Philip Feeney's Dracula, Revisited

Last year, I wrote a post on Philip Feeney's ballet version of Dracula. I had heard the prologue on the radio on Halloween morning, and was qute impressed. Here was music that made the spine tingle. I wanted to get a copy of it and see if it would live up to my expectations.

I have a copy of it now, and am pleased to say that it does live up to expections. The prologue is the best part, starting with the heartbeat of the vampire; it's so quiet that it is on the edge of hearing; other sounds follow at the same level until you hear a drumbeat like the knocking on a door, then a disquieting theme that grows to the full strength of the orchestra. The prologue moves from creepiness to menace and action. This is a masterpiece of horror; Dracula is no sparkly vampire here.

The music for Harker's trip to Transylvania is also noteworthy, calling to mind the fashion for Gypsy music in the days of Liszt and Brahms, followed by the menace of Castle Dracula, a dark and threatening piece. The heartbeat theme returns for the final confrontation with the Vampire.

Philip Feeny's Dracula is a tour de force of horror music, and well worth the price, especially for the Naxos edition. It would also be perfect for Halloween. I highly recommend listening to the samples at the Amazon website.

TTL