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Hugo Friedhofer

From HitStory, the pop encyclopedia of School of Rock · Artist

Hugo Friedhofer was an American composer and cellist, known for his film music. He was born on 3 May 1901 in San Francisco and died on 17 May 1981. His father was a cello teacher who had studied in Dresden, and his mother was born in Germany. He began playing the cello at thirteen, took lessons in harmony and counterpoint at the University of California in Berkeley and played in the People's Symphony Orchestra.

Music and breakthrough

In 1929 he moved to Hollywood, where he worked as a musician for Fox, including on Sunny Side Up. Later he became an orchestrator at Warner Bros. and worked on more than fifty films. There he worked mainly with Max Steiner and, because he spoke German, with Erich Wolfgang Korngold. Steiner relied on his ability to turn sketches into a full orchestral score. In 1937 he wrote his first film score of his own, for The Adventures of Marco Polo. In 1946 he composed the music for The Best Years of Our Lives by William Wyler, which won him the Oscar for best original score. He was nominated for eight other films, including The Bishop's Wife, Joan of Arc, Boy on a Dolphin and An Affair to Remember.

Influence

Colleagues admired him, and he was known for his biting, self-mocking humour. He belongs to the generation that shaped the orchestral sound of the Hollywood film. His work can be heard on records such as An Affair to Remember from 1957 and One Eyed Jacks from 1961.

Listening

Listening tip. Listen to the main title of The Best Years of Our Lives. Notice the broad, calm melody that conveys something of coming home after the war.

Discography

Studio albums

In School of Rock

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Categories: Artists