The Hunger - Vampire Music?
Bela Lugosi's Dead - a fantastic beginning to one of the best vampire films ever: The Hunger.
In 2006, while in Brisbane for a conference, I spotted a music shop and went rummaging, and a CD of Schubert Piano Sonatas Nos 19 & 21 played by Sviatoslav Richter caught my eye. I love a lot of Schubert's music, and Sviatoslav Richter is one of my favourite pianists, so I would have been interested anyway. What made the purchase inevitable, however, is that shortly before then I had been reading something (or listening to someone) saying that Schubert saw himself as the responsible successor to Beethoven.
So, I yielded to curiosity, and I do love these sonatas, but what thrilled me beyond measure was that I had inadvertently discovered a piece of music I'd wanted for years.
I love Tony Scott's film The Hunger (based, of course, on The Hunger). Tony Scott knows how to use music in films. Quentin Tarantino also (I love the Kill Bill CDs and have recently been playing the Pulp Fiction soundtrack in the car), and Sally Potter (Orlando and, especially, The Man Who Cried).
But The Hunger... huge influence on my music collection, starting with Lakme by Delibes (previously I hadn't been into opera at all), Allegri's Miserere (which I loved until I heard an English translation one day and got upset with the religious sentiments) and Bach's Cello Suites (that one section used in the film being achingly beautiful).
But those piano trios... What were they? It was years before I discovered they were Schubert's Piano Trios. I can't remember whether I found the Lalo piece that Alice plays when she is killed. The piano piece that Catherine Deneuve plays is Ravel's Le Gibet, which was, I think, credited... not sure, but I found that one early on.
But there's another piano piece that you hear in the film and it haunted me for nearly twenty years, and it's the Andante Sostenuto from Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 21. It's one of those pieces that always makes me want to cry, like Je crois encore entendre from Bizet's Pearl Fishers (used so brilliantly by Sally Potter in The Man Who Cried).
Thinking about Susan Sarandon... One of my all-time favourite film scenes is when she plays the cello in The Witches of Eastwick (interesting book also) and finally releases her passion into the playing while Jack Nicholson's horny little devil crashes chords into the piano. The cello bursts into flame as she escapes her emotional chains and the orchestra takes over Dvorak's beautiful cello concerto...
In 2006, while in Brisbane for a conference, I spotted a music shop and went rummaging, and a CD of Schubert Piano Sonatas Nos 19 & 21 played by Sviatoslav Richter caught my eye. I love a lot of Schubert's music, and Sviatoslav Richter is one of my favourite pianists, so I would have been interested anyway. What made the purchase inevitable, however, is that shortly before then I had been reading something (or listening to someone) saying that Schubert saw himself as the responsible successor to Beethoven.
So, I yielded to curiosity, and I do love these sonatas, but what thrilled me beyond measure was that I had inadvertently discovered a piece of music I'd wanted for years.
I love Tony Scott's film The Hunger (based, of course, on The Hunger). Tony Scott knows how to use music in films. Quentin Tarantino also (I love the Kill Bill CDs and have recently been playing the Pulp Fiction soundtrack in the car), and Sally Potter (Orlando and, especially, The Man Who Cried).
But The Hunger... huge influence on my music collection, starting with Lakme by Delibes (previously I hadn't been into opera at all), Allegri's Miserere (which I loved until I heard an English translation one day and got upset with the religious sentiments) and Bach's Cello Suites (that one section used in the film being achingly beautiful).
But those piano trios... What were they? It was years before I discovered they were Schubert's Piano Trios. I can't remember whether I found the Lalo piece that Alice plays when she is killed. The piano piece that Catherine Deneuve plays is Ravel's Le Gibet, which was, I think, credited... not sure, but I found that one early on.
But there's another piano piece that you hear in the film and it haunted me for nearly twenty years, and it's the Andante Sostenuto from Schubert's Piano Sonata No. 21. It's one of those pieces that always makes me want to cry, like Je crois encore entendre from Bizet's Pearl Fishers (used so brilliantly by Sally Potter in The Man Who Cried).
Thinking about Susan Sarandon... One of my all-time favourite film scenes is when she plays the cello in The Witches of Eastwick (interesting book also) and finally releases her passion into the playing while Jack Nicholson's horny little devil crashes chords into the piano. The cello bursts into flame as she escapes her emotional chains and the orchestra takes over Dvorak's beautiful cello concerto...
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Rita
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Oct 28, 2012 01:41PM
I realy liked that movie. How much & what are you wrighting now?
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Unfortunately, I'm too busy with the day job at the moment to really get into writing a new novel, although there are a few ideas kicking around inside my head.I'm quite enjoying writing this blog, though... :-)
Good for you! I'm injoying it myself. What do you think, about, what I wrote,on Megan's, comment space? I should have talked to her, a little bit more, instead of making it to you. Hey, I'm still new to all of this, but think, thats what she is trying to wright. I think?
Sorry, but I'm not into opra,at all. I love the old rock n roll, & Country. Just a down home, Texas Girl.But, no horses. Scared to death of those, beautiful animals. I'll stick to my dogs.
I grew up listening to classical music. My parents weren't fanatics about it, but they were slowly building up a collection, and I grew up listening to Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Beethoven, ... the greats. My own tastes developed from there.At the age of 14, my parents moved to the Highlands of Scotland while I stayed at boarding school in Edinburgh, and I was exposed to a wide range of music. For a while I joked that I liked Bach, Beethoven and The Beastie Boys.
These days I like a wide range of stuff, including traditional jazz and country, recently getting into Colombian cumbia, and I generally like female singers, especially Katie Melua. While writing Suzie, I was listening to Dire Straits a lot.
But opera is definitely fun. I know some people get very elitist about it, and I don't like their attitude. Get away from them, and opera is pure entertainment.
In Paris, ten years ago, I visited the Pere Lachaise cemetery where many rich and famous are buried (including James Morrison of The Doors). Maria Callas was for a while also, but no longer. There is a memorial to her there, in amongst many in an underground chamber rich with flowers. In my mind I could hear her singing Bellini's Casta Diva, and I had to get outside and sit, and I think I was in tears for about half an hour. Now, I'm no Maria Callas fan, but she does sing that aria beautifully, and that moment was perhaps the closest thing I've ever had to a spiritual experience.
Music, has always been a big, part of my life.I have a huge voice,in a small body,& used to,sing,to anybody who would listen. My mother played the guitar,& everyone sang along. We got,singing from my Grandfather. He had the most beautiful tenner voice, you ever could hear.He passed it to, Mom, who passed to me & my sister, & I passed it to my son.He has a huge voice, like me. Mine's,not as strong as his,but use to be. I sang at school,church,& any where else I could. Mother & Daddy, spent the summers in, Reuidoso, New Mexico, & she & dad, would go to all of the little clubs, & she sang,& played with all of them.My dad sang as well. So music is a very big part, of who I am.
I've only ever sung for myself, around the house. But when I was younger I played the violin and was in several orchestras and groups, and I loved that. I also play the piano a bit, as did my mother and her mother... so I know what you mean about music being a part of you.
Yes, It's just great. I was in the band, only because, my Mom wanted it, because she loved it. Neither, I or my sister liked it. Mom did just push us into it, & that never woeks, the way you want it to. It just broke Mom's heart, that we didn't like band.
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