In what might be the best possible concert that the LA Phil could have devised for Halloween night, the 1922 silent film Nosferatu is coming to the Walt Disney Concert Hall on Oct. 31, complete with an original organ score from Clark Wilson. Similar to previous Halloweens, including last year’s, where The Phantom of the Opera was the film of choice, the German expressionist film’s original score—although lost to time—will echo off the walls of the Hall and bring the titular vampire back to life.

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Words: David Sosa

Reawakening the Vampire

On top of multiple remakes of the original silent film, with one releasing later this year, Nosferatu’s long-lasting legacy is a testament to how the vampire’s tale has, in some ways, eclipsed the Dracula source material. First directed by F. W. Murnau in 1922, the unauthorized adaptation of the Dracula story changed the names and filtered the events through a German expressionist lens.

Alongside other films of the time, such as The Man Who Laughs and The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari, Nosferatu remains a touchstone in horror and cinema at large, with its influence still warranting new interpretations and other connected films like the 2000 biopic, Shadow of the Vampire. Even if you’re not immediately familiar with the film or have never seen it in its entirety, the iconic image of a pale, bald Max Schreck walking through a door in his castle is the kind that’s immediately imprinted into one’s mind after one glance.

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Organs to Haunt the Venue

Uniquely, Clark Wilson’s interpretation of the film’s original score by Hans Erdmann employs the use of organs, a ghastly sound about as synonymous with vampires as big empty castles. Under the direction of Wilson, who previously performed the organ score for The Phantom of the Opera last year at the Hall, Erdmann’s music is in good hands. Simply put, there’s no competition watching Nosferatu alone in complete silence compared to watching it in a concert that honors how the film was intended to be experienced.

Exclusively dedicating himself to organs, Wilson is no stranger to silent films, having performed The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari in 2022 and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 2021 at the Hall. Prior to those concerts, he already had a 40-year career, which consisted of taking silent films to venues of all kinds, ranging from universities to international conventions. In the case of Nosferatu, Wilson’s proven experience playing his specialty of silent cinema is proof enough that this is a unique show that will undoubtedly bring the best out of his talents.

Transforming the Hall into Transylvania

While the Hall is a big venue in its own right, it’s fitting that the organ itself is a towering instrument that oddly reflects the gothic architecture often associated with Nosferatu and vampires in general. Although most of the film’s original orchestral score is lost to time, with only a suite having survived the passage of time, Wilson understands the atmosphere perhaps better than most composers who have similarly attempted to score the film.

Despite other interpretations utilizing everything from electric guitars to full orchestras, the striking image of an organ center stage at the LA Phil’s home is the sort of makeover Nosferatu himself would have asked for if it were up to him to decorate. Aside from the film’s visuals, the terror that will be induced through the music makes the concert the perfect way to spend Halloween.

There are plenty more concerts before and after the Halloween show to look forward to. For three nights from Oct. 25 to Oct. 27, go through Mexico and Hollywood’s cinematic history in a program co-curated by Gustavo Dudamel and John Williams. A day after Halloween is Día de Los Muertos with Dudamel, a celebration of Latin American music that runs from Nov. 1 to 3. On Nov. 16 is the Noon to Midnight Festival: Field Recordings, which will be a full day full of music and art at the Hall.