Customer Reviews

Chiller

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've owned the "Chiller" CD since it's release in '89. At the time, I was working for a local Audio/Video/Music dealer, and was looking for 'demo' CD's containing not necessarily heavy bass, but ones displaying incredible dynamic range, and sharp transient peaks. I already owned a copy of "Time Warp", also on Telarc, and was intrigued when I read about "Chiller. Needless to say, I was extremely pleased with this disc. Not only did I get a disc containing some great treatments of classics, but the re-make of the "Psycho" suite is wonderful (the shower sequence is very faithful to the original)! A word of warning.....the dynamic range of this disc is not to be underestimated.....I drove an older amplifier into thermal shutdown VERY quickly with track #1. I haven't tried it since I've upgraded my home system....hmmm....might have to scare the neighbors tonight (or at least rattle a few dental fillings)!

This is an awesome album. It starts off with thunder crashing, running footsteps, a gate creaking, the wind howling, a cat screeching, a door opening, a woman crying that she needs help....and then SCREAMING! And then straight into track 2, the overture to 'The Phantom of the Opera'. Wow! The rest of the cd also features 'creepy' music from various sources, such as Alfred Hitchcock films, like Psycho, various classic works like Rimsky-Korsakov's 'Night on Bald Mountain', and also some other creepy sound effects. A good album not only for Halloween but I dare you to listen to it during a dark night with a thunderstorm raging outside.

This CD contains tons of great classic Halloween tunes. Even though the names might sound unfamiliar, you probably know most of the music on here through cultural osmosis. Heck, it's worth it just for "Funeral March of a Marionette" (the Alfred Hitchcock show theme.)

This is a playful CD by Erich Kunzel conducting the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra. Here, music associated with "chilling" moments is deployed. The orchestra plays in a spirited manner and this is, simply, quite a bit of fun.

The opening sequence sets a tone: Thunder, a wolf howling, footsteps on pavement, a cat crying out, a creaking door--and a shout. With that out of the way, the music begins, with the theme from "Phantom of the Opera," with the organ wailing and setting a chilling tone.

Familiar chillers follows, such as "Night on Bald Mountain" and "Danse Macabre." But I'll focus more on some odder choices that remind me of a movie and two TV series. There is the theme from "Twilight Zone," whose stories were often disquieting. This is an adequate version, but I found it a little disappointing, given my memory of the wound up version on the TV series.

Then, a mini-suite from the movie "Psycho." The three components--"Prelude," "Mad House," and "Murder." The latter focuses, as one might guess, on the shower scene. Boy does this conjure images of that scene! Those crazy strings bring us back to the movie.

The CD closes out with Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette," which served as the theme for "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." The music is well and energetically played, bringing back images of some of Hitchcock's shows that still remain in my memory.

So, not a heavyweight, cerebral CD, but one that is a lot of fun!

No argument here with the five-star reviews. Entertaining program, well-played music, and exquisite sound. However, there's one glaring omission- Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice," which is so much in the spirit of this program. This is ironic, as Kunzel had already recorded it with the same orchestra on Telarc, and there was sufficient room for it on this CD.

I purchased this to add to my collection of Halloween music. I have some halloween CD's that I listen to all year round. I have listened to this once and will listen again closer to Halloween. With what music I have I would not have bought this one.

I was very pleased with this purchase. Most of my Halloween/Spooky CD's have movie theme songs or just plain sound effects. This CD delves a bit deeper into the foray of frightful, classical compositions. It may be a bit slow for the younger crowd... possibly even a little dull for them. But for those who enjoy the more macabre classical selections then I definitely recommend this collection.

Looking for some quality . . . orchestral spooky music? This is it. Great sounds, great thunder. Spooky! Dynamics from pp to ff!

If you see this CD and think it's a collection of music from famous horror films, you might not get exactly what you want.

And that's OK. Because you will get a taste (or earful) of something different. Yes there are music selections of classic horror films like "The Bride of Frankenstein", "The Devil and Daniel Webster" ("Sleigh Ride" is my favorite track. If you ever heard of Aaron Copland's "Rodeo" you'll know why.), "Psycho" and "Poltergeist" but there are also classical pieces that have no connection to a horror film. In fact they were composed before film was invented, like Saint-Saens' "Danse Macabre" and Berlioz's "The Damnation of Faust" and Gounod's "Funeral March of a Marionette".

So this CD isn't meant to scare but to give one a feeling of suspense. Which is what makes it a great album to add to your classical music collection.

This cd is not what I thought it was going to be, but still a good one if you need creepy sound effects.