The timbre and the orchestral colour seem to have a considerable importance in your approach to music. Let’s take a quick look at the instrumentals that have marked your career. Let’s start with the voice - the primary instrument. For The Ringer, directed by Alfred Rohrer (1964), you paired horrifying screams with a choir. How did this unusual idea come about?
At that time, I was a regularly composing for B movies produced by Rialto Film. For them, I had worked on, for example, Only a Woman (Alfred Weidenmann, 1962) and The White Spider (Harald Reinl, 1963). During the creation of The Ringer, Horst Wendlandt (the boss at the firm) told me “I would like you to write a type of music that you’ve never done before. Surprise me!”. This was the result: screams and revolver bangs in abundance… And these sounds fitted perfectly together with the swing of a male choir that was just as disturbing.
The electric organ has a big presence in your music. Why is this? It’s use in The Sinister Monk by Harald Reinl (1965) is particularly effective.
I find the B5 organ fascinating, and my attraction to this magical instrument hasn’t faded with time. I’m always amazed by it. But naturally, the right musicians are needed to play it, otherwise the charm isn’t translated. So, where are the good jazz musicians?!
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