For music of halloween day two, I decided to go with a more contemporary music score that is just as famous as the movie and stage productions they are featured with the same name. The piece of music is called Tocata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. This song has been used in many movies including Fantasia, but when you hear the music the only thing that comes to mind is....YES...a hooded figure in a Paris Opera house attacking spectators. These many movies are based on Gaston Leroux's novel Le Fantome de l'Opera, or simply translated "The Phantom of the Opera" One interesting fact is that the song is not in one of the most famous versons staring screen legend Lon Cheney released in 1925. Although the film features some revolutionary advances in movie making for the silent era including a few ball room scenes filmed entirely in color and some uses of early dialogue and sound effects (dubbed into the film in 1928), it does not contain the famous Bach piece of music. It was not used until the 1943 version staring Claude Rains as the Phantom. From then on when it has been played, particularly on a pipe organ, it has been the become one of the most terrifying songs that gives you goosebumps just by listening to it; and makes you want to look around a corner just to make sure someone is not going to hurt you. One of the most famous scenes I should point out from the original 1925 film features a unmasking scene of Lon Cheney. It is considered one of the most frightening moments in movie horror history. According to legend, women would pass out in their theatre chairs at the pure sight of his face disfigurement. Below I have not just the Bach theme but also famous moments of the Phantom's throughout movie and stage history. Enjoy!
All The Best
B.K.R.
All The Best
B.K.R.
The Johan Sebastian Bach theme, commonly referred to as the Phantom of the Opera Theme, take sometime and listen:
The Phantom of the Opera Unmasking scene would become most famous in the 1925 version of Gaston Leroux's most famous novel. It would frighten many people around the world during the silent film area for many eras to come.
And of Course in the modern era, we remember the Phantom for another reason. For all the broadway fans out there, I of course decided to include the Phantom in his other famous theme, from one of the longest running musicals of all time by Andrew Lloyd Webber. Here is the main theme from the musical movie adaption of Phantom of the Opera. I have included both versions of its well known theme orchesteral and one with the lyrics.
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