Elmer Bernstein

The Magnificent Seven

Director John Sturges’ The Magnificent Seven is a Hollywood adaptation of Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai, which was inspired by John Ford's Westerns. It’s East meets West, transplanting the setting from feudal Japan to Mexico, and swapping samurai for gunslingers. Released in 1960 by The Mirisch Company and featuring an all-star cast led by Yul Brynner, it opened to mixed reviews and a slow domestic box office. Yet it endured; how? Charles Stinson of the Los Angeles Times stated, "Elmer Bernstein’s big, vivid, swashbuckling musical score contributes significantly to the film’s strength." Bernstein’s score is energetic and flawless, from the boisterous opening to the triumphant finale; the rhythmic pulse and catchy melody seize hold and never let go. For the charismatic villain Calvera, Bernstein composed a fandango-like fanfare, played at full volume by the brass. For the beleaguered Mexican village, Bernstein incorporates the sounds of folk guitars, enriched with the South American flavor of maracas, castanets, and teponatzlí, an Aztec slit drum. Sixty-two musicians gathered at Goldwyn Studio (now Stage 7 on the Sony lot) for three days in late August 1960 to record 85 minutes of music. The score called for a large orchestra, including four guitarists, and featured legendary studio musicians such as Vince DeRosa on French horn. For the first time, musicians, music students, conductors – any music lover – can study The Magnificent Seven in this durable, high-quality edition, carefully reproduced and edited from the scores and parts.