BRONISLAU KAPER: THEM! (in Full Score)

One could be forgiven for thinking, at first glance, that THEM! (1954) is just another monster movie of the post-war atomic age. However, what audiences got was actually an intelligent, literate commentary on the unintended consequences of scientific progress. One might even go so far as to say it is the closest American filmmakers of the era came to creating something as perceptive as Godzilla, its attendant commentary reminding us that humanity has only been at the top of the evolutionary food chain for a very short period of time–and may not always remain there.

Polish composer Bronislau Kaper composed his only contribution to the sci-fi/horror genre with THEM! Kaper said, "
I treated it not like a science picture. I treated it like a real menace. I was getting tired of the usual effects. I treated it as an action movie, you know, “Boom-Bang!” Oh, you should have heard this music on the stage – it was really good." The result is one of the most strikingly dissonant and chromatic film scores of its time.

THEM! employed the standard-sized Warner orchestra of the era: about 50 players, including: 2 piccolos, alto flute, 4 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 3 horns, 4 trumpets, 3 trombones,  tuba, celeste, and in addition to the pianos, a battery of percussion.

Includes an essay by film music writer Frank K. DeWald.

9x12 inches. 175 Pages. Paperbound. Printed in the USA

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