Often referred to as the “Father of Film Music,” Max Steiner (1888-1971) composed musical accompaniments for hundreds of feature films, 27 of which were westerns. As the most popular and lucrative film genre during much of Hollywood's history, the western offered Steiner the opportunity to compose music for diverse narratives and a variety of starring actors, representing important developments in its style. This course will focus on Steiner's music for several westerns, examining how Steiner adapted his Viennese musical background, grounded in an operatic style, to fit the frontier musical aesthetic. Lectures will include extensive film clips, but participants may want to watch complete films outside of class. In addition to a suggested biography of Steiner, there will be short weekly readings.