Reconstruction Across Generations
Because much of MGM’s original music library was lost or scattered after the studio dismantled its archives, the revival of Herbert Stothart’s work has depended on decades of scholarship, reconstruction, and archival stewardship. This ongoing effort spans multiple generations of musicians and historians whose work has made it possible to study, perform, and preserve Stothart’s scores today.
Conductor David Newman has been a central figure in this revival, championing classic Hollywood film music and leading the complete re‑recording of The Wizard of Oz for Sphere in 2025. John Mauceri helped return Stothart’s music to the concert hall, creating the first major orchestral suite of the score in 1991. Steven Bernstein carried out the painstaking reconstruction of Stothart’s lost orchestrations beginning in the 1980s, work that provided the foundation for all modern performances and recordings.
In parallel, Marilee Bradford and the Film Music Society have played an essential role in preserving and researching Stothart’s broader legacy — not only The Wizard of Oz, but his full catalogue of MGM scores, personal papers, and surviving archival materials. Their work has been instrumental in documenting Stothart’s career and ensuring that his contributions remain accessible to scholars, musicians, and institutions.