This the fourth part of my review on the music of Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Das Licht des Himmels

Drew Sarich as Quasimodo in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Drew Sarich as Quasimodo in Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Das Licht des Himmels (Heaven’s Light) is identical to the Disney version. The minor difference is that a used piano during the part where Quasimodo calls Esmeralda an angel. That’s it. It’s still sweet and is a good counter to Quasimodo’s bitterness of his unrequited love.

Das Feuer der Hölle

Norbert Lamla as Frollo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Norbert Lamla as Frollo Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Here’s a question for all of you, What do like about Hellfire in the original Disney movie? Is it the song itself? Tony Jay’s singing? The Animation? Or the fact that this song about hell and lust was produced under the Mouse?  And when those things like the animation, Tony Jay and the Disney movie context are removed is the song still as awesome?  I would like to say yes but this version is not my favorite, there is something about the way Norbert Lamla sings it that just devoid of the emotional intensity that Jay gave it. I’m not saying Lamla is a not a good singer because he is. I think he maybe trying to mimic Jay’s performance. Maybe this is number is more amazing on stage than it sung.  Though from what I’ve read the stage re-creates the Disney Hellfire sequence. But it just doesn’t compare to the Disney version but it couldn’t have been better in it’s own right.

Next Time – End of Act 1 Esmeralda

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda saving Phoebus Der Glöckner von Notre Dame

Beauty and the Beast Concept Art  Disney

Beauty and the Beast Concept Art Disney

La Belle et la Bete picture image

La Belle et la Bete

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as I’ve mentioned several times Disney takes older movies and re-makes them with their sacchrine Disney stamp. Aladdin  is based off of the Theif of Baghdad 1924 and1940 and The Thief And The Cobbler. Beauty and the Beast based  is off of La Belle et La Bete, though Belle is based off of Hepburn’s portayle of Jo from Little Women . And Be Our Guest uses Gustav Mahler’s Symphonie 3 First Movement for the melody.   And of course Disney is based Hunchback off of the 1939 version of Hunchback of Notre Dame with slight hints made to the Lon Chaney version in 1923. However Disney will never admit to doing this instead they do the opposite. In the DVD audio commentary, Directors Gary Trousdale and Kirk Wise  and Producer Don Hahn basically criticize the 1939 version and the 1923 version. They claim that these two movies have made Quasimodo into a monster.  While Lon Chaney’s version is consider to be horror, it is not, Chaney is not the horrific monster that commentary paints him as. And as Charles Laughton’s Quasimodo well Disney’s Quasimodo is far more monstrous.

 

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Singin’ in the Rain meets King Kong Shot

Reverse King Kong Shot Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Reverse King Kong Shot Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

It makes me more than a little angry that Disney uses these sources but in an commentary they debase them and then they discuss other movies that they took inspiration from Like King Kong and Singin’ in the Rain . They also mention Minster Toad’s Wide Ride and Fantasia  in relation to Hellfire. It’s just annoying the way the directors and producer go on about how the brought a sense of humanity to Quasimodo that the old Hollywood failed to do.

Next Time – Conclusions

Phoebus, Quasimodo, Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Phoebus, Quasimodo, Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

Frollo singing Hellfire Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney

As I end discussing the music I want to say ONE thing, in Hunchback of Notre Dame, when the songs differ from the standard Disney format of song-type, the songs were great and when the songs was very formulaic it was bad. I think Disney needs to  pull away from the ridgely formulaic movies and be a little more experimental. I realize the Hunchback wasn’t a great success for them but that’s because they took a book that a) is a piece of literature with a bittersweet ending and b) they muttled the plot so it both be “dark” but also for kids.

 

Tangled Promotion Poster Disney picture image

Tangled Promotion Poster Disney

Snow Queen Concept Art Disney picture image

Snow Queen Concept Art Disney

 

 

 

 

 

 

I know Disney recently has been trying new things, Tangled was CG and more like a Dreamwork movie but it was still a princess movie and I was going to mention Snow Queen but that’s in development limbo right now. But maybe Disney should take what was so great about the Hunchback of Notre Dame (the dark elements) and make a dark animated movie. Let’s what would be good, mmm how about Faust:, everyone loves Faust. Or the The Monk , no that’s too dark, lots of sex and satan (but then again the main character is like a Frollo prototype). I think there was talk about doing Disney doing The Ramayana which isn’t dark but Ravana is demon king and I think it would make a great Disney movie especially if they did really cool animation. I guess either Faust alter to scew younger or the Ramayana which would need very little altering would be great.

Night on Bald Mountain Disney Fantasia  picture image

Night on Bald Mountain Disney Fantasia

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

In conclusion Disney, you love Night on Bald Mountain, you love Hellfire, just make a dark movie and don’t market it for kids who know maybe that’s the shot in the arm your company needs; making a good film that people want to watch, and the people like Dark.

Next Time – It’s Fan Art Friday  Can I get a Yay?

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Let’s us now concluded the musical portion of Hunchback with probably the strongest aspect of it; Alan Menken’s Score. The Hunchback of Notre Dame has one of the best score that Disney has ever produced. Menken was inspired by Mozart’s Requiem Mass and there a lot of dark tonalities to the Music  which in conclude Latin chanting which add    to the gothic nature of tone to the movie. When I say Gothic I referring to the building of Notre Dame and not the genre of the Victor Hugo’s book. The score also has a lot of Leitmotifs (referring to a recurring theme associated with a particular person, place, or idea.)

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo during Out There Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame pitcure image

Frollo singing Hellfire Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Esmeralda singing God Help the Outcast Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

Quasimodo = Out There, Frollo =Hellfire, Phoebus has this march that is heard a lot when ever he appears on the screen, and Esmeralda = God Help The Outcasts. Clopin doesn’t seem to get one because he is always singing. You can hear the song tune throughout the movie. Track 4 Humiliation has the tunes of Out There and  God help the Outcast.

Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image
Quasimodo declares Sanctuary for Esmeralda

 

So while the songs are pretty hit and miss, the score is strong. My Favorite track is defiantly Sanctuary!, it over the top and dramatic. Plus I’m a fan of Latin choir, it maybe a cliche but they really do make everything sound much more epic

 

Next time a slight Rant and Plea to Disney

Quasimodo's figurines from "Heaven's Light" Hunchback of Notre Dame Disney picture image

Quasimodo's figurines from "Heaven's Light"

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image

Frollo and an illusion of Esmeralda during Hellfire

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

Heaven’s Light is the second ballad in the film and is Quasimodo’s final song though it is 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. This hopefulness is gestalt of song.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 kind of ADD. Quasimodo goes from being emo to sappy.  Anarkia in Notre Dame de Paris has a similar ADD feel to it.

Victor and Laverne's drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Victor and Laverne's drawing of Esmeralda Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Hugo draws Djali Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The elements of humor in this song by the gargoyles are 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.

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

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 and their favorite villain. However listening to the song in isolation, it’s a sweet, well done song that develops Quaismodo’s character as both hopeful and naive.

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Phoebus and Esmeralda Kiss Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo reprise Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

 

 

 

 

 

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

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame picture image

Quasimodo singing Heaven's Light Disney Hunchback of Notre Dame

 

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.

Frollo Hunchback of Notre Dame Hellfire Disney picture image

Frollo singing Hellfire