Jerry Goldsmith‘s contribution to cinema was with unforgettable melodies in several classics. With just a few notes, we know when Star Trek comes in, to name just one of his most famous compositions. Directors such as Steven Spielberg, Robert Wise, Otto Preminger, Roman Polanski, and Ridley Scott worked with him. It was no surprise that he accumulated no less than 18 Oscar nominations throughout his career, with one win in 1976, for The Omen.

When the invitation came along, Goldsmith was already an awarded and recognized composer. The Omen was different from The Exorcist, which was a box-office success. With less graphic images and a script focused on psychological fear, the film starred Gregory Peck and Lee Remick. The story is simple because it suggests the fulfillment of a prophecy that exists, which is the birth of the Anti-Christ. Directed by Richard Donner, the project took three years to get off the ground and the innovative soundtrack marked generations and established a new genre.

Starting with the opening song. Jerry Goldsmith came in with everything, with a choir evoking Ave Satani. It’s scary. It was so memorable that it was nominated for an Oscar as the best song of the year. The Latin lyrics were written by the composer’s wife, Heather Goldsmith, who also sings the main theme on the track The Piper Dreams.

Ave Satani has a touch of Carl Orff‘s Carmina Burana, but the Latin chorus leaves little doubt about what he’s talking about Sanguis bibimus, corpus edimus, tolle corpus Satani, (we drink the blood, we eat the flesh, we lift the body of Satan ) mixed with Ave Satani and Ave Versus Christus (We salute Satan, We salute the Anti-Christ). It makes my stomach knot to write…

According to Heather, she said at the time, the composer was having a lot of difficulty finding the tone and the song, which would have to create the impact of the story before the film even started. One fine day, according to her, she did it. When he woke up he said that inspiration came in his dreams. “I hear voices,” he reportedly said. And so Ave Satani was born. #fear!!!

But not everything is horror. The brilliance of the score lies precisely in the romantic melody that Goldsmith wrote for the Thorn family, who are drawn into the conspiracy because of their position in the world’s political picture. (No SPOILERS for those who haven’t seen the film yet). It’s a beautiful melody in complete contrast to what’s happening around them. The notes that at times generate suspense and at others, sadness, are on both tracks.

Among the behind-the-scenes legends is Richard Donner‘s insistence on bringing Jerry Goldsmith to the project. There was no budget (Goldsmith’s fee at the time was three times higher than the budget), but the director managed to convince the studio. The rest, as they say, is History. After all, a genius like Jerry Goldsmith makes any film a pearl. Even a horror one…

Pesquisar

Pesquisar