"Halloween Theme – Main Title" is the main theme music of the Halloween film series and the song from the Femme Fatales episode "Haunted", composed, conducted and performed by John Carpenter.
History[]
The theme is written in the rare 5/4 time signature. Director John Carpenter composed the simple, chilling music as it was the first thing his father had taught him how to play on a piano.
Halloween[]
The original theme features a simple piano music. Upper melody is based on a three note motif, using A root note and perfect 5th and a minor 6th. This motif Starts in the key of F#minor while the bass melody moves slowly from F# up to A.
The Next noticeable development is when the Bass the Moves up to Bb. Because as it ascends the upper melody transposes chromatically down a Semitone to begin from F. Here the Bb, F, C, and Db suggest a Bb minor add9 chord.
This musical cell is then repeated.
After being repeated the whole section is transposed down a tone to the key of E minor. This allows the upper melody to descend a further two times down from E to D#
The final section of the piece transpose the upper melody down from D# to B, by a Major 3rd.
It is here that the development is at its most melodic as the bass notes now rise in intervals of the B pentatonic minor scale: Staring from B to D,E and finally F#. This section is repeated and bass notes are harmonised with additional notes an octave higher.
A visual analysis of the harmony is:
|F#m b6 | F#m b6 | Bbm add9 | x 2
|Em b6 | Em b6 | D#m add 9 | x2
|Bm b6 | Bm b6 | Bm (b6/11) | Bm b6 | x2
before the cycle repeats the original motif begins again with the bass harmony.
Halloween II[]
The film's score was a variation of Carpenter compositions from Halloween, particularly the main theme's familiar piano melody played in a 5/16 time rhythm. The score was performed on a synthesizer organ rather than a piano. Overall the score is on a much grander and darker than the simple piano music of its predecessor. Many regard it as superior to the original due in no small part to its different instruments used to create a different mood. One reviewer for the BBC described the revised score as having "a more gothic feel." The reviewer asserted that it "doesn’t sound quite as good as the original piece", but "it still remains a classic piece of music." Carpenter performed the score with the assistance of Alan Howarth, who had previously been involved in Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979) and would work again with Carpenter on projects such as Escape from New York (1981), The Thing (1982) and Christine (1983).
Halloween III: Season of the Witch[]
The Halloween III theme utilizes the basic theme of the original film along with some new synthesizer music.
Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers[]
Closer to the original theme than II's theme, this one features a drum beat and synthesizer music along with piano.
Halloween 5: The Revenge of Michael Myers[]
Halloween 5's theme is played entirely on a synthesizer. The theme itself is in a higher key than the rest but the lower keys are played much lower than the other themes as well.
Halloween 5's theme is thought by some to be the best part of the film.
Halloween: The Curse of Michael Myers[]
Halloween 6's theme was mostly disliked by audiences. The original music score is composed by long-time Halloween contributor Alan Howarth, his work in the series dating back to his collaboration with John Carpenter on Halloween II. However, Howarth's score was redone when the film went through reshoots. A soundtrack album was released by Varèse Sarabande, and is an unusual combination of the music featured in the original cut of the film, as well as that of the final theatrical cut. Basically the Halloween 6 theme features a tapping beat amongst a loud guitar rock version of the Halloween theme.
Halloween H20: 20 Years Later[]
Halloween H20's music was the most ambitious in the series aside from Part II. It featured an orchestra.
Halloween: Resurrection[]
Closer to the original music once again because it was played on a piano but this remix featured the violins from the orchestra in the background, playing homage to the H20 music.
Halloween[]
The theme is a recreation of the 1978 theme, but using modern technology.
Halloween Kills[]
The theme is a recreation of the 1978 theme, but using modern technology.
Halloween Ends[]
The theme is a recreation of the 1978 theme, but using modern technology.
External links[]
- Halloween Theme – Main Title at Femme Fatales Wiki
- Halloween Theme – Main Title at Amazon
- Halloween Theme – Main Title at Apple Music
- Halloween Theme – Main Title at Spotify
