Hereditary (Colin Stetson, 2018)

Released in 2018, Ari Aster’s first feature film Hereditary is recognized as one of the most haunting films in recent memory. Avant-garde composer and multi-instrumentalist Colin Stetson aimed to make the film sound “evil.” From the use of clarinet choirs to the human-sized bass saxophone, Stetson’s score takes on a disturbing and sinister character of its own in the film.

Candyman (Philip Glass, 1992)

Minimalist composer Philip Glass is regarded as one of the most influential composers of the late 20th century. His film scores can be heard in movies such as Kundun (1997),The Truman Show (1998), and The Hours (2002). Known for his repetitive structures and shifting layers, Glass’ score for Candyman delivers a hypnotic and intense atmosphere.

The Thing (Ennio Morricone, 1982)

The 1982 version of The Thing, directed by John Carpenter, is the quintessential sci-fi horror film for those looking for an extraterrestrial thrill. Italian composer Ennio Morricone is one of the most prolific film composers of all time with hundreds of compositions in a wide variety of genres. Morricone creates a cold and unsettling sound that fits perfectly in this science fiction classic.

Suspiria (Thom Yorke, 2018)

Luca Guadagnino’s Suspiria (2018) is a remake of the original 1977 horror classic by Dario Argento. The film follows a young American dancer who travels to Berlin to study at a world-renowned dance school and soon uncovers the academy’s dark secrets of witchcraft and murders. Radiohead’s Thom Yorke provides melancholic and solemn, yet beautiful songwriting to the film with tracks like “Suspirium” and “Unmade.”

Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann, 1958)

Widely regarded as one of the most impactful film composers, Bernard Herrmann’s compositions have been featured in classics such as Psycho (1960) and Taxi Driver (1976). In the track “Prelude and Rooftop” from Alfred Hitchcock’s Vertigo, the use of repetitive dissonant motifs in the strings mixed with the heavy low brass underscores the intensity and suspense of the film. The story follows an ex-detective who is hired to guard a possessed woman obsessed with death.

The Shining (Wendy Carlos, Rachel Elkind, Krzysztof Penderecki, et al., 1980)

The Shining is one of the most recognizable horror films of all time. Many people can identify the use of the traditional liturgical chant “Dies Irae,” which is a key sound element to the film’s identity. Based on Stephen King’s 1977 novel, The Shining is a psychological thriller that heavily utilizes pre-existing music from classical composers such as Bartók, Ligeti, and Berlioz.

The Nightmare Before Christmas (Danny Elfman, 1993)

Tim Burton’s The Nightmare Before Christmas is the perfect family-friendly spooky movie to watch as the seasons change. Whether you watch it on Halloween or Christmas is completely up to you. Danny Elfman’s soundtrack for this iconic stop-motion film has given The Nightmare Before Christmas its place in pop culture along with a massive cult following.

It Follows (Disasterpeace, 2014)

In the film It Follows directed by David Robert Mitchell, a teenage girl’s new boyfriend passes a curse onto her of a shape-shifting entity that is out to get her. Richard Vreeland, also known as Disasterpeace, is a masterful electronic composer of video game, chiptune, and film music. He uses sinister-sounding synths and distortions to give It Follows a throwback horror film score sound.

Psycho (Bernard Herrmann, 1960)

Released in 1960, Alfred Hitchcock once again collaborated with Bernard Herrmann in the cult classic movie, Psycho. The intense string ostinati in the “Prelude” track are still widely recognized today. In music, an ostinato describes a repeating musical phrase derived from the Italian word for “stubborn” or “obstinate.” In this track, the ostinati elevate the panic in Marion’s drive to the Bates Motel, letting the audience know that something terrible is to come. Not to mention, the iconic shower scene with the track “The Murder,” where the piercing violins elevate both the musical and cultural identity of this influential slasher film.

Halloween (John Carpenter, 1978)

Horror genre legend John Carpenter wrote, directed, and composed the score for the timeless classic, Halloween. The main theme of the soundtrack is an essential leitmotif linked with one of the most famous horror film villains, Michael Myers. A leitmotif is a recurring musical theme that often represents a character or person (think Darth Vader and the Imperial March, or the famous Jaws theme). Inspired by learning about 5/4 time signatures on the bongos as a child, John Carpenter’s use of minimalist, repetitive, and rhythmic patterns helped produce one of the greatest horror film franchises of all time.

To keep learning about spooky musical works, check out this post from the Arts Blog: Ghouls, Ghosts, and Edvard Grieg: The Spookiest Classical Pieces.

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We are delighted to pass on Julian’s recipe for Sticky Fried Goo-Goo. Similar to Rice Krispies Treats, this dessert is an Oxford birthday celebration favorite. Bon appétit!

Download the full recipe here, and be sure to tune in to Sunday Brunch every Sunday from 10:00 AM – 12:00 PM PT. There’s always room at the brunch table!

Sticky Fried Goo-Goo

Ingredients:

• 10.5 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 14 oz. marshmallows
• 6.5 oz. dairy-free toffee
• 1 Tbsp golden syrup
• 3.5 cups Rice Krispies (you can judge it by eye)
• 3 full-sized mars bars
• 3 Tbsp of double cream

Line a 9x13in (or similar-sized) baking dish with plastic wrap.

In a large saucepan over a low heat, add the butter, marshmallows, toffee, and golden syrup. Gently melt everything down and mix well. When all the ingredients have melted and are evenly blended, add the rice krispies. As gently as you can so as not to crush too many rice krispies, mix everything with a large metal spoon so that the rice krispies are covered well with the marshmallow mixture. It will be very sticky! When judging how many rice krispies you will need, you do not want the finished mixture to be too runny. If so, add more. Ideally, you want the marshmallow mixture to just cover the rice krispies, not swamp them.

Tip everything into the prepared baking tray and flatten the krispies mixture out using the back of the spoon. Pop in the fridge for a good twenty minutes.

While the ‘sticky fried goo goo’ is chilling, put the mars bars and cream into a small pan and gently melt down. Take the goo goo out of the fridge and pour the melted mars bars over the top.  Put back into the fridge and leave for a good two hours to set. Cut into squares and enjoy!

Host Christa Wessel spoke with Pink Martini bandleader and Portland pianist Thomas Lauderdale about his new collaboration album with legendary Portland surf rockers Satan’s Pilgrims. Over 25 years in the making, the new album, Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims, features new takes on beloved standards such as Night and Day, Malagueña, and George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.

Infusing classical music and Thomas’s sparkling piano work with the Pilgrims’ signature surf rock sound, it’s the perfect summer party record you can enjoy all year round!

Hear Christa and Thomas‘s exciting conversation below:

Thomas Lauderdale Meets The Pilgrims is available now on CD and vinyl at pinkmartini.com!

Experience the album live at the Crystal Ballroom on Thursday, May 18, 2023. Tickets and more information at crystalballroompdx.com.

ABOUT

Thomas Lauderdale was raised on a plant nursery in rural Indiana. He began piano lessons at age six with Patricia Garrison. When his family moved to Portland in 1982, he began studying with Sylvia Killman, who to this day continues to serve as his coach and mentor. He has appeared as soloist with numerous orchestras and ensembles, including the Oregon Symphony, the Seattle Symphony, the Portland Youth Philharmonic, Chamber Music Northwest and Oregon Ballet Theatre (where he collaborated with choreographer James Canfield and visual artists Storm Tharp and Malia Jensen on a ballet based on Felix Salten’s Bambi, written in 1923).

Lauderdale currently serves on the boards of the Oregon Symphony, Pioneer Courthouse Square, the Oregon Historical Society, Confluence Project with Maya Lin and the Derek Rieth Foundation. He lives in downtown Portland, Oregon.

Learn more at pinkmartini.com.

Satan’s Pilgrims formed in 1992 during a series of house parties hosted by the members of the band, and were playing shows in their hometown of Portland, Oregon by 1993. Twisting their name from the 60’s AIP film “Satan’s Sadists” and donning their now familiar matching outfits complete with vampire capes, they became a band. 

The Pilgrims are one of the most influential surf instrumental bands around and while much of their sound has a definite Southern California influence, what sets them apart is the legacy of their Pacific Northwest rock ‘n’ roll ancestors and other influences, creating their own sub-genre of surf instrumental that many fans call “Pilgrim Rock”.

Read more at satans-pilgrims.com.

Here, we’ll explore a few wonderful pieces, the genius composers behind the scenes, and the habit that makes us all human.

Don Giovanni, or “Up-Until-Dawn” Giovanni?

Don Giovanni is often considered one of Mozart’s greatest achievements, as well as the hymn of procrastination. Written as a two-act opera, it premiered on October 29, 1787, in Prague – fourteen days after it was supposed to premiere for the visit of Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria.

But despite Mozart receiving those extra fourteen days to make last-minute edits and twiddle his thumbs, he didn’t compose the score until the morning before production. A popular story claims that during the eve of the premier, Mozart was chatting and enjoying beverages with his wife Constanze. Afterward, he fell asleep, and Constanze kindly woke him up at five o’clock in the morning to finish the overture. When the opera was finally performed, the ink on the sheet music of the overture was wet, still drying from last-minute copying. Musicians sight-read their parts without rehearsal.

Even with the lack of previous practice, the premiere was well-received. The Provincialnachrichten of Vienna reported that “Mozart conducted in person…” and that he was “…welcomed joyously and jubilantly by the numerous gathering.”

The Thieving Magpie

Two-act operas tend to be a common struggle for procrastinating composers. Gioachino Rossini enjoyed setting new standards through his many serious and comic operas, but he may have pushed the limits a bit too far when he composed La Gazza Ladra, “The Thieving Magpie,” on the day of the opera’s opening.

A popular anecdote reports that Rossini was locked inside the attic of La Scala, the Milan theater of the opera’s premiere, by the theater manager. Rossini was instructed to write the opera, page by page, and drop them out of the window for copyists to quickly transcribe. If he didn’t finish them fast enough, stagehands were encouraged to throw him out of the window instead. Sometimes, we all need a bit of motivation, and Rossini was no exception.

There’s no better way to enjoy autumn than by listening to a playlist of spooky classical music. Below, we’ll share some of our favorite festive pieces for the fall season. What’s your favorite ghoulish classical piece?

Below, we’ll peel back the curtain and explore how several of these modern instruments are made!

 The Song Sparrow (Melospiza melodia)

These birds could be the poster-chick for songbirds. Common across much of the Western United States and across all seasons, they are usually found in thickets, marshes, and gardens. Their colors can vary across the continent, but in the Pacific Northwest they are generally reddish-brown with a white belly, and a spotted patterning. They eat mostly seeds and insects, and in coastal marshes they sometimes eat small crustaceans. They nest under or on low shrubs, or other vegetation close to the ground. Their song generally consists of three short notes and a trill.

The Dark Eyed Junco (Junco Hyemalis)

These birds are common all year throughout the Pacific Northwest, making them a staple of backyard bird songs. They can be seen in suburban areas as well as on the edges of woodland areas. They stay in semi-open areas with thick vegetation that also have clearings nearby. The most common plumage is grey and white, but they can also have various patterns that are reddish-brown. They eat mostly insects foraged on the ground, but they don’t turn their beak up at seeds or berries. Their nests are almost always on the ground hidden under foliage or rocks. Their song is a ringing trill, sometimes softer in flight.

The Yellow-rumped Warbler (Setophaga coronata)

These birds like woodlands and streams, but then again, don’t we all? In the West they like to have their breeding season in coniferous, mountain forests. Their coloring is mostly white, black, and brown, but they get their name from the striking bits of yellow peeking out. They eat mostly insects and berries, helping with garden pests such as aphids, wasps, and gnats. They can sometimes be seen flying out of a tree to catch a bug in mid-air. They prefer to nest in trees, on branches or in the fork between a branch and the trunk of the tree. Their song, as the name might suggest, is a high pitched warble.

The American Robin (Turdus migratorius)

The robin is so familiar and widespread, that when we don’t see it in areas where humans live it can be a warning sign of environmental problems. From cities to rural farmlands, across a variety of climates, they are a constant companion in the outdoors. Mostly dark and light grey, they can be easily spotted by their orange belly. Their eggs are the iconic ‘robin’s-egg blue’, although they can vary slightly in paleness. They eat insects, fruit, and earthworms, as well as snails and slugs. They nest in trees and shrubs, but also on porches and windowsills, barns and bridges. Their song is caroling, with cheery notes that rise and fall.

The Black-capped Chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)

These birds are common across the Western United States. They are very active little birds, and can be seen and heard even in winter. They generally live in open woods or on the edges of forests, and they have a preference for deciduous trees. They can also sometimes be found in suburban areas. Their plumage is white, grey, and light brown, with the black and white pattern on the head giving them their ‘black-capped’ appearance. They eat mostly insects, fruit, and seeds, and are eager visitors to birdfeeders. They nest in small holes in trees, from a woodpecker or rotting wood, and will happily habitate a nesting box. Their song consists of 2-4 whistles, but they’re more easily recognised by their call which is said to sound like ‘chick-a-dee-dee-dee’, hence their name.

If these birds are around making music, they probably already like your backyard, but you can always attract more birds by making it an even better habitat! Take a look at this helpful guide from the Portland Bureau of Planning and Sustainability on indigenous plants for the area. Portland Audubon Society and the Columbia Land Trust have also partnered on the Backyard Habitat Certification Program, which can help give detailed guidance for and acknowledgement of spaces that support local wildlife.

Happy Earth Day!

In honor of National Radio Day, All Classical Portland Intern Kelly Lantz interviewed our Chief Engineer Mike Alston on what it’s like to run the technical magic behind the music. Mike has a vast wealth of knowledge and experience in this field and is an excellent storyteller, so if you’re curious about how you’re able to hear the dulcet tones of All Classical Portland on your own radio, read on!