Program Notes

One of the first scores that Franz Waxman composed after fleeing the Nazis for Paris in 1934 was Erich Pomer’s production of Liliom, directed by Fritz Lang and  staring Charles Boyer.  The movie is based on a Farenc Molnar’s play and would later be adapted by Rogers & Hammerstein into the musical Carousel.  One of the most famous scenes in the film is when the Boyer character “Curley” is killed and goes to Heaven. For this scene Waxman requested for the recording of this scene that the microphones be placed to the top of the dome in the Theatre des Champs- Elysees to give the effect that the music was coming from Heaven.

James Whale, the director of The Bride of Frankenstein, saw the film and knew immediately that he wanted Waxman to compose the score for his Frankenstein sequel.  When Whale and Waxman met accidently at a New Years Eve party 1934 Whale exclaimed “Oh my, I have been looking all over the world for you. I saw Liliom and want you to compose the music for my next film.” This was Waxman’s big break and gave him the opportunity to stay in the United States and continue his composing career. At just 29, on the basis of his groundbreaking score for The Bride of Frankenstein he was made head of the Universal Music Department.