Movies have a way of making us laugh, cry, or hold our breath in suspense. Music is a big part of why this happens. A soft ...

Hailed as the master of suspense, Alfred Hitchcock knew that music can convey emotion in ways images cannot. The soundtracks to many of his films take on a role of their own, becoming deeply ...

The iconic shower scene in Psycho was originally supposed to play out without music. Instead composer Bernard Herrmann created “The Murder”: as the killing transpires, violins shriek and scream along ...

Music and suspense are two qualities that rarely coexist on the stage, with the notable exception of “The Phantom of the Opera.” Now Segerstrom Center for the Arts is offering another sterling example ...

Hmm. Now that I think of it, I can recall only a couple of snatches of music from Alfred Hitchcock films: the screaming violins from the shower in Psycho and the thrumming from the scene with the ...

Imagine an episode of a crime drama without suspenseful music right before the villain goes in for the kill. Or a romantic comedy without the crescendo of the orchestra right before a kiss. Whether we ...

Some movies grab you so hard that you forget to check your phone. You’re too busy guessing what the hero will do next, or ...