With his creepy, rat-like face and long, curled fingernails, Count Orlok gave Karel Suchy nightmares as a child. Today, the Dracula-like character played by Max Schreck in the 1922 German silent film "Nosferatu," is still on Suchy's mind, but in a much different way.

A Kenosha-based composer and musician, Suchy has written a composition of sound poems inspired by "Nosferatu," which will be performed by the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin this weekend.

The CAS, which is Racine's symphonic chorus, will perform Suchy's compositions during a screening of the classic film at a special Halloween program in the DeKoven Center's Great Hall Friday and Saturday.

The concert, which opens the CAS's 2008-09 performance season, will serve as the world premiere of Suchy's work, which was commissioned by the choir.

For the composer, the commission was a chance to re-evaluate director F.W. Murnau's creation, which is loosely based on Bram Stoker's "Dracula" and has haunted Suchy for much of his life. As he researched "Nosferatu," he learned that it is considered one of the five best German films ever made, and how Murnau was technically ahead of his time as a filmmaker, using methods such as negative projection, animation and montage to create the spooky feeling that film critic Roger Ebert said "doesn't scare us, but it haunts us."

Suchy also discovered that the 1979 remake of the film - Werner Herzog's "Nosferatu the Vampyre" - was shot in the composer's homeland, the Czech Republic, and that Orlok's castle in the film is one that he had visited. Such coincidences deepened Suchy's connection to the film.

"The more I learned about it, the more interested I became," he said.

Humanity amidst

horror

It is the theme of "Nosferatu," however, that was the true inspiration for Suchy's compositions. While some people associate the film's story with the occult, Suchy said he sees it's central theme as being the act of giving one's self for the betterment of humankind.

"For me, the story is really about Ellen, not about the vampire," Suchy said. "She dies in the end to save humanity and for me that makes it more of a Christian story, like that of Jesus."

Ellen is the wife of Hutter - the film's good guy - who sacrifices her life in order to save the town from evil. When Ellen learns that the only way to stop a vampire is for a good woman to distract him so that he stays out past the break of day, she gives herself to the cause.

"This is not just a horror flick," agreed James Schatzman, artistic director of the Choral Arts Society. "Murnau tells a much broader story with a complex mix of themes. It's classic theme is one of sacrifice and Karel does a real nice job of capturing that feeling musically. He's also done a nice job in those nail-biting scenes to develop that tension in the music."

Each of the three main characters in the movie has his or her own song within the musical composition, Suchy explained. And those songs, or layers of music, can be heard individually at times, as well woven together throughout the piece which is a mix of choral singing, speaking and acoustic and electronic instruments.

Suchy, who studied piano, organ and composition at Prague's Jazz Conservatory, said he drew on a wide variety of musical styles - including modern classical, experimental and rock and roll - in creating the "Nosferatu" sound poems. The resulting composition is something that can stand on its own, as well as serving as accompaniment to the film, he said. His hope is that people, once immersed in the music, will begin to see the movie in a different way.

The atmosphere of the DeKoven Center is also meant to enhance the Halloween performance experience, Schatzman said.

"In the dark, with all of the old trees and historic buildings, it can be kind of a creepy space," he said. Audience members are invited to get into the spirit by wearing costumes to the concert, if they so desire.

Stepping out

For the CAS, Suchy's choral interpretation of "Nosferatu" is a new challenge. While the chorus' repertoire covers a wide musical range from major classical choral works to show tunes and gospel music, "Nosferatu" is definitely a step "outside the box" for them, according to Schatzman.

"It has given us a chance to grow and to do something completely different," he said.

Suchy's education as a jazz musician has given him a finely developed sense of improvisation, Schatzman said, and from that he's created some very new, and diverse sounds in this work. The composer avoided using a lot of words because he didn't want to tell people what to think, the director explained.

"He wanted to create an environment in which you can think more deeply about what you are experiencing."

While the sound poems are challenging to sing, they are not a challenge to listen to, said Julia Suchy, a member of the chorus and wife of Karel.

"The whole thing is just very different than what we are used to singing," she said.

New and different can also be found in a couple other events throughout the Choral Arts Society's current season. For example, their season finale in 2009 will "Focus on Folk" and feature original compositions by the award- winning singer/songwriter duo of Scott and Michelle Dalziel. The Dalziels, who audiences here may know from their performances at the Yardarm Bar & Grill, began their relationship with the CAS last year when they wrote music for and performed in the chorus' production of "Julius, the Baby of the World." Their recent CD "Thinking Out Loud" made it into the top 12 on folk DJ charts in 2007 and they will bring that music and more to the stage with the CAS for a special concert on May 1. Choral arrangements of their music will be done for the show by Racine's Gregory Berg.

In between "Nosferatu" and "Focus on Folk," the CAS will present its "Holiday Lessons & Carols" program in December and its annual collaborative concert with the Racine Symphony Orchestra in March. The chorus will also host a new, special evening of dinner and dancing, called the "Italia Gala" in November. For details of these events, see "Choral Arts Society's season".

"This is definitely the most interesting and diverse season we've ever put together," said Schatzman.

If You Go

WHAT: "Nosferatu: A Halloween Classic," presented by the Choral Arts Society of Southeastern Wisconsin

WHEN: 8 p.m. Friday, and 3 and 7 p.m. Saturday.

WHERE: The Great Hall at the DeKoven Center, 600 21st St.

COST: Tickets are $15 adults, $12 seniors and $5 for full-time students.

INFO: Call (262) 553-9062 or go to http://www.choralartsonline.org

NOTE: Costumes are permitted and "treats" will be available.

Choral Arts Society's season

The rest of the Choral Arts Society's 2008-09 Season will include:

* Holiday Lessons & Carols, 7 p.m. Dec. 13 and 3 p.m. Dec. 14 at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 614 Main St. This annual event will be a multi-media, multi-cultural celebration of the sights and sounds of the holidays, featuring the Fine Arts Chorale, under the direction of Lynn Orlando.

* The Racine Symphony Orchestra and the Choral Arts Society in concert together, 7:30 p.m. March 21, 2009, at the Racine Theatre Guild, 2519 Northwestern Ave. The music of Bach, Mehdelssohn and Mozart will be the focus of this classic collaboration between two of Racine's premier arts organizations.

* Focus on Folk with Scott & Michelle Dalziel, 7:30 p.m. May 1 and 7 p.m. May 2, 2009, at St. Luke's Episcopal Church, 614 Main St. The award-winning song writing team of Scott & Michelle Dalziel will join the CAS in presenting their original music, with new choral arrangements by Gregory Berg. For more about the Dalziels, go to http://www.dalziel.net

Individual tickets for all of the above events are $15 for adults, $12 for seniors and $5 for students. Season ticket flex passes (four tickets good for any combination of admissions) are $50 adults, $40 seniors and $20 students. To order, call (262) 553-9062.

The CAS's season will also feature a special event on Nov. 21 at Infusino's Banquet Hall, 3201 Rapids Drive. Called the Italia Gala, this evening of dinner, dancing and silent auction will serve as a fund-raiser for the choir. The event will start at 5:30 p.m. with a cash bar and continue with dinner at 6:30 and entertainment until 9 p.m. Open seating is $17 per person and reserved tables are $150 for a table of eight.