featuring harsh, shrieking violins that create the infamous stabbing effect. Herrmann chose strings because Hitchcock had originally intended the scene to have no music, but Herrmann composed it anyway and convinced Hitchcock to keep it after screening.

Herrmann's final completed score was for Martin Scorsese's *Taxi Driver* (1976). He died on December 24, 1975, just hours after finishing the recording sessions, and the film was released the following year, earning him a posthumous Academy Award nomination.

Yes, Herrmann composed the score for Orson Welles's *Citizen Kane* (1941), his first major film composition. He received an Academy Award nomination for the score, launching a distinguished Hollywood career that spanned over three decades.