Can Music Scare Us?
Tom Service unearths the scariest pieces of music ever written and the tricks composers use, enlisting the help of director John Carpenter and neuroscientist Nathalie Gosselin.
Tom Service discovers the darker side of music in a Halloween edition of The Listening Service.
From Berlioz and Ligeti, to Don Giovanni and Psycho - there are some frankly terrifying pieces of music out there. But what is it about them that makes them scary - is it something in the music, or something in ourselves....
Tom enlists the help of the 'Halloween' director John Carpenter, who also composed its iconic eerie synthesiser score, and neuroscientist Nathalie Gosselin to unearth the fear factor in music.
Find out... if you dare...
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What music scares a horror maestro?
Duration: 03:23
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Edvard Grieg
In the Hall of the Mountain King (Peer Gynt Suite No 1)
Performer: James Rhodes. Music Arranger: Grigory Romanovich Ginzburg.- Bullets & Lullabies; James Rhodes.
- Warner.
- 5.
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Krzysztof Penderecki
The Dream of Jacob
Performer: Polish Radio National Symphony Orchestra. Performer: Krzysztof Penderecki.- EMI.
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Carl Maria von Weber
Der Freischutz - Wolf's Glen Scene
Performer: Staatskapelle Dresden. Performer: MDR Rundfunkchor Leipzig. Performer: Carlos Kleiber.- DG.
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Giuseppe Verdi
Requiem - Dies Irae
Performer: London Symphony Orchestra. Performer: Gianandrea Noseda.- LSO.
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GyΓΆrgy Ligeti
Requiem - Kyrie
Performer: The Bavarian Radio Orchestra. Performer: Francis Travis.- EMI.
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Benjamin Britten
Turn of the Screw
Performer: Julian Leang. Performer: Mahler Chamber Orchestra. Performer: Daniel Harding.- Virgin.
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Mark Korven
Apprehension Engine
Performer: Apprehension Engine. -
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Hector Berlioz
Symphonie fantastique Op.14 (Songe d'une nuit du Sabbat)
Orchestra: Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra. Conductor: Daniel Harding.- Berlioz: Symphonie Fantastique.
- Harmonia Mundi.
- 14.
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Bernard Herrmann
Psycho (Bathroom)
Orchestra: National Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.- Psycho.
- Unikorn Kanchana.
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Jerry Goldsmith
Alien
Performer: National Philharmonic Orchestra.- Silva Screen.
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Danny Elfman
The Nightmare Before Christmas - Jack's Lament
Performer: Danny Elfman.- The Nightmare Before Christmas.
- Disney.
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James Bernard
The Horror of Dracula
Performer: Studio Orchestra.- Varèse Sarabande.
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Bernard Herrmann
Vertigo (Prelude)
Orchestra: London Philharmonic Orchestra. Conductor: Bernard Herrmann.- DECCA.
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John Carpenter
Halloween
Performer: John Carpenter.- Halloween OST.
- Varese Sarabande.
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Alfred Schnittke
Faust Cantata - Es Geschah
Performer: MalmΓΆ SymfoniOrkester. Performer: Leif Segerstam.- BIS.
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Michael Jackson
Thriller
- Thriller.
- Epic.
- 4.
Broadcasts
- Sun 29 Oct 2017 17:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
- Sun 31 Oct 2021 17:00ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
- Fri 5 Nov 2021 16:30ΒιΆΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 3
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Podcast
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The Listening Service
An odyssey through the musical universe, presented by Tom Service
