Leonard Bernstein's On the Waterfront

Released in 1954, On the Waterfront is considered one of the greatest films of all time, winning eight Academy Awards—including Best Picture—and placing in the top 20 on the American Film Institute’s 100 Films survey. The film’s Oscar-nominated score represented a rare venture into film music composition by Leonard Bernstein, one of the towering figures of classical music in the 20th century.

In Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront: A Film Score Guide, Anthony Bushard examines this landmark work, a score that continues to influence composers of film and classical music alike. The book begins with a biographical survey of Bernstein’s work, followed by an exploration of Bernstein’s compositional method, a look at the context of the film, and an analysis of the score itself.

Though other volumes have focused on Bernstein’s overall career, Bushard's book is the first to look specifically at the score of this film. A welcome examination of one of Bernstein’s most accomplished works, Leonard Bernstein’s On the Waterfront: A Film Score Guide highlights the invaluable contributions of this great composer and will be appreciated by fans of classical music and film scores.