Low male voice repertoire in contemporary musical theatre: a studio and performance guide of selected songs 1996-2020 by

Musical Content 
The piece is ABCA’B’D form. It begins in B
♭ major with a 16-measure verse filled with four 
measure melodic phrases, alternating between a syncopated rhythmic motive (Example 7.1) and straight 
eighths, accomplishing a setting which reflects the shorter lyrical thoughts and noted textual pauses. The 
tonal center also shifts through D major into G minor prior to a grand arrival of the open-fifth, “bell” 
motif in the first chorus. Menken accomplishes an arrival on D minor at the bridge by using a D trill in 
the previous chorus and harmonies influenced by the d dorian scale (a church mode). In the score the key 
change is noted before the second phrase of the chorus. The tempo picks up as continuous, staccato 
eighths establish a much slower harmonic rhythm while upper piano voices indicate the character’s 
instability by portraying dissonant chromatic harmonies, moving in opposing directions.
Analysis hits a slight detour as it approaches the second, shortened verse; in the American cast 
recording
6
and corresponding published songbooks, the piece moves to F major (relative major from the 
4
Ibid. 
5
Ibid. 
6
Patrick Page, “Hellfire,” track 13 on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (Studio Cast Recording), Disney, 
2016, Amazon Music streaming audio, 
https://music.amazon.com/albums/B074MQ5NN2?trackAsin=B074MQ77P8&ref=dm_sh_1a23-affe-dmcp-82ce-
d450d&musicTerritory=US&marketplaceId=ATVPDKIKX0DER. 

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bridge section), then shifts back to D minor at the second chorus through the end.
7
The piece as published 
in Singer’s Musical Theatre Anthology shifts to A
♭ major at the second verse, then F minor for final 
chorus through the end. Additionally, there are two stilted metric moments with the addition of 3/4 bars 
of interlude (where the chorus would typically sing) in mm. 54, 57, and 60 where a vocalist needs to be 
aware of how the music affects the timing and possibility of breath intake before a new phrase.
8
Additional summation, analysis, and character subtext can be found in Table 7.2. 
Table 7.2. Compositional Sections of “Hellfire”