Ronald STEIN
The Haunted Palace. The Premature Burial
OSTs
PERCEPTO -002
[66:51]
Percepto
Limited edition 3000 copies
I grew up watching horror movies like Roger Corman's The Haunted Palace
(1963) and The Premature Burial (1962) (on TV, not in the cinema
as I'm still a relatively young man!), but these were the kind of films dearest
to my heart and even if with the passage of time I see more of their faults
than before, they still hold a special place in my affections as intelligent,
imaginative tales of dark fantasy. So what could be more fun than revisiting
these old friends through their music!?
The Haunted Palace opens with 'American International Picture Fanfare/Main
Title', an imposing, very modern sounding theme which happens to feature
a key motif that is identical to Toto's main title from Dune! Even
so, to put too much emphasis on this similarity would detract from the overall
quality of both themes in my view, as their development from an initial phrase
is entirely different. What is certain though is that Ronald Stein has conjured
a very catchy, stirring piece that immediately grabbed my attention. As an
interesting side note, due to the fact that the original 'good take' has
gone missing, this is actually an edited version of the theme (the complete
version appears as a bonus track). The decision was made by the producers
because they felt that the orchestral playing in the first section was slightly
askew. Personally I would have just presented it in its complete form without
worrying too much. It's all part of the charm of the original recording after
all!
Following on from this impressive main theme there are a number of suspense
cues like 'People of Arkham/Beautiful Zombie/Evil Portrait' and 'Old Warlocks',
subtle and imaginative pieces with a jet black sensibility. As might be expected
and in this case it's very welcome, the main theme is also referenced in
many tracks ('Vicious Ward/Mutant Circle', the effectively sombre 'Honoring
Ann' etc.) and gets a full work-out on 'Mysterioso'. Only very occasionally
does the score's age count against it, as with the slightly old-fashioned
orchestration of 'Village Dusk Painting/Wheaton Creature', but more often
than not I was struck by the freshness of the work; 'Tomorrow Morning/Death
of Wheaton', with its strong dissonant brass work for instance. All in all
this is a fine example of horror/suspense writing with very intelligent thematic
development and a nice balance of melody and discord.
A lesser work, but still worth your consideration is The Premature
Burial, the 'Main Title' a mournful, edgy piece which incorporates the
song 'Molly Malone' to fine effect. For the most part though the score consists
of slightly above average suspense cues (e.g. 'Basement Crypt'), with some
occasional bold dramatics ('Guy Remembers' etc.). While the music is generally
solid rather than striking, there are still several moments where Stein's
talent really shines through; tracks such as 'Guy's Choice' with 'Molly Malone'
used as a kind of eerie lament, 'Emily Abducted' with its restrained version
of the main theme and 'Guy's Revenge/Emily Buried' where a death knell sounds
in an ominous dirge-like piece. While less immediately appealing than
Haunted Palace, there is still enough skill and technical accomplishment
in evidence to keep things satisfying, although admittedly there are times
when its quiet suspense building becomes a little on the bland side.
I really enjoyed this CD and I can easily imagine Ronald Stein picking up
a fair number of new admirers after they hear the work presented here. For
those who like me remember the heady days of old when horror movies meant
period costume and Vincent Price (not to mention that dynamic duo of Lee
and Cushing!), this will be a treat indeed.
Mark Hockley
