Silent Night, Bloody Night
Gershon Kingsley
" Kingsley did the best he could and provided a very eerie, orchestral score for piano and strings. "Written by Joep de Bruijn - Review of the regular release
Gershon Kingsley,born in Germany, is a true pioneer of early electronic music. You may know him as the composer of the hit single Popcorn. Kingsley has written scores for films such as Ha-Timhoni and Silent Night, Bloody Night.
The composer wasn't pleased with the way the filmmakers used his music in the film. But he was excited that he could now show what he had envisioned with this release. The music is divided into two wonderful suites. The filmmakers described the kind of score they wanted as a gothic. Kingsley did the best he could and provided a very eerie, orchestral score for piano and strings. Since this was a season slasher, hence the title, the composed made a dark arrangement of the melody that Franz Xaver Gruber wrote for the popular Christmas carol. It's great fun hearing this ominous variation of the carol in the beginning and returning towards the end of the second suite. Even greater is the use of one of his daughters in the opening of the score. Clearly she wasn't the most gifted singer, but it sets the mood for the score.
I must admit that not all the parts of the two suites are equally strong, but there's great music to be found. There are the sweeping melodies, frantic strings passages in the veins of Bernard Herrmann and some really fun takes on the Christmas carol. Some scores, particularly the horror kinds, can be far more appealing in the form of a suite (or two). Good examples are Pino Donaggio's Piranha and Catacombs. I suspect, not having listened to the score in it's purest form, the same goes for Silent Night, Bloody Nnight. Recommended.
Tracklisting
1. Suite I, Movement 1 (3.06)
2. Suite I, Movement 2 (1.31)
3. Suite I, Movement 3 (2.08)
4. Suite I, Movement 4 (1.45)
5. Suite I, Movement 5 (0.35)
6. Suite I, Movement 6 (1.29)
7. Suite I, Movement 7 (0.55)
8. Suite I, Movement 8 (1.24)
9. Suite I, Movement 9 (2.46)
10. Suite I, Movement 10 (3.23)
11. Suite II, Movement 1 (6.17)
12. Suite II, Movement 2 (2.23)
13. Suite II, Movement 3 (2.37)
Total Length: 30.19
The composer wasn't pleased with the way the filmmakers used his music in the film. But he was excited that he could now show what he had envisioned with this release. The music is divided into two wonderful suites. The filmmakers described the kind of score they wanted as a gothic. Kingsley did the best he could and provided a very eerie, orchestral score for piano and strings. Since this was a season slasher, hence the title, the composed made a dark arrangement of the melody that Franz Xaver Gruber wrote for the popular Christmas carol. It's great fun hearing this ominous variation of the carol in the beginning and returning towards the end of the second suite. Even greater is the use of one of his daughters in the opening of the score. Clearly she wasn't the most gifted singer, but it sets the mood for the score.
I must admit that not all the parts of the two suites are equally strong, but there's great music to be found. There are the sweeping melodies, frantic strings passages in the veins of Bernard Herrmann and some really fun takes on the Christmas carol. Some scores, particularly the horror kinds, can be far more appealing in the form of a suite (or two). Good examples are Pino Donaggio's Piranha and Catacombs. I suspect, not having listened to the score in it's purest form, the same goes for Silent Night, Bloody Nnight. Recommended.
Tracklisting
1. Suite I, Movement 1 (3.06)
2. Suite I, Movement 2 (1.31)
3. Suite I, Movement 3 (2.08)
4. Suite I, Movement 4 (1.45)
5. Suite I, Movement 5 (0.35)
6. Suite I, Movement 6 (1.29)
7. Suite I, Movement 7 (0.55)
8. Suite I, Movement 8 (1.24)
9. Suite I, Movement 9 (2.46)
10. Suite I, Movement 10 (3.23)
11. Suite II, Movement 1 (6.17)
12. Suite II, Movement 2 (2.23)
13. Suite II, Movement 3 (2.37)
Total Length: 30.19