Hailed as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock knew that music can convey emotion in ways images cannot.

The soundtracks to many of his films take on a role of their own, becoming deeply compelling characters.

American Studies professor Jack Sullivan examines the celebrated director's relationship to sound in his new book, Hitchcock's Music.

Hitchcock's fruitful and sometimes volatile collaboration with such composers as Bernard Herrmann (Psycho, Vertigo, North by Northwest) and Miklos Rozsa (Spellbound) created some of the most gripping scores of all time.

Sullivan tells Scott Simon about some favorite musical moments, notes Hitchcock's fondness for waltzes and discourses on how his use of music has influenced generations of filmmakers.

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