Orchestral Score

Steven Spielberg once referred to Poltergeist as his “land Jaws.” “Terror is relentless, and the terror is unseen in both movies,” he added. Despite Tobe Hooper’s credit as director, Spielberg oversaw several aspects of Poltergeist’s production and post-production. Scheduling conflicts between this film and E.T The Extra-Terrestrial meant John Williams couldn’t write the score. Thankfully, Spielberg turned to Jerry Goldsmith, who was experiencing a career peak, composing several high-profile scores to successful films. The key to the score’s success is how it first establishes the strong bond of the Freeling family. The composer noted, “Poltergeist is not a horror picture; Poltergeist is a love story, a scary love story.” Goldsmith composed a lullaby to represent Carol Anne. With the emotional core of the music in place, Goldsmith cleverly combined ambitious and complex music for the supernatural events that center on this quiet suburban house. As the drama unfolds, Goldsmith introduces vicious tritone figures to represent the malevolent spirits. A wordless choir underscores the grand mystery lurking on the ‘other side.’ Goldsmith expertly weaves many disparate themes while still maintaining a cohesive musical narrative. The music simultaneously supports the drama and creates a score that is an enjoyable listening experience on its own. His ability to blend sophisticated orchestral techniques while maintaining a sense of musical continuity earned the composer an Academy Award nomination. For the first time, musicians, music students, conductors – any music lover – can study Poltergeist in this durable, high-quality edition, carefully reproduced and edited from the original manuscripts and sketches.