A Streetcar Named Desire

A Streetcar Named Desire is a classic Tennessee Williams play and was turned into a classic film that confirmed Marlon Brando as one of the greatest actors of his generation. It also introduced to the cinema going audience the concept that film music need not be a standard orchestral setup, but could evolve from different styles and not just late 19th century Vienna. Although Alex North impacted on film music in many different ways, some of these influences are overlooked today, but his introduction of jazz elements to underscore is one that has endured. Jazz was in film music before North, but in a more background role or as source music. North made it a viable musical language to convey the thoughts and feelings of the characters and not just to set the general mood. Although Bernstein's Man with the Golden Arm confirmed the effectiveness of jazz in film music, Alex North was the true pioneer.

The one thing that jazz can do that few other musical forms or styles can is represent seediness. Nothing conjures up a sleazy atmosphere more than a languorous trumpet or saxophone solo over an equally laid back rhythm. Alex North's music makes good use of this from the very beginning, but most notably in the music for Stan and Stella. Perhaps what is most impressive is North twists the idea for the Blanche's theme and instead of seediness, the sadness of her situation is represented instead. The jazz is complimented with more traditional orchestral passages, particularly in the later stages. One highlight is the brilliant Mania which, instead of crushing the listener with brass or orchestral effects, North uses unexpected and unstable rhythms to form an athletic scherzo of woodwind and piano, with Blanche's theme suggested over the top.

The National Philharmonic perform admirably under Jerry Goldsmith's direction, particularly the various soloists whose contributions are vital in bringing the score to life. The recording is warm and resonant, no doubt considerably different to the original, but the music doesn't suffer in any way for it. There is certainly no loss of clarity with regard to the solos, although they are not mixed in a distractingly upfront way. More than almost any other composer from the era, Alex North's music remains timeless; there is an economy to his writing that avoids the melodrama of many of his contemporaries and helped pave the way for music that underlined the characters, rather than hyped them and their situations. Another of North's essential classics.