1939
The Wizard of Oz "score"
Herbert Stothart
Herbert Stothart's orchestral score for the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz, which weaves the Harold Arlen songs into a continuous underscore.
What to listen for
When an orchestra plays this score, it usually accompanies the film or presents highlights from it. Stothart wrote the background music that runs under the whole story, and built it from the film's songs. Listen for the tune of Over the Rainbow returning in many forms, from tender to dramatic.
Key landmarks include the whirling, tense music of the tornado, the bright and bouncy sounds of Munchkinland, the march of the Winkies and the eerie music for the Wicked Witch and her flying monkeys. Stothart often attaches a short melody to each character or place, so you can hear them come and go. If it is played live with the film, the orchestra and the screen stay locked together to the beat.
The story
The 1939 MGM film used songs by Harold Arlen and E.Y. Harburg, and Herbert Stothart was in charge of the background music. He blended the songs into the underscore and won the Academy Award for original score. Orchestras now present the film with live music, or play excerpts. The music is a piece of the Hollywood studio system, in which several orchestrators worked on one score.
First time hearing it?
- The program lists this as the score, so the film may be shown while the orchestra plays.
- A film concert can run over two hours with an intermission.
- You will hear many famous tunes, especially Over the Rainbow.
- Applause often comes after big song moments as well as at the end.
Written by OrchestraFinder, reviewed October 2026.