Herrmann's association with Hitchcock began in 1955, and brought about one of the most unique scores in film history. Psycho (1960) was scored for strings only, using endless inversions and rhythmic permutations of similar motives. The score is shockingly memorable—once heard, it is hard to forget the high, shrieking violins of the murder-in-the-shower scene.
Herrmann also used unique orchestration in science-fiction films such as Journey to the Center of the Earth (1959). Here, he scored “chromatic...