Psycho - The Murder

use in film

• used four times, associated with the act (or result) of the murder
• played during the shower scene

Rhythm, metre, tempo

• molto forzando e feroce

• first half of cue - all beats are on the beat - strong pulse - especially due to strong down bow accents

• second half of cue - off-beat bass line in vc and db

• 3/2

Texture

• texture builds from top downwards, creating an 8-note cluster at start

Instrumentation/timbre

• only cue not marked con sordino
• ultra high shrieking notes at the top of each instruments range (apart from vln2)
• repeated down bows at start, strongly defines notes - also all marked sffz
• glissandos up to each note, in second repeat
• in second section of cue higher strings alternate between arco and pizz
• in second section of cue lower strings play all bass notes down bow

Dynamics

ff for entire cue

Harmony

• instruments play in major 7th intervals, inverted semitone interval, at beginning
• lower strings playing off-beat bass-line start by playing in octaves then at end are a dim5th apart
• cluster chords in second half of cue
• ends on unresolved diminished chord

tonality

atonal

Structure

• opening 8 bar phrase repeated with variation
• then cluster chords and off-beat bass-line
• ends on long held chord