Spooky Tunes

We begin with one of the most famous scenes in film history. With Bernard Herrmann's shrieking violins in Psycho, which gruesomly underscore the murder scene in the shower, Hitchcock and Herrmann opened a new chapter in film music. Herrmann shows that these instruments, so often associated with beautiful, lovely sounds, can also represent the absolute opposite. It is almost inconceivable that Hitchcock originally wanted to show the scene completely without music, and had to be persuaded by Herrmann to allow this groundbreaking sound to accompany the scene, which ultimately led to their greatest triumph.

Now that the blood from the shower has trickled its way to the sea, it's only a matter of time before it attracts a great white shark. John Williams' theme for Jaws is also considered a milestone in film music and was rewarded with an Oscar. Six double basses, eight cellos, four trombones, a piano and a tuba were employed to musically capture the great white shark swimming menacingly directly towards us in straight, hammering quavers with no break and no escape....

„Ave Satani“ or “Hail, Satan” – is the main theme of the 1976 film The Omen. The music is by Jerry Goldsmith and impressively, and terrifyingly combines feelings of menace and fear with sacred choral music.

You already know the next motif from the Scary Classic Playlist. Stanley Kubrick's 1980 horror film The Shining uses the “Dies Irae” over and over again. Staying true to his unique, inimitable style, he complements the soundtrack with themes from many other classical works.

Another prominent composer heard in the horror cinemas who cannot be missed from such a playlist: Krzysztof Penderecki! The works of the post-serial Polish composer, who died just two years ago, are often used in horror films. His hair-raising work Polymorphia was used in both The Exorcist and The Shining.

Ein anderer Pole hingegen schrieb die Musik zu Bram Stokers Dracula: Wojciech Kilar, who composes so vividly that when you listen to it, you can almost imagine Count Dracula rising from his grave at midnight.

And then a menacing, aggressively rhythmic whispering choir, interrupted by a high soaring female voice, until all elements unite to a dramatic climax. Kilar Chapeau!