"The Fall of the House of Usher" is a studio album by the English singer-songwriter, Peter Hammill. Released in 1991, it is Hammill's retelling of Edgar Allan Poe's 1839 gothic short story of the same name through an opera form. His version deviates considerably from Poe's original story, most notably by adding a number of new characters, including a chorus.
The album isn't just Hammill's solo contribution. Instead, it's a collective effort, featuring Stuart Gordon on Violin and Sarah Jane Morris as Madeline in Hammill's production. The music incorporates a wide range of genres, retaining Hammill's characteristic idiosyncratic elements while integrating additional sound effects, lending the album a dark, suspenseful, and at times even disconcerting, quality that echoes the eerie atmosphere of Poe's original tale.
Initially, the opera was drafted and composed in the late 1970s but wasn't completed because Hammill was dissatisfied with it at that point. In the late 80s, he revisited the project, leading to the 1991 release. However, he extended the work further into a performed piece for stage and completed it in 1999.
"The Fall of the House of Usher (Deconstructed & Rebuilt)" was issued in 1999. It contained a completely new recording of the opera that was more in line with Hammill's original vision. The recording included new narrative sections and presented the music in the correct order for stage performance. In these recordings, Hammill played all the instruments himself, with further characters being voiced by members of his family.
Hammill's adaptation of Poe's story through a musical medium charms the listeners with its inventive and ambitious storytelling, even as it startles with its dark, suspenseful undertones.
