Elmer Bernstein

From Sarah's Black Cauldron Page

Writing the Music

Bernstein considers his score for The Black Cauldron one of his most important and challenging assignments in his 35 years as a motion picture composer.

This score marks Bernstein's first grand symphonic score in nearly a decade. Before The Black Cauldron Bernstein wrote music for Ghostbusters, National Lampoon's Animal House, Airplane, Stripes, and Trading Places.

"One thing that was very attractive about The Black Cauldron, outside the fact that I love the film, was that this project lends itself to an ambitious score," he said.

"Many motion pictures have similar requirements; westerns and comedies have their own set of considerations and problems. In any career, The Black Cauldron would be an unique endeavor."

When Bernstein first saw The Black Cauldron, it was still in rough form with pencil test footage. Bernstein as still able to get the full impact of the story.

"I started working on the themes for the main characters, mostly Taran and the Horned King. Taran is an Assistant Pig-Keeper who wants to be a hero. Hie theme at the very beginning is sweet and light.
You would never guess at that point that that theme could become heroic but it begins to sound very different when he has the magic sword in hands. This was donw through orchestration," recalled Bernstein.

One of Bernstein's special indredients for adding magic to the score was the use of a rare French instrument called the Ondes Martenot.


Since no one in the United States and very few people in the world for that matter could play this instrument, and English musician by the name of Cynthia Millar was flown over for the recording session.


Millar had previously played the Ondes Martenot for the score of A Passage to India.


"This instrument was invented in France in 1928 and was one of the first electric instruments," said Bernstein.
"It sounds like maybe everything and nothing exactly. There are times when it might sound like a flute, other times when it might sound like a human voice or a cello.


I used it a lot in connection with the main characters Taran and Eilonwy."
Bernstein describes the Horned King's theme as overwhelming and very menacing. The witches were another matter entirely. To highlight their eccentric and comic nature,
Bernstein created "weird off-center waltzes with some suggestion of rock and roll."

The Black Cauldron is not the only Disney film that Elmer Bernstein did music for. The 2nd Disney film he did was The Journey of Natty Gann (1985) which was rejected in favor of a new score by James Horner.

here is a YouTube link to the music track from Elmer’s rejected score for Disney’s The Journey of Natty Gann

                  Elmer's rejected music  score for Natty Gann can also be found in the film's trailer 

Elmer’s rejected score can be purchased here
https://www.amazon.com/J...RID=8X12ZD66VR69P0SQEF3S

and here Elmer's full music score for The Black Cauldron can be purchased here
https://www.amazon.com/B...RID=8X12ZD66VR69P0SQEF3S

(Note: The Prices for the items mention vary due to the fact they are as of now collectors items.)