I think that Alan Menken is a brilliant composer. He has written Broadway musicals, and some of the best of the Disney musicals. A perfect example of his brilliance: “Heaven’s Light/Hellfire“ from Disney’s The Hunchback of Notre Dame.
When the musical came out, I had two 11-year-olds and a six-year-old. We were very careful about what the kids watched—violence was not encouraged. Things like Mel Brook’s Men in Tightswas fine, because the more questionable humor went right over their heads. But, while we were sitting in the theater watching Hunchback, I was more than a little horrified by “Hellfire.”I could not believe that these images were in a Disney movie.
It is now one of my favorite Disney villain songs.
This One is a Little Bit Different
This blog is going to be a little different than earlier ones. As far as I am concerned, there must be a reason for each key and timing change, and it is an important part of the performer’s job to interpret and figure these reasons out. It is somewhat irrelevant whether this is what the composer intended or not. So, for this blog, I am going to look at the process for digging into a song.
I am going to talk a lot about keys and relative minors in this. So, let me try to give a quick explanation of terms. A key is the framework of a song; that’s all. It’s a specific set of notes that we have decided to work with. This framework can sound happy or commanding—that’s usually going to be what we call a major key. Within that same framework, we can decide to make a slight switch going to what is called the relative minor key. It’s a relative because it is using the same framework, but now can sound sad or brooding. We can also decide to change the framework completely! This is called a key change.
Timing is just a change in rhythm. If you are tapping your foot, you may find that you’ve gotten a little off. That might not be you, that might be a change in the music itself.
(I am not going to talk about the characters, who they are, what their motivations are. I am assuming that you are familiar with the main characters. If not, you should check out the Disney animated and the live-action musical available on YouTube.)
“Hellfire” and Interpretation
To really understand the full impact of “Hellfire”, we need to start with Quasimodo’s “Heaven’s Light”.
So many times out there(we’ve already had Quasi’s solo called “Out There”,expressing his desire to leave the bell tower.)
I’ve watched a happy pair of lovers walking in the night.
They had a kind of glow around them.
It almost looked like heaven’s light.
I knew I’d never know that warm and loving glow,
Though I might wish with all my might.
No face as hideous as my face
Was ever meant for heaven’s light.
But suddenly an angel has smiled at me
And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright.
I dare to dream the she might even care for me,
And as I ring these bells tonight
My cold dark tower seems so bright.
I swear it must be heaven’s light.
Quasimodo’s solo is in the key of F major. Quasi is also a tenor, a higher male voice. This is used to signify both his relative youth and to establish him as the hero. Heroes are almost always tenors.
We then hear the bells ringing. These would be calling people to Mass in the cathedral below. There have been a couple of quick timing changes—one while the bells are ringing and one as the choir starts. The thing about these Latin chants is that they were first done before standard music notation was thought up. Timing was not something that they worried about, so by giving us a quick timing change, Menken instantly makes the chant sound old and authentic.
As the choir of priests begins to sing the key—the framework—abruptly changes. We have gone from the literal high note of the song to a lower key to accommodate the lower voice of our Frollo. (And while heroes are almost always tenors, baritones and basses, the lower male voices, are usually bad guys.) And we have gone to a different idea. Now we have the Mass being sung. But while the people partaking in the Mass are turning their thoughts to God, Frollo’s thoughts are far lower.
Here is also where things get complicated. We need to deal with some Latin. The priests start the Confiteor, which is a pretty standard prayer in several denominations. It is the confession of sins, admitting the wrongs that one has done.
Confiteor deo omnipotenti– I confess to God almighty
Beatae Mariae semper virgini. – To blessed Mary, ever virgin
Beato Michaeli archangel– To the blessed archangel Michael
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis– To the holy apostles, to all the saints
At this point, Frollo starts to sing (to try and make it obvious who is singing what, Frollo will be in a bold font, the priests will be italic, and the translation will be in the standard mode):
Beata Maria, - Blessed Mary
You know I am a righteous man.
Of my virtue, I am justly proud.
Priests: Et tibi Pater– And to you, Father
Beata Maria, you know I’m so much purer
than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.
Quia peccavi nimis– that I have sinned
Then tell me, Maria, why I see her dancing there,
Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul.
Cogiattione– in thought
At this point, I think we have made the shift from a major key to its relative minor. This means that while the framework remains the same, we have had a shift in tone.
I feel her, I see her, the sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control
Verbo et opera- in thought and deed
Like fire, hellfire, this fire in my skin.
So, here we have the juxtaposition of the priests singing about humbling themselves and admitting their sins,while Frollo is singing about his pride and how much better he is than everyone else. Earlier, in Heaven’s Light, Quasi has put Esmeralda on a pedestal; she is an angel. Here, Frollo sees her in a very different light. It is at this point that we get another key change.
To me, this key change mirrors the depth of Frollo’s lust for Esmeralda. In the Off-Broadway live production of Hunchback, Patrick Page, the actor portraying Frollo, took that point to hint that Frollo’s lust for Esmeralda had taken him to masturbation, a sin in his eyes. An important side note: in the Off-Broadway version, and in the book, Frollo is an archdeacon of Notre Dame. This is a high church official. In Disney’s animated version, Frollo is a Judge. When interpreting this song, it is important for the singer to decide which characterization they are taking.
As the church service continues, Frollo begins to justify his actions:
It’s not my fault
Mea culpa– Through my fault
I’m not to blame
Mea culpa– through my fault
It is the gypsy girl, the witch who sent this flame.
Mea maxima culpa– through my most grievous fault
It’s not my fault,
Mea culpa– through my fault
If in God’s plan
Mea culpa– through my fault
He made the devil so much stronger than a man.
Mea maxima culpa– through my most grievous fault
While everyone else is admitting their sins, Frollo is coming up with reasons why he is not at fault. And here we have another shift. We are keeping the same framework, but going from the minor back to major, just as Frollo is asking a rather large favor from the Virgin Mary.
Protect me, Maria, don’t let this siren cast her spell,
Don’t let her fire sear my flesh and bone.
Destroy Esmeralda and let her taste the fires of hell
Or else let her be mine and mine alone.
Now we segue back to the darker sound of the minor key:
Hellfire, dark fire. Now, gypsy, it’s your turn.
Choose me or your pyre. Be mine or you will burn.
On the wordsYou will we had a quick timing change. This is repeating the earlier melody of the bells calling the people to Mass. But where that was calling the people to God, this is offering Esmeralda the choice of giving herself to Frollo or death at the stake.
We haven’t heard the priests for a while. They return with the Kyrie. This is another prayer. Kyrie eleison translates as “Lord have mercy.” Each time the choir begins the Kyrie, the timing changes. Each time Frollo sings over them, the timing changes back to what he was singing, showing the complete disconnect between the two.
Kyrie eleison
God have mercy on her
Kyrie eleison
God have mercy on me
Kyrie eleison
But she will be mine or she will burn!
This is a fabulous song with so much to pull out of it! Does every song need this amount of study to be able to sing it well? NO! I would never put this much thought into “The Purple People Eater.” But some songs have layer after layer and can keep surprising you. This is one of those songs. In fact, one of my students, looking at her last year in high school, has decided that "Hellfire" is going to be her senior solo for the school choir. (Says a lot about her experience in high school.)
I’ll be posting some versions of this song every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about "Hellfire", or favorite versions, let me know in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you.
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. I’m trying to make the songs seasonal, but I can make exceptions. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Thanks for reading! Until next time!
When the musical came out, I had two 11-year-olds and a six-year-old. We were very careful about what the kids watched—violence was not encouraged. Things like Mel Brook’s Men in Tightswas fine, because the more questionable humor went right over their heads. But, while we were sitting in the theater watching Hunchback, I was more than a little horrified by “Hellfire.”I could not believe that these images were in a Disney movie.
It is now one of my favorite Disney villain songs.
This One is a Little Bit Different
This blog is going to be a little different than earlier ones. As far as I am concerned, there must be a reason for each key and timing change, and it is an important part of the performer’s job to interpret and figure these reasons out. It is somewhat irrelevant whether this is what the composer intended or not. So, for this blog, I am going to look at the process for digging into a song.
I am going to talk a lot about keys and relative minors in this. So, let me try to give a quick explanation of terms. A key is the framework of a song; that’s all. It’s a specific set of notes that we have decided to work with. This framework can sound happy or commanding—that’s usually going to be what we call a major key. Within that same framework, we can decide to make a slight switch going to what is called the relative minor key. It’s a relative because it is using the same framework, but now can sound sad or brooding. We can also decide to change the framework completely! This is called a key change.
Timing is just a change in rhythm. If you are tapping your foot, you may find that you’ve gotten a little off. That might not be you, that might be a change in the music itself.
(I am not going to talk about the characters, who they are, what their motivations are. I am assuming that you are familiar with the main characters. If not, you should check out the Disney animated and the live-action musical available on YouTube.)
“Hellfire” and Interpretation
To really understand the full impact of “Hellfire”, we need to start with Quasimodo’s “Heaven’s Light”.
So many times out there(we’ve already had Quasi’s solo called “Out There”,expressing his desire to leave the bell tower.)
I’ve watched a happy pair of lovers walking in the night.
They had a kind of glow around them.
It almost looked like heaven’s light.
I knew I’d never know that warm and loving glow,
Though I might wish with all my might.
No face as hideous as my face
Was ever meant for heaven’s light.
But suddenly an angel has smiled at me
And kissed my cheek without a trace of fright.
I dare to dream the she might even care for me,
And as I ring these bells tonight
My cold dark tower seems so bright.
I swear it must be heaven’s light.
Quasimodo’s solo is in the key of F major. Quasi is also a tenor, a higher male voice. This is used to signify both his relative youth and to establish him as the hero. Heroes are almost always tenors.
We then hear the bells ringing. These would be calling people to Mass in the cathedral below. There have been a couple of quick timing changes—one while the bells are ringing and one as the choir starts. The thing about these Latin chants is that they were first done before standard music notation was thought up. Timing was not something that they worried about, so by giving us a quick timing change, Menken instantly makes the chant sound old and authentic.
As the choir of priests begins to sing the key—the framework—abruptly changes. We have gone from the literal high note of the song to a lower key to accommodate the lower voice of our Frollo. (And while heroes are almost always tenors, baritones and basses, the lower male voices, are usually bad guys.) And we have gone to a different idea. Now we have the Mass being sung. But while the people partaking in the Mass are turning their thoughts to God, Frollo’s thoughts are far lower.
Here is also where things get complicated. We need to deal with some Latin. The priests start the Confiteor, which is a pretty standard prayer in several denominations. It is the confession of sins, admitting the wrongs that one has done.
Confiteor deo omnipotenti– I confess to God almighty
Beatae Mariae semper virgini. – To blessed Mary, ever virgin
Beato Michaeli archangel– To the blessed archangel Michael
Sanctis apostolis omnibus sanctis– To the holy apostles, to all the saints
At this point, Frollo starts to sing (to try and make it obvious who is singing what, Frollo will be in a bold font, the priests will be italic, and the translation will be in the standard mode):
Beata Maria, - Blessed Mary
You know I am a righteous man.
Of my virtue, I am justly proud.
Priests: Et tibi Pater– And to you, Father
Beata Maria, you know I’m so much purer
than the common, vulgar, weak, licentious crowd.
Quia peccavi nimis– that I have sinned
Then tell me, Maria, why I see her dancing there,
Why her smoldering eyes still scorch my soul.
Cogiattione– in thought
At this point, I think we have made the shift from a major key to its relative minor. This means that while the framework remains the same, we have had a shift in tone.
I feel her, I see her, the sun caught in her raven hair
Is blazing in me out of all control
Verbo et opera- in thought and deed
Like fire, hellfire, this fire in my skin.
So, here we have the juxtaposition of the priests singing about humbling themselves and admitting their sins,while Frollo is singing about his pride and how much better he is than everyone else. Earlier, in Heaven’s Light, Quasi has put Esmeralda on a pedestal; she is an angel. Here, Frollo sees her in a very different light. It is at this point that we get another key change.
To me, this key change mirrors the depth of Frollo’s lust for Esmeralda. In the Off-Broadway live production of Hunchback, Patrick Page, the actor portraying Frollo, took that point to hint that Frollo’s lust for Esmeralda had taken him to masturbation, a sin in his eyes. An important side note: in the Off-Broadway version, and in the book, Frollo is an archdeacon of Notre Dame. This is a high church official. In Disney’s animated version, Frollo is a Judge. When interpreting this song, it is important for the singer to decide which characterization they are taking.
As the church service continues, Frollo begins to justify his actions:
It’s not my fault
Mea culpa– Through my fault
I’m not to blame
Mea culpa– through my fault
It is the gypsy girl, the witch who sent this flame.
Mea maxima culpa– through my most grievous fault
It’s not my fault,
Mea culpa– through my fault
If in God’s plan
Mea culpa– through my fault
He made the devil so much stronger than a man.
Mea maxima culpa– through my most grievous fault
While everyone else is admitting their sins, Frollo is coming up with reasons why he is not at fault. And here we have another shift. We are keeping the same framework, but going from the minor back to major, just as Frollo is asking a rather large favor from the Virgin Mary.
Protect me, Maria, don’t let this siren cast her spell,
Don’t let her fire sear my flesh and bone.
Destroy Esmeralda and let her taste the fires of hell
Or else let her be mine and mine alone.
Now we segue back to the darker sound of the minor key:
Hellfire, dark fire. Now, gypsy, it’s your turn.
Choose me or your pyre. Be mine or you will burn.
On the wordsYou will we had a quick timing change. This is repeating the earlier melody of the bells calling the people to Mass. But where that was calling the people to God, this is offering Esmeralda the choice of giving herself to Frollo or death at the stake.
We haven’t heard the priests for a while. They return with the Kyrie. This is another prayer. Kyrie eleison translates as “Lord have mercy.” Each time the choir begins the Kyrie, the timing changes. Each time Frollo sings over them, the timing changes back to what he was singing, showing the complete disconnect between the two.
Kyrie eleison
God have mercy on her
Kyrie eleison
God have mercy on me
Kyrie eleison
But she will be mine or she will burn!
This is a fabulous song with so much to pull out of it! Does every song need this amount of study to be able to sing it well? NO! I would never put this much thought into “The Purple People Eater.” But some songs have layer after layer and can keep surprising you. This is one of those songs. In fact, one of my students, looking at her last year in high school, has decided that "Hellfire" is going to be her senior solo for the school choir. (Says a lot about her experience in high school.)
I’ll be posting some versions of this song every day on my Minnich Music Facebook page, so visit there to hear them! If you have any stories about "Hellfire", or favorite versions, let me know in the comments section, I’d love to hear from you.
I’ll be posting roughly once a week with a new song. I’m trying to make the songs seasonal, but I can make exceptions. So, if there’s a song that you’d like some background on, or questions about what it means, let me know.
Thanks for reading! Until next time!
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