Lot 198 of an upcoming auction at Bonhams, in London, is the manuscript of Bernard Herrmann's score for Psycho. In this notorious sequence the strings end up playing a chord consisting of the notes E-flat, E-natural, F, and G-flat. Norma Herrmann, the composer's third wife, has put up for sale a large batch of manuscripts and memorabilia, including letters from Ives, Schoenberg, Vaughan Williams, and various other composers and musicians; a plaintive note from Orson Welles, inquiring about music for King Lear; a letter from Martin Scorsese, accompanying the script of Taxi Driver, Herrmann's final project; and a copy of Bellini's Il pirata with an inscription from Rossini to Chopin. (Via James Lavino.)
Audio: Esa-Pekka Salonen conducting the Los Angeles Philharmonic, Sony 62700.
