Organ belts out 'Hunchback'

A collective shiver ran down the audience's spine at Friday's showing of The Hunchback of Notre Dame at Irvine Auditorium. The huge Curtis Organ shook the building as Lon Chaney acted out the tragedy on screen. The showing was presented by the Irvine Auditorium Society and the Curtis Organ Restoration Society. Members of the societies introduced the film, wearing, of course, the obligatory humps. The silent film was the first of three versions of The Hunchback, made by Universal Studios in 1923 and reckoned to be the classic version. It tells the story of Quasimodo, the outcast bellringer of Notre Dame cathedral. The only person ever to show him kindness is Esmerelda, the beautiful gypsy. Quasimodo seeks to protect her from unjust execution by a tyrannical King and from the machinations of those who wish to possess or kill her. It was accompanied by live music, played on the Curtis Organ by Kevin Chun, of the University's Architectural Archives staff. The music followed the action onscreen, adding immeasurably to the atmosphere. The suspense, humor and romance of the film were all underlined by the organ's bellowings. When the hero and his men were riding to save Esmerelda, they were given a brief burst of the Lone Ranger theme. Most memorable, though, was the feeling of grim foreboding. The lowest notes of the organ were felt rather than heard, while the higher pitched sounds echoed under Irvine's vaulted ceiling. The peal of bells rang through the building as members of the audience glanced nervously at the arches and balconies high above them. The organist said that preparing the effects required hours of work. "We sat down with a tape of the movie and selected principal themes," Chun said. "Each character had their own theme, and there were also themes for chase scenes, dances and love scenes." The music drew on classical sources such as Wagner's Ring cycle and Muzzorsky's Pictures from an Exhibition. "I reduced phrases from classical music to their simplest components," Chun said. "That way I could play themes simultaneously to show what was happening in the scene. I tell you, it's tough." After the showing, members of the audience were given a tour inside the mammoth organ, allowing them to see behind the massive pipes that engulf the building. The societies that organized the event have past experience in frightening people. Last year they held their twentieth annual Halloween showing of The Phantom of the Opera.

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