The 1931 film version of Frankenstein was released without a score, as Hollywood had yet to master the art of placing music beneath dialogue. But since 2002, the silent spaces of the classic horror film have been filled with a haunting new soundtrack composed by New York–based artist Michael Shapiro.
This weekend, Shapiro’s score will accompany the film live at the Missouri Theater in St. Joseph. Under the theater’s ornate ceiling, the St. Joseph Symphony will perform the music as the movie plays, giving the film what Shapiro calls “a new life.”
“It has a resonance that is amazing,” Shapiro said. “If you add to it a score by a dramatic composer, it suddenly pops off the screen.”
Shapiro, a prolific conductor and composer, has written multiple symphonic works and traveled widely with his music. His Frankenstein score has become one of his most recognized compositions, performed by symphonies across the country.
The performance takes place Sunday, Oct. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Missouri Theater. More information is available at stjosephsymphony.com.
