You ’ve heard it during " Star Wars . " " The Shining . " Even " Home Alone . "
For decade , clever composers have woven elements of a special medieval dirge into film soundtracks to transmit a sentience of dread , premonition and general doomsday where the script call for it . In the late episode of The Soundtrack Show podcast , titled , Doom and Gloom : Music has a word for " Death,“hostDavid W. Collinsdiscusses the significance of this particular composition and why it ’s so democratic .
Known wide as " The Day of Wrath , " the original Latin title is " Dies Irae , " which can also interpret to such cheery concepts as Judgement Day , the end of the world and death in general . The piece features a mere handful of banknote , and wasoriginally composedback in the 13th century by a Franciscan monk identify Thomas of Celano . Little did he have it away that one solar day his part would be revere , repurposed and otherwise showcased in many of the biggest photographic film to collide with Hollywood .
Hardly what we would weigh a complex melodious work by today ’s standards , the piece doubles as a lament chant , and features some pretty sobering Latin lyric . ( Translated into English , thefirst two lines record : " Day of anger , day that / will dissolve the populace into burning coals . " ) you could hear it in this sample below .
Mozart and Verdiwere just two of the composers who write euphony based on " Dies Rae . " The hymn ’s first large movie photograph was in 1941 ’s " Citizen Kane . "
" You ’ve been hearing it again and again in huge enfranchisement picture like ' Star Wars , ' ' Lord of the Rings , ' Disney moving-picture show and mode more , " Collins says in the podcast . Collins himself has a unique insight into the use of medicine within the film manufacture , having develop his career as a voice actor , sound mixer and composer for many films and video games , including a number within the " Star Wars " enfranchisement .
The musical motif , once you be intimate what to look for , is ubiquitous . " Dies Irae " has been used in some of the most bone - chilling , terrifying movies out there . It ’s prominently featured in the opening strains of " The Shining , " and a variation on the Song dynasty is include in the ultra - illustrious " Jaws " root , very appropriately , we might tally . " Indeed , the shark is a forerunner of end of the world . A killing simple machine , " Collins explain .
now and again , composer go with a campy approaching when incorporate the lament into a soundtrack . Collins call up the blockbuster smasher " Home Alone , " during which Kevin is regale with the urban legend of Old Man Marley , the rumored " South Bend Shovel Slayer . " When Kevin lays eyes on Old Man Marley , he subsequently becomes panic-stricken . Cue composer John Williams with a well - placed ' pop off Irae ' to get the spot across . Says Collins , " He give you the ' Dies Irae ' for scare Kevin , " adding , " This is such a precious use of the ' die Irae . ' Kind of a comedic almost like wink at the consultation . This is a kid ’s imaging going nuts . "
moderate out the podcastto hear the " Dies Irae " in all its creepy-crawly nimbus , get word more about the unexpected movies it has popped up in , as well as why the tune lends itself so well to scary pic .
