Composing Greatness: #8. The Musical or Comedy Scores - "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" (1996)

Scene from The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Welcome to Composing Greatness: a column dedicated to exploring the work of film composers. This will specifically focus on the films that earned them Oscar nominations while exploring what makes it so special. This will be broken down into a look at the overall style, interesting moments within the composition, and what made the score worth nominating in the first place. This will also include various subcategories where I will rank the themes of each film along with any time that the composer actually wins. This is a column meant to explore a side of film that doesn't get enough credit while hopefully introducing audiences to an enriched view of more prolific composers' work. This will only cover scores/songs that are compiled in an easily accessible format (so no extended scores will be considered). Join me every Sunday as I cover these talents that if you don't know by name, you recognize by sound.

Series Composer: Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz

Entry: The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

Collaborators (If Available): N/A

Nomination: Best Original Score (Musical or Comedy)

Did She Win: No

Other Nominees:
-Emma (Rachel Portman)*winner

-The First Wives Club (Marc Shaiman)
-James and the Giant Peach (Randy Newman)
-The Preacher's Wife (Hans Zimmer)

Additional Information

This is to help provide perspective of where each composer is in their Oscar-nominated life as it related to the current entry.

Oscar Nomination: 14 (Alan Menken), 3 (Stephen Schwartz)

Oscar Wins: 8 (Alan Menken), 2 (Stephen Schwartz)

Track List

1. "The Bells of Notre Dame"

2. "Out There"

3. "Topsy Turvy"

4. "Humiliation"

5. "God Help the Outcasts"

6. "The Bell Tower"

7. "Heaven's Hellfire"

8. "A Guy Like You"

9. "Paris Burning"

10. "The Court of Miracles"

11. "Sanctuary!"

12. "And He Shall Smite the Wicked"

13. "Into the Sunlight"

14. "The Bells of Notre Dame (Reprise)"

15. "Someday"

16. "God Help the Outcast (Bette Midler Version)"

Note: Listen to here

Exploring the Music

The area of the column where I will explore the music in as much detail as I see fit for each entry.

Theme Exploration:

"Humiliation"

So much of the score feels steeped in something darker and more mature than just about every other Alan Menken score up to this point. Given that it was during their "mature" period, it makes sense that every note sounds like it's pulled from a Gregorian chant, itself haunting and reminiscent of the score for The Omen. So much of it feels immersive and is perfectly paralleled by the upbeat and more classical score, trying to push through and see the optimism in the world. The clashing of melodies here is one of Menken's brightest moments as a composer for Disney, and while this isn't the best representation of it, this is definitely a score that finds him challenging himself to make something much more interesting and visceral than ever before.

Interesting Standout:

"The Bell Tower"

Alan Menken does something incredible with this piece that becomes more obvious once you see the film to come. Using motifs from songs like "God Help the Outcasts" and "Out There," it's a slowly rising melody that finds the listener climbing the bell tower, through the dark and morose textures to something optimistic hidden inside. It's a glorious blend of sounds that capture everything that's beautiful and haunting about this score. All the while it manages to continue building, feeling like one escalating motion as the listener is taken to the top of the tower and out into the beautiful sunlight. 

Best Moment:

"Sanctuary!"

While the rest of the score is not nearly as established, this piece is a perfect and intricate melody that hits all of the theatrics that we expect from a third-act. It's got moments of levity, but it's mostly evoking dread, with a choir singing in this haunting unison in such a way that makes you believe that the world will fall apart. For a Disney score, this is downright horrifying at times, and it builds to some excellent emotional cues, once again breaking through the darkness. It's a complex piece, and one that never lets up. It's the perfect tension builder, and another highlight of Alan Menken's gifts as a composer.

Did This Deserve an Oscar Nomination?:
Yes

It's difficult to fully judge this score without realizing that it's among the shorter nominees on this list. With that said, it's easily one of Disney's most impressive and challenging scores to date, finding chants and baroque music blending with orchestral score, managing to make a religious texture feel secular enough to not isolate viewers. There are so many tonal explorations in this that remain bold and exciting, and it's a score that feels like a true accomplishment. While the songs are largely forgotten in the Oscar conversation, at least the music here reflects why this category needs to exist. Sure it's funny that a score this disturbing could even be on there, but it's a sign of how charismatic Alan Menken truly is capable of being. 

Up Next: Original Musical or Comedy Score - Randy Newman, James and the Giant Peach (1996) 

Best Theme

A ranking of all themes composed by The Best Original Musical or Comedy Score nominees.

1. Randy Newman: "Andy's Birthday" - Toy Story (1995)

2. Marc Shaiman: "Main Titles" - The American President (1995)
3. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz: "Pocahontas" - Pocahontas (1995)

4. Rachel Portman: "Main Titles" - Emma (1996)

5. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz": "Humiliation" - The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996)

6. Marc Shaiman: "Cynthia" - The First Wives Club (1996)

7. John Williams: "Sabrina" - "Track 01" (1995)

8. Thomas Newman: "End Titles"- Unstrung Heroes (1995

Best Winner

A ranking of all themes composed by The Best Original Musical or Comedy Score winners.

1. Alan Menken & Stephen Schwartz: "Pocahontas" - Pocahontas (1995)

2. Rachel Portman: "Main Titles" - Emma (1996)