The Music of the Disney’s Hunchback of Notre Dame“ Heaven’s Light

 Heaven’s Light and Hellfire are meant to be listened together. Both parts represent the basic nature of The Hunchback of Notre Dame: how feelings can be internalized and twisted according to the individual.

However I’m going to look at Heaven’s Light and Hellfire separately, because of the intensity of Hellfire and the simplicity of Heaven’s Light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heaven’s Light is the second ballad in the film and is Quasimodo’s final song though it’s reprise later in the movie. It’s the only “romantic” song to make into movie. In this song Quasimodo equivalents love to being heavenly. Since Quasimodo believes himself to be hideous, he thinks he not meant for love. However since Esmeralda gave him a peak on the cheek without fear, he calls her an angel and he’s hopeful that she could love him. He loves the concept of love. This hopefulness is gestalt of song.

 

There is lot going on in this song: Quasimodo explains what love is like, he feel he’s not meant for it but then not a beat goes by and he turns his hopeful-o-meter up to max, as he hopes that Esmeralda could love him because she wasn’t afraid of him. The song seems to do a lot. This is because it’s such a short song and that’s it feels a light all over the place. Quasimodo goes from being emo to sappy.  Anarkia in Notre Dame de Paris has a similar feel to it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The elements of humor in this song by the gargoyles is actually good. It’s relevant and cute to the song. In the song each gargoyle draws a picture. The pictures reflect their personalities, Laverne and Victor draw Esmeralda and Hugo draws Djali. It’s cute relevant humor. I like Victor’s drawing the best.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I have to admit that for me this song gets a little lost because it’s the song that comes right before Hellfire, which is for many people is their favorite song in the film as well as many people’s favorite villain songs. However listening to the song in isolation, it’s a sweet, well done song that develops Quaismodo’s character as both hopeful and naive.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Later when the song is reprised it’s a bittersweet sting to Quaismodo as his heart breaks as he watches Esmeralda and Phoebus kiss.

 

All in all it’s a good song, not terrible but not not fanatic. It’s one flaw is being next to Hellfire.

Next Time – Hellfire.