Music Book Review: Scored to Death: Conversations With Some of Horror's Greatest Composers by J. Blake Fichera

Scored to Death: Conversations With Some of Horror’s Greatest Composers
by J. Blake Fichera (Music 781.542 Fic)

It’s the season for scary movies, and there’s nothing better than the perfect soundtrack to go with a horror film. Some horror soundtracks do such a good job tracking on-screen action that you can almost watch with your eyes closed and still have a sense of what’s happening as quiet, subtle tension builds in the music to an intense violin stab or dissonant repeating figure. There has been renewed interest in this music lately, too, as several record labels have cropped up who focus on reissuing classic horror movie scores on vinyl or CD.

In Scored to Death, J. Blake Fichera conducts interviews with 14 renowned composers of horror film music, responsible for classics like Suspiria, Nightmare on Elm Street, Friday the 13th, and Halloween. The conversations generally shy away from getting too technical about musical details, instead focusing on issues like collaborating with directors, trying out new technology, the freedom of working with horror film compared to some other genres, and some of these composers’ own favorite films and inspirations. You don’t have to be a musician to find many of these interviews interesting — just a fan of scary movies! You’ll find that most of Fichera’s interview subjects are fun-loving movie fans themselves, no matter how frightening their music can be.

[If you enjoy this, you may also wish to try Sounds of the Future: Essays on Music in Science Fiction Film, edited by Michael J. Bartkowiak, or Blood on Black Wax: Horror Soundtracks On Vinyl, by Aaron Lupton.]

[ official Scored to Death web site and companion podcast ]

 

Recommended by Scott S.
Polley Music Library

Check out this, and all the other great music resources, at the Polley Music Library, located on the 2nd floor of the Bennett Martin Public Library at 14th & "N" St. in downtown Lincoln. You'll find biographies of musicians, books about music history, instructional books, sheet music, CDs, music-related magazines, and much more. Also check out Polley Music Library Picks, the Polley Music Library's e-mail newsletter, and follow them on Facebook!

 

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