Korngold – Sea Hawk Overture (2024 Nate Strothkamp)

Erich Korngold – Sea Hawk Overture

Erich Wolfgang Korngold (1897-1957) was an Austrian-born composer, conductor, and pianist. When his life in Vienna fell into peril during World War II, Korngold found safety and employment in Hollywood, where he was a highly sought after film composer. During the course of his life, he produced scores for sixteen Hollywood films. Despite his success in the film industry, Korngold found greater fulfillment in the traditional world of classical music, composing many beloved works including the Violin Concerto, Cello Concerto, Symphony in F#, Piano Trio, Piano Quintet, and String Sextet. His classical compositions, especially the later ones, retained many elements of his film scoring: programmatic structure, romantic melodies, lush harmonies, and the rich, textured orchestration which produces a nostalgic, early-Hollywood sound world.

The Sea Hawk Overture is derived from Korngold’s score for The Sea Hawk, an American adventure film produced by Warner Bros. in 1940. It follows the story of Captain Geoffrey Thorpe, an English privateer, and Doña María, the niece of a Spanish ambassador, who fall in love during the midst of a conflict between Spain and England; King Phillip II of Spain has declared his intention to conquer the world, and his first step is to invade England. Captain Thorpe’s ship, the Albatross, engages in maritime warfare with the secret support of Queen Elizabeth I. The love story begins when the Albatross captures the Spanish ship carrying Doña María and her uncle to England. Throughout the ensuing treacherous adventure in Panama, political turmoil in England, sword fights, navy warfare, and imprisonment, Captain Thorpe and Doña María’s love endures. The movie ends as Thorpe reveals a mole within the queen’s counsel and England dutifully and patriotically prepares to defend against the tyranny of Spain’s king. The Sea Hawk was both a rousing adventure film and partially a piece of propaganda intended to cultivate pro-British, anti-tyranny sentiment during World War II.

The melodies and characters in the Sea Hawk Overture reflect various scenes from the movie’s plot. It opens with a fanfare highlighting the brass section, evoking proud sailors, maritime journeys, and patriotic celebrations. Many beautiful themes emerge throughout the overture, often sung by the string section, depicting blossoming romance, passionate love, and nationalistic nostalgia and pride. Korngold’s score for The Sea Hawk is widely regarded as one of his best film compositions and receives a recently renewed interest in today’s concert halls.

Nate Strothkamp ’26

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