It’s the day Hitler killed himself. It’s origins date back to pre-Christian times. It’s the day during which the “Night on Bald Mountain” sequence from “Fantasia” supposedly takes place. It was acknowledged in the poem “Faust” by Goethe, whose words were later used in a Cantata by Felix Mendolssohn.
Now, “Walpurgisnacht”- which is defined as the evening of April 30-March 1- is the inspiration for a short film I’ve had the great pleasure to score by my friend Mathew Timms. Shot in black-and-white, with no dialogue save for a few title cards, “Walpurgis Night” is a Gothic thriller of obsession and revenge, with the main character (played by Rob Cunningham), who plots to kill the person who murdered his wife during a dinner party.
I got the film to start scoring it several months ago. I also got the first 30 measures basically done relatively quickly. And then, in true Brian Skutle form, procrastination began, and the natives started to get restless.
I started to really take off in composing the score- which is along the same lines of previous macabre inspired works like “Otherworldly March”, “Gothic Twilight”, and “Darkness”– a few weeks ago, with the notes from my meetings with Mathew by my side, and the “inspirations” of Bernard Herrmann (“Vertigo”) and Ennio Morricone (“The Good, the Bad and the Ugly”) in my head.
Last week, the score was finished, and the recording began. On Tuesday, I turned the camera on myself, allowing people a glimpse of what my recording process is like. A mid-week screening/listening session with Mathew got the director’s seal of approval, with some minor suggestions.
Now, on my 32nd birthday, I’m pleased to present my latest piece and short film score, “Walpurgisnacht” for your listening pleasure. I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well is stands separate from the film. The film will find its’ way online in the coming months- and we’re talking about setting up a live screening in the next couple of months as well- but for now, you can hear my score @ both ReverbNation and my Facebook Fan Page. I also invite you to check out my recorded “scoring session” blogs (embedded here) to get a glimpse of the madness behind the man.
Thanks for listening- I hope you like what you hear. And I’m not done for now. I’ve got short film news forthcoming re: “Unwinnable Hand” and others, a bold new piece to record (“Deus ex Machina: Pressures of Life”), as well as a few other things on the way.
Brian Skutle
http://www.sonic-cinema.com
