90.5 WESA: Films from the “silent” era were not usually viewed soundlessly; most were accompanied live by a pianist or organist. And it's that sound of a solo keyboardist – playing up-tempo runs for a chase scene, or minor chords for a tragic one – that many people still think of when they imagine music for films from before talkies.
5 comments:
It's hard to think about film without music or sound. When film was in its infancy, the picture would play with an acoustic piano or organ that sat in the theater. There was no music with the films, just a collection of pieces for the organists or pianists to play that invoked certain moods for the picture. It is an interesting concept of Kyle Simpson's to create an original score for one of the early films that had no music with it. What is even better, is that he chose to score Melies. Melies was a famous filmmaker during the early 20th century when film was just starting. His famous A Trip to the Moon film was cunning and revolutionary for film, as he edited the film to create special effects. I love these early films and am so excited about the scores that Simpson created for them. Since the premiere is playing at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland, I might just have to stop by.
After reading this, I never really realized the intended experience of viewing a silent film with a live audience! Now that is something that I really would love to experience. The people who create the scores for film, whether or not they are silent, have so much power over setting the message of each scene. It’s something that affects the audience subconsciously in ways we may not even notice while in the moment. However, particularly with silent films, the music gets an even bigger chance to shine because watching a silent film without it is not as pleasant of an experience (in my opinion). People watch silent films with the intention of paying attention to the music, so the responsibility there is a little different than today’s underscoring. Also, the points in this article reminds me of whenever I travel or have really fun experiences, I like to make videos. I typically compile all of my clips into a silent compilation. Then, I will pick a song that exudes the mood of the trip/experience and put it in the video. With that, I can attest that music with cinematography has way more power than it is credited for.
I have never seen a silent film, however the image of the moon with a rocket in its eye endures in my mind, even though I don’t remember when I first saw that image. Seeing a silent film at the turn of the century, when that was the cutting edge of technology and entertainment, must have been a magical experience, especially for Melies’s films. Music does so much to augment any film- imagine Star Wars without John Williams, or 2001: A Space Odyssey without its main theme, composed by Strauss. The piano or organ player in a silent film hall really has so much agency over how the film is seen and experienced by the audience members- which moments to accent, how to introduce and theme each character, where to build suspense, etc. Scoring a silent film is a unique project, especially in this modern age where we seem to have forgotten about the medium of silent film.
I've watched a few silent films and they were surprisingly really captivating. When you think about it initially, especially in this day and age, I'm sure the first thoughts are why would you even bother watching something with no dialogue. The world has become so very vocal. Many of us need words to have a story. But once you give the silent film a shot and try to understand what's going on, it's quite interesting. It's much easier to follow the action than you would think. Of course there are some things that are unclear, but they make it fairy easy to understand what is going on. You get a chance to activate other parts of your brain and use your imagination and logical thinking to put two and two together and figure out the plot. It's also interesting to see the actors over-exaggerating and over-gesticulating to help us, but it works. Often times there are sound effects which help. I'm sure having scores to go along with the action of Méliès' pieces will help to convey the mood and emotion, and get the audience engaged. Of course this may not be many people's cup of time, but I'm sure it is something that can be quite enjoyable.
I grew up watching old films - yes, even silent films - with my grandparents, so this reinvigoration of the silent film experience really excites me. It is evident that music and sound design has so heavily influenced cinema from its birth. Georges Méliès is one of my personal favourite filmmakers; I fell in love with his fantasy-meets-Georgian films (because, you know, they were filmed in the Georgian period) when I was about twelve (probably after watching “Hugo”, if we’re being honest) and I think that that image of the cheesy-looking moon with a rocket in its eye is an image associated with the birth of film for millions of people, whether they are conscious of it or not. Méliès was truly a cunning and fantastic filmmaker and it brings me such joy that his productions are being revamped - if you will - to be experienced as intended. So much of Méliès’ work was lost when his studio burned down and it really is just so heartwarming and fulfilling that some of the magic that he created will be experienced as intended.
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