Erich Korngold and the Soundtracks that Shaped Hollywood Film Music

Born in Austria in 1897, Erich Wolfgang Korngold composed operas, piano concertos, and film scores that would define the Golden Age of Hollywood. Korngold was considered a child prodigy by all accounts, composing his first ballet at age 11, his first complete orchestra work at age 14, and his first full-length opera at age 23. From an early age, he was praised as a “musical genius” by composers such as Gustav Mahler, Giacomo Puccini, and Richard Strauss. Only a decade later, Korngold began composing film scores that left an impact on Hollywood film music lasting nearly a century, inspiring many composers such as John Williams. By listening to a series of his compositions, this presentation will in turn examine the life and legacy of Erich Wolfgang Korngold: how he permanently changed film scores, how his music saved him and his family, and how he blazed the trail for future composers of film music