“An interviewer once asked me to discuss my collaboration with Elmer Bernstein, and precisely why I chose to work with him. My first thought was: How could I not work with Elmer, when I had the chance? Simply put, he’s the best there is—the very best.

“First of all, consider his experience—he’s been in the business for almost 50 years now, and he knows both the trade and the art of composing for film better than anyone. Second of all, think of his range. It’s incredible to remember that the same man composed the scores for “The Man With the Golden Arm,” “The Ten Commandments,” “The Magnificent Seven” and, more recently, “My Left Foot,” “The Grifters” and my own films. Each score is unique and uniquely beautiful, each composed in a completely different style. Which leads to the most important point, and that is Elmer’s consummate artistry. He pays very close attention to the narrative of the film he’s scoring, to the characters, to the time period and the texture of the places where the film is set. He looks and listens, and he builds his music into the movie so carefully that it seems to have always been there, right from the beginning.

“Elmer is part of the pantheon of great film composers. He’s without equal, and I’m honored to be working with him.”