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The LA Opera is back with their hugely popular Halloween mash-up, featuring Frankenstein. Score by Michael Shapiro

The LA Opera is back for their hugely popular annual Halloween mash-up of film and opera at the Theatre at Ace Hotel. This time they've got the Boris Karloff shocker; ‘Frankenstein’ on the big screen, complete with mad scientist, bumbling henchman and mob of torch-bearing villagers.

This 1931 masterpiece of horror was originally released without a musical score, which inspired composer Michael Shapiro to fill in the void by creating an original new soundtrack. As the classic film plays on the big screen, he'll conduct his gorgeous and atmospheric score, performed live by the LA Opera Orchestra, making this the ultimate audience experience for a truly iconic film.

“The audience was riveted to their seats. The power of the live music with the classic film was hypnotic. His score is majestic and flowing when set against the flickering image on the screen, touching during tender moments, harrowing during disturbing ones.”

a little background…..Like many films in those early days of the talkie, the 1931 James Whale classic Frankenstein was released without a musical score, and Michael Shapiro's 70-minute score is written to be played simultaneously with the screening of the film.  For modern-day concert- and moviegoers, his haunting music adds significantly to the emotional impact of the film.

Michael Shapiro was commissioned in 2002 by the Boris Koutzen Foundation to write this film score. The world premiere of this work, with live chamber orchestra and film, occurred in October 2002 at the Film Society of Lincoln Center's Jacob Burns Film Center in New York. Since its premiere, it has received over 50 performances worldwide, including its European premiere at the Bergen International Festival in Norway, and at the Mariinsky Theater Film Annex in St. Petersburg, with major symphony orchestras in the United States, Canada, and the U.K., by Federal service bands such as the United States Navy Band in Washington, D.C., and the Royal Canadian Air Force Band (La Musique de Aviation royale canadienne) in Winnepeg, and university ensembles throughout the Americas.

The overture was recorded by the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the U.K.  Duration: 70 minutes. Shapiro will also conduct the performance.