Miklós Rózsa and Bernard Herrmann were two composers leading a double life: Educated as serious classical composers who worked for the concert hall, they found their greatest success and life-long careers in the medium of motion pictures – more specifically, in Hollywood. Both men composed some of the most distinguished film scores of all time: Double Indemnity, Ivanhoe, Ben-Hur, King of Kings, El Cid (Rózsa); Citizen Kane, Vertigo, Psycho, and Taxi Driver (Herrmann).

Miklós Rózsa’s String Quartet and String Trio are vigorous and powerful works, rooted in the traditional German school around Max Reger, but also inspired by the rich folklore of his native Hungary (like his compatriot Bela Bartók).

Bernard Herrmann’s string quartet “Echoes” is cast in a single movement with ten identifiable sections. The work features several of Herrmann's stylistic obsessions, like the Valse triste and the fandango, prominently featured in many of the composer's film scores, expressing both pain and bittersweet nostalgia.

The “ensemble merian” was established for the purpose of this and possible future recordings. Comprised of seasoned players from Frankfurt's two full-time symphony orchestras, the Frankfurt Radio Symphony and the Frankfurt Opera Orchestra, “ensemble merian” is devoted to the recording of neglected classical works by composers more closely associated with motion pictures.