For Giuseppe Verdi’s birthday, totally Goth witches’ chorus from “Macbeth”:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7b4tKhV5mcg
Act III Witches’ Dance from Taiwan:
“The Three Witches from Macbeth” (1827) by Alexandre-Marie Colin
Category: Daily Dispatch
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Piano Madness Movie Music on Picture Perfect
This week on “Picture Perfect,” Peter Lorre gets more than his share of left-hand piano repertoire, in “The Beast with Five Fingers” (1946). Max Steiner’s score, built on Brahms’ transcription of the Bach Chaconne, is one of the highlights of an hour of music from movies about madness and the piano.
The program will also include a macabre concerto by Bernard Herrmann, written for the Laird Cregar thriller “Hangover Square” (1945), about a deranged concert pianist in fog-shrouded London. Alan Alda seeks fame at all costs – even Satanism – in “The Mephisto Waltz” (1971), with music by Jerry Goldsmith, and just a touch of Franz Liszt. And power-mad pedagogue Hans Conried lords it over a legion of his long-suffering pupils, in the Dr. Seuss fantasy “The 5,000 Fingers of Dr. T” (1953), with music and songs by Frederick Hollander.
We’re mad about the piano this week, on “Picture Perfect,” music for the movies, this Saturday evening at 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
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Trilogy of Terror & October Horror Movie Schedule
Every Zuni fetish doll has his day, and Roy and I finally had our discussion about Dan Curtis’ “Trilogy of Terror” (1975), the ABC Movie of the Week, starring Karen Black – in four different roles, no less – that scarred everyone for life. At least it wasn’t “Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark.” That movie still makes me want to sleep with the light on. At any rate, as always, we spoil everything (if “Trilogy of Terror” CAN be spoiled), so watch at your peril.
Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner livestreams on Facebook every Friday and Sunday at 7 pm EDT. I’m already the regular Friday co-host, but in the service of Halloween, my favorite holiday, I’ve signed on for Sundays this month, as well.
This Sunday, don’t fall asleep! We’ll be discussing Philip Kaufman’s superb 1978 remake of “Invasion of the Body Snatchers.”
In case you’re curious, here’s what we’ve got planned for the rest of the month:
October 11 “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978)
October 16 “Kolchak: The Night Stalker”
October 18 “Night of the Living Dead” (1968)
October 23 “Soylent Green”
October 25 “The Devil Rides Out” (a.k.a. “The Devil’s Bride”)
October 30, “Young Frankenstein”
For “Soylent Green,” we’ll be joined by special guest Shari Bethman-Bjellquist.
And for “Young Frankenstein,” we’ll be joined by Michael Rizzo and Marybeth Ritkouski, our friends from SciFi Distilled. The October 30th broadcast will also include a virtual costume party, open to anyone who would care to participate.
If you’re blue and don’t know where to go to, why don’t you go where sci-fi sits? We’re spoilin’ all the hits!
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Trilogy of Terror Zoom Rescheduled
FOR THE LAST TIME (I hope), Roy and I will be Zooming with the Zuni.
Due to last week’s connectivity issues, our deconstruction of “Trilogy of Terror” (1975) has been rescheduled for this Friday evening at 7:00 EDT.
We’ll be coming your way TWICE every weekend in October to spoil your favorite movies. “Roy’s Tie-Dye Sci-Fi Corner: The Halloween Edition” is livestreamed on Facebook. Follow the link below at the appointed time:
https://www.facebook.com/roystiedyescificorner/
On deck for Sunday night – also at 7:00 EDT – “Invasion of the Body Snatchers” (1978).
We’ll save you a pod.
PHOTO: There is only one thing worse than Zuni being talked about… and that is Zuni not being talked about
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Piano Madness Movie Music on WWFM
If the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result, then surely Hanon etudes are a ticket to the madhouse.
This week on “Picture Perfect,” get keyed-up with music from movies about madness and the piano.
Whenever he hears a loud, discordant sound, unhinged pianist-composer Laird Cregar is compelled to commit murder, in the 1945 film “Hangover Square.” Bernard Herrmann wrote the moody, romantic score, which includes a piano concerto, played by Cregar’s character during the film’s conflagration finale.
Peter Lorre is an unstable musicologist who is haunted by the disembodied hand of a murdered pianist with a penchant for Brahms’ arrangement of Bach’s Chaconne, in “The Beast with Five Fingers,” from 1946. Max Steiner was the composer. The piano is played on the film’s soundtrack by Victor Aller, the brother-in-law of Felix Slatkin – also Leonard Slatkin’s uncle.
Alan Alda plays a frustrated pianist who falls in with a ring of Satanists, in “The Mephisto Waltz” from 1971. This time, Jerry Goldsmith blends Franz Liszt with amplified instruments and electronics to memorably eerie effect. Five years later, Goldsmith would win his only Academy Award for his music to “The Omen.”
Finally, Hans Conried plays a dictatorial pedagogue in “The 5000 Fingers of Dr. T,” released in 1953. “5000 Fingers” holds the distinction of being the only feature ever written by Dr. Seuss. The film sports an outrageous production design (including a gargantuan keyboard for 500 enslaved boys) and whimsical songs.
The composer was Frederick Hollander. Born in London, Hollander attained fame in Germany as Friedrich Hollander. His best-known international success was “The Blue Angel,” starring Marlene Dietrich, who introduced his song, “Falling in Love Again.” With the rise of the Nazis, Hollander fled to the United States, where he worked on over 100 films.
That’s music from movies about madness and the piano this week, on “Picture Perfect.” Practice makes psychotic, THIS SATURDAY EVENING AT 6:00 EDT, on WWFM – The Classical Network and wwfm.org.
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