Puppet Tinkler, woodcutter Šilar
Charles Gounod (June 17, 1818-October 17, 1893) was a French
composer perhaps best known for his version of Ave Maria, based on a work by Bach.
His mother was a pianist and his father was an artist. He studied at the Paris
Conservatoire and studied under Pierre Zimmermann, then later married
Zimmermann's daughter, though at one point he considered becoming a priest. In
1839, he won the Prix de Rome for his cantata Fernand. He was a remarkably talented man, highly respected and
popular in his day. So, why would I mention him on a blog about Alfred
Hitchcock? Because he also composed the theme song to The Alfred Hitchcock
Hour: "Funeral March of a Marionette."
It is a strange little tune, both spooky and somewhat
cheerful simultaneously. It does indeed remind one of a puppet, and a funeral
march, as well. It is a short piece written specifically for the piano, and one
of Alfred Hitchcock's favorites.
In 1959, Alfred Hitchcock participated in the BBC Radio
Program Desert Island Discs, the forerunner to contemporary reality shows. Each
week, a "distinguished guest" was asked to imagine that he or she was
stranded on a desert island, but they were not without entertainment. The
"castaway" was allowed to choose eight pieces of music, a book, and a
luxury item that they would most like to have during their island confinement,
and during the show they discussed the items they chose and why they made each
choice. One of the records chosen by Alfred Hitchcock was "Funeral March
of a Marionette."
In fact, Alfred Hitchcock enjoyed this piece so much that he
chose this music for the introduction of his television anthologies Alfred Hitchcock Presents and The Alfred Hitchcock Hour. The song was
an instant hit with fans who connected the quirky tune with Alfred Hitchcock's
equally quirky sense of humor. This wasn't the first time the tune was used to
introduce a drama. It was also used in the American silent film Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans, produced
in 1927 by F.W. Murnau, and in Harold Lloyd's first "talkie," Welcome
Danger, released in 1929.
It would be interesting to ask Gounod how he would feel
about the use of his tune to introduce dramatic films and "plays"
about murder and mayhem. Although the theme of a funeral march for a marionette
does seem rather dramatic, it is possible Gounod would have been happier
knowing this particular piece was used by Catholic students for piano practice
rather than to introduce a crime. Gounod was a devout Catholic who once
considered becoming a priest and always worked on a piano that had a portrait
of Jesus carved on the music rack.
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