{"id":11688,"date":"2022-10-28T11:12:32","date_gmt":"2022-10-28T15:12:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/millheiser.com\/hokeyblog\/?p=11688"},"modified":"2022-10-28T11:51:11","modified_gmt":"2022-10-28T15:51:11","slug":"buttkickin-halloween-songs-the-shining-main-title-wendy-carlos-rachel-elkind-1980","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/millheiser.com\/hokeyblog\/2022\/10\/28\/buttkickin-halloween-songs-the-shining-main-title-wendy-carlos-rachel-elkind-1980\/","title":{"rendered":"Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs: “The Shining (Main Title)” — Wendy Carlos & Rachel Elkind (1980)"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Not for nothing but here’s two things you can learn about your humble host:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. The Shining<\/a><\/em> is my favorite horror movie of all time.<\/li>
  2. Dies irae<\/em> makes any musical piece sound utterly sinister<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    As far as #1 is concerned, that is of course entirely subjective. But few films creep me out to the core quite like Stanley Kubrick’s masterpiece. I probably watch it 3-4 times a year, and it never wears out its welcome. Ever.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    With that said, let’s talk #2 (teehee) and about why The Shining (Main Title) <\/strong>is such a creepy masterpiece of film scoring. the aforementioned Dies irae<\/em> (“day of wrath”) refers to a Latin melodic requiem written centuries ago by a Franciscan monk. Over the centuries it developed into a cornerstone motif of Western music <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Composers like Mozart, Vivaldi, and especially Hector Berlioz employed it in their works. Berlioz’s Symphonie Fantastique <\/em>makes particularly noticeable use of Dies irae<\/em> during the “Witches Sabbath” sequence. (Incidentally, I’ve been wanting to talk about this piece for ages in our Buttkickin’ Halloween Songs<\/a><\/em> series. One day.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Lest we get too artsy-fartsy, we shall push forward a few centuries. For decades throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, multiple filmmakers used musical cues from Dies irae<\/em> in their movies’ soundtracks. We’re talking such little-known nothings like Star Wars, The Lion King, It’s A Wonderful Life, Lord of the Rings, Groundhog Day, <\/em>and more. Check out this video if your doubt lingers:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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