These piercing string sounds get right under your skin. And that’s exactly why they’re world-famous. After all, what would the legendary shower scene in Alfred Hitchcock’s masterful thriller “Psycho” be without Bernard Herrmann’s nerve-wracking film score? Herrmann wanted to complement the 1960 black-and-white film with high-contrast black-and-white music, and using only string instruments—from high-pitched, nervous violins to deep, menacing double basses—he explored the emotional extremes of the conflicted characters: Secretary Marion needs a hiding place because she has embezzled money from her boss. So she checks into an unassuming motel run by the shy Norman, who lives a secluded life with his mother in an old house right next door. That night, Marion hears the domineering and strict mother arguing with her son—unaware that both will soon spell her doom.

In collaboration with HELLERAU, the Staatsoperette Dresden presents Hitchcock’s masterpiece as an extraordinary film screening with live music. Principal Conductor Michael Ellis Ingram, together with the Staatsoperette Dresden orchestra, is sure to give you goosebumps. By the way: Hitchcock actually didn’t want a single note of music for the shower scene, but Herrmann composed it anyway and ultimately won over the director with his now-legendary “Psycho” sound.

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