Affiliation:
1. Brigham Young University
Abstract
Max Steiner’s fanfare for Warner Brothers (WB), which was used to introduce most of
the studio’s films during the years 1938–1955, is unique in that is does not have a clearly defined
ending. Continuing directly into the opening title sequence, the fanfare leads to a wide variety of
themes in different keys, meters, and tempos, and with quite different characters. The “pivotal
event” that helps to set the tone for the rest of the film occurs right at the moment of the fanfare’s
resolution.
In this corpus study, we examine eighty-eight films scored by Steiner that use the WB fanfare, with a
particular focus on harmonic and melodic resolutions at the fanfare’s point of arrival. We find
that Steiner devised at least fifty-three different resolutions for the end of the fanfare—some of them
quite surprising and dissonant. Each of these resolutions creates a different emotional effect,
communicating to the listener what the genre and tone of the film might be. We also examine the
function of the transitional music that is set in motion by the fanfare’s resolution and its
connection with visual cues in the film.