Motivic Development in "Naked City"

Michael and I have been watching (for the second time) the complete run of the "Naked City" television series that ran from 1958 until 1963. The first time we watched the series I was taken by the actors, the photography, and the story telling. I found Billy May's music attractive and wonderful, but I was paying attention to the whole rather than to the brilliant way he develops the opening five-pitch main musical motive from the first theme of the opening music in incidental music (unique to each episode) throughout the series. Here's the motive:

[Just an aside: I do not have absolute pitch, but I have listened to this so often that I did end up singing and notating it in the correct key!]



There are episodes where the orchestration is particularly inventive, and I notice William Loose's name attached to some of those episodes. The contractor, Jack Lee, hired the very best New York freelance musicians, resulting in exquisite playing. Clever adaptations of a great motive, beautifully and whimsically orchestrated, and played by great musicians. Who could ask for anything more in a a television series?

But there is more! Nelson Riddle's setting of the theme, and his further development of its opening motive during the later episodes of the series.

Watching this series is a wonderful (and deeply entertaining) lesson on what it is possible to do with five notes!

Here are the names with links to biographies of the composers, orchestrators, contractor, and conductors (with information on the internets) who are responsible for Naked City's extraordinary music:

Ed Forsyth
Jack Lee
Billy May
George Duning
Ned Washington
William Loose
Nelson Riddle
Van Cleave