Abstract:

An introductory essay to this special issue of JFM devoted to Leith Stevens.

Leith Stevens was present at the birth of three of the four major media innovations of the 20th century: radio, film and television. He was instrumental in developing all three and his contributions to them cannot be underestimated. He was associated as composer and / or conductor with several hundred radio programs, and for more than three decades he was constantly involved in the medium. Concurrently, Stevens became an important figure in the scoring of motion pictures, and by the time of his death in 1970, he had been involved in one way or another in the scoring of over 100 films, for M-G-M, Paramount, Columbia, Warner Bros., Allied Artists and a number of independent producers.

This essay provides an overview of the composer's life and compositional style.

Author: Mark Brill