:22:02
There is an awful lot of commentary
through the music.
:22:06
Sometimes impish, sometimes
emotionally reinforcing,
:22:11
but, like so much that's
in this film, heightened.
:22:14
The basic structure of Waxman's score
is Wagnerian.
:22:17
He uses motives for each of
the major characters or sequences.
:22:21
These are thematic building blocks
:22:23
which can introduce or herald
each character's entrance
:22:26
or imply their presence off-camera
when they aren't present.
:22:30
Almost operatically, isn't it?
:22:32
The leitmotif approach,
:22:35
where you have a particular phrase
or melody associated with a person,
:22:39
one character or a different character.
:22:41
The monster has a four-note motive which
seems to be patterned upon his growl.
:22:50
It's almost as if Waxman had observed
the performance and deduced that from it.
:22:55
The bride herself has a very exotic
high-flown three-note melody.
:23:05
It is very open-ended and that allows it
to be utilised in many different forms.
:23:10
We first hear it, narrative-wise, when
Pretorius speaks of her imminent birth.
:23:15
- Friend for you.
- Woman?
:23:20
Friend. Yes.
:23:23
Dr Pretorius, who is the kind of
Mephistophelean interloper.
:23:27
He's a figure both of humour
and tremendous evil.
:23:31
He has a very mad, loping theme.
:23:40
It portends all kinds of things to come,
:23:44
usually resolved with a small coda, which
is again open-ended and unresolved.
:23:48
You never know what Pretorius is going
to do or where his actions will lead.
:23:53
There's a wonderful sequence,
where he is slightly drunk in the crypt,
:23:57
dreaming of monsters to come,
and is surprised by the Karloff creature.