Customer Reviews

Nosferatu: A Symphony Of Horrors (1998 Score To 1922 Film)

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3 star:		(1)
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Firstly, a couple of errors on the previous reviews. In John Bush's All Music review, he states this was composed for an American release. Not so. Bernard composed this new score for a series of silent films on the BBC's Channel 4. (Carl Davis's score for Chaney's Phantom of the Opera is another one in that series well worth picking up.)

Secondly, Michael from Kent states that there were never scores composed specifically for silent films. Again, not so. Many later silent films--especially the big-budget films--had scores specially commissioned for them and orchestrated for any number of instrumentations. The same score often was written out for orchestra, small bands, and even solo piano or organ, so that it could be played in venues of all different sizes. (The book Film Music by Roy M. Prendergast is an excellent resource on this point.) And, in fact, Nosferatu had a score written specially for it by Hans Erdmann. Now, unfortunately, that "original" score was mostly lost. What fragments that remained were pieced together and filled out with Erdmann's other film music for a disc on RCA conducted by Gillian B. Anderson. The same thing was done with Giuseppe Becce's fragments for Cabinet of Dr. Caligari on Koch, and both are worth seeking out. So, there were "original scores" for silent films, this just doesn't happen to be one.

Finally, the disc itself. For fans of Bernard's work on the Hammer films this is a must have. Far more mature and interesting than some of his earlier work, it nonetheless retains the elements that made his scores so exciting in the first place. I would rank it among his best work in the genre. For fans of more romantic work like Waxman and Rozsa should see if they can find a copy of the Erdmann score.

I own three editions of Nosferatu on DVD, with five different soundtracks between them, but none of them come nearly as close to capturing the essence of Murnau's masterpiece as James Bernard's powerful score. I can close my eyes while listening to this CD and visualize the action as it plays along with the music...from Orlok's menace to Hutter's naivete to Ellen's dark foreboding...it's all here! I was impressed with Bernard's work with Hammer films, and he definitely didn't disappoint with this one. Unlike the other scores, the majority of which were anachronistic (using sounds and styles quite out of place set against the 1922 vintage of the film), this one has a credibility...although this is by no means the original soundtrack (which, as someone else here pointed out, has been lost to the ages save for a few fragments), it is surely a candidate for the best score to take its place.
That being said, it is a true shame that there is no edition of Nosferatu out on the market with this soundtrack...this score was composed for a British television presentation of the movie, but I can't seem to find any information as to whether or not this edition of the film was ever released to the public on VHS or DVD. I tried playing it with my Alpha Video version of Nosferatu (which, at 64 minutes, is the only one that matches the length of the CD) but the movie constantly lagged behind the corresponding music). If Kino or Image ever decides to release a newer edition of Nosferatu on DVD, they would do well to lose the avant-garde scores and use this instead.

It may be taken for granted after seeing a particular copy of a classic film that includes a certain background music that sounds perfect with the film, that one would expect this particular music to be available on CD. Such as not the case with NOSFERATU, but this splendid CD is still worth listening to. As many film collectors know, F.W. Murnau's legendary silent classic NOSFERATU has became available through very many VHS editions, from such distributors as King Video, Vintage Silent Classics, Hollywood Gold, Blackhawk Videos, Republic Pictures Silents, and most recently we have the alleged Ultimate Edition available on DVD. It may be common knowledge that all videos contain a different music score in the background. So in silent films there is no OFFICIAL music score. James Bernard, who has for years been a popular composer of the British Hammer Horror Classics such as THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN and HORROR OF DRACULA. Whereas Bernard's music for THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN is somewhat escalator-ish and at the same time thrilling, the HORROR OF DRACULA score consists of three or four note motifs that bring to full intensity the pure evil of Count Dracula. In both films, they blend perfectly well with Christopher Lee's incredible performances. With this recent release of the NOSFERATU soundtrack, Bernard brings a similar shtick. The opening Overture is at first creepy then gets loud and compelling. Please note, these are all music pieces that we have never heard in any video release known as of yet, so for this reason hearing this CD would be worth it. With the Blackhawk Video release of the opening credits you first hearing a wolf howling, followed by frenzied, chilling music. You can actually feel what kind of a movie you are about to watch. With the Republic Pictures, the music during the beginning is a little introductory, and plays different music pieces for each character to establish the seriousness of their prominence to the film. Bernard's music to the "Hutter and Ellen" tracks first get playful, considering you hear the music played at so many different tones, first you hear it slow, than at a faster pace later. The music suddenly gets sad when Hutter announces his ill-fated quest. The music during the arrival of the Castle is appropriately dark and somber. I especially like the music for "The Ship of Doom", and would have loved to hear more background music for this scene. But given it was such an eerie, compelling scene to show Count Orlock's arrival by the sea, it was probably for the best that not very much background music was to be heard. It gives the entire scene a more darker complexity. Finally there is "The Pursuit of Knock" which for the first time brings a musical motif to Count Orlocks' demented follower. In many silent video versions of the score you only hear one certain musical piece for each of his scenes, or only for the scene towards the end, when Knock is being pursued by the crowd. Either way, it works. Finally there is the scene where Ellen sacrifices her life to keep Count Orlock by her bedside until dawn. Bernard's music for this is somewhat piercing, rather than slow and eerie as I would have expected it to be. Yet it does give a good dimension to the scene. Given this soundtrack may someday be a very rare collectible, I would say it is worth picking up for film collectors, or at least fans of old Horror classics. Nevertheless, I recommend picking it up.

This recording by the City of Prague Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Nic Raine of James Bernard's score for NOSFERATU is the recording used for the 1997 British television presentation. During the past week I've listened to this CD at least ten times and watched the film 5-6 times. (I have an imperfect copy of the film with this score courtesy of a friend who recorded it off the TV for me a year ago.) This is the same performance as is on the film.

I'm familiar with four musical accompaniments for NOSFERATU and to my taste James Bernard's music is the most effective score among them. I won't go into what I like or dislike about any of the others, but each has its merits. (I happen to know one of the other composers.)

Being already familiar with some of Bernard's work for Hammer (QUATERMASS, THE HORROR OF DRACULA, THE DEVIL RIDES OUT), I expected to encounter more aggressive music than is here, so the first time I listened, I felt just a little let down. That was a short-lived response, though - a few more listens and it had me. Bernard's NOSFERATU score has to tell the whole story, not just periodically set a mood, smooth over awkward film editing or mark exclamation points, and he composed to THIS film, not a Hammer film. This music reflects German expressionism and has a great deal of power where it matters and a simmering tension throughout. Bernard paces himself and enjoys each sensation as it comes, whether one of carefree affection or of apprehension or terror and, matching the film's subtitle, presents a "Symphony of Horrors".

A very impressive recording, this is one of Silva's more significant releases ever.

Written long after the original film was in theatres,this item ,while associated with the silent-era vampire classic,might just as well be viewed as a theme-oriented symphony...The theme,of course,is good and evil,the latter personified in the vampire nosferatu..Many symphonic pieces start with a particular theme in mind,and then develop cues that advance thier musical storyline..Even given the fact that this was a score written to back up an existing silent movie the resulting work can stand alone,without specific reference to the film itself..Sort of like a classical symphony piece that just happens to compliment a movie..Phillip Sainton,another classical composer,took his short classical symphonic piece"The Island"and,with some additions,turned it into the score for the John Huston classic"Moby Dick"...But one can listen to"The Island" and experience the same flow without actually knowing that,in a slightly different form,it became the score for a major motion picture...Here we have a similiar situation,in that the music,which more or less runs together rather than being divided into specific cues to serve behind specific scenes,creates an atmosphere that clearly suggests some great contest between light and darkness...

I agree with the other reviewers - this is without doubt the best soundtrack to Nosferatu available. I'm also happy to report that the one reviewer who lamented that there is no DVD of the film with this soundtrack is incorrect. The British Film Institute (BFI) edition does use Bernard's music. You will probably need to order it from the UK (try amazon.co.uk), and you may have to watch it on your computer, but it's worth it!