Press Release from Tadlow:World Premiere Recordings of the Complete Scores from Two Classic Hammer Films of the 1950s.
THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN starred Peter Cushing as Baron Victor Frankenstein and Christopher Lee as The Creature. This outstanding 1957 horror film began a whole series of films starring these two great icons of terror and was one of the best movies from Hammer Productions.
DRACULA, made in 1958, also starred Peter Cushing (as Doctor Van Helsing) and Christopher Lee (as Count Dracula). It is difficult to overestimate the significance of DRACULA as it set the tone for Hammer’s movie output over the next two decades when British horror films were among the most admired and popular films. DRACULA created international stars out of Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.
The music for both these films was composed by James Bernard, who created music for many more classic Hammer films including: SHE * THE QUATERMASS XPERIMENT * THE DAMNED * DRACULA: PRINCE OF DARKNESS * THE DEVIL RIDES OUT * TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA * THE LEGEND OF THE 7 GOLDEN VAMPIRES.
A distinctive trait in Bernard’s Hammer scores is their use of clashing harmonies, often created by doubling a motif a tone higher, as in his famous Dracula theme. His music is also frenzied and pacey at times, frequently making use of percussion such as timpani and snares. He could also write lush, romantic melodies, however. such as appearing in FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMEN, TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA and SCARS OF DRACULA. -TADLOW MUSIC
Newly Recorded in Stunning and Dynamic Digital Sound
Performed by the Acclaimed and Award-Winning City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra Conducted by Nic Raine
New Score and Bernard’s own Orchestrations Reconstructed by Leigh Phillips
20-Page Full-Colour Booklet with Informative Sleeve Notes by Hammer Film Music Expert David Huckvale, plus numerous original film stills and posters.
OVER 70 MINUTES OF MUSIC
Includes Bonus Track “Rhapsody for Lucy” Composed by Leigh Phillips from the Dracula Theme by James Bernard
