XXI International Conference on Music Analysis and Theory
10–13 October 2024 — Salerno, Italy
Psycho: A Sonic Scene. Subjectivity in Herrmann's Music for Hitchcock
Paper presented at the XXI International Conference on Music Analysis and Theory, organised by the Società Italiana di Analisi e Teoria Musicale (GATM) and the Conservatorio di Musica "Giuseppe Martucci", Salerno.
Abstract
This study analyses the interaction between image and sound in a specific scene from Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, focusing on the construction of subjectivity through Bernard Herrmann's score. Starting from the premise that cinematic point-of-view is not limited to visual perspective but extends to sonic perception, the analysis concentrates on the Peephole scene, where visual subjectivity is accompanied by an equally marked musical subjectivity.
Using the analysis of cuts — both visual and musical — alongside harmonic and formal analysis of the score, the study examines the hypothesis of a precise correspondence between cinematic and musical point-of-view. Particular attention is given to orchestration, identifying the sonic elements that construct the illusion of a subjective perspective and reinforce the viewer's identification with the character. The aim is to demonstrate how Herrmann's music creates a second narrative layer interweaving with the visual one — enriching the cinematic experience through compositional precision rather than illustrative effect.
Conference Details
Event - XXI International Conference on Music Analysis and Theory
Organised by - Società Italiana di Analisi e Teoria Musicale (GATM), Conservatorio di Musica "Giuseppe Martucci"
Dates - 10–13 October 2024
Venue - Conservatorio "Giuseppe Martucci", Salerno, Italy
Format - Paper presentation
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A. B. Kelley, Inside the Madhouse: Bernard Herrmann's Psycho, thesis in Music Theory, The Pennsylvania State University, 2011