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From: greg@olivee.UUCP (Greg Paley)
Newsgroups: net.movies
Subject: Re: Silent Films with live music
Message-ID: <336@olivee.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 15:03:45 EDT
Article-I.D.: olivee.336
Posted: Mon Apr 29 15:03:45 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 2-May-85 01:05:57 EDT
References: <2414@randvax.UUCP> <382@zinfandel.UUCP>
Distribution: net
Organization: Olivetti ATC; Cupertino, Ca
Lines: 35

The subject is a bit of a misnomer for what I'm going to say,
since it's about "new canned" music rather than live.  

A friend of mine who has had a dual lifelong obsession with the
music of Wagner and silent films did a fascinating project.  He
got a print of the Fritz Lang "Siegfried" music and very carefully
created a soundtrack for the film from numerous recordings of
Wagner's music (using orchestra-only versions, since voices would
have been too distracting to the visual element).  He did it
basically for his own enjoyment and that of his friends, but now,
since they're doing a production of the full Wagner "Ring" this
summer, the San Francisco Opera has contracted with him to do
a showing of the film with his soundtrack.

My friend is, incidentally, apprehensive to say the least about
how it will go off.  He has put the soundtrack together using a
variety of different recordings of different ages, mainly searching
for those that would have good performances of those sections he
wanted to use WITHOUT voices.  He got it to sync correctly on his
home equipment, but is concerned as to what will happen with the
transferred film and soundtrack on the equipment to be used in
Herbst Theater in San Francisco for the showing.

One idea that he had broached to the opera company which was
rejected (I'm not sure of what all went into the decision) was
to have a composite score made up from his soundtrack and have
the opera orchestra play from this score while the film is
playing.  This has been done successfully before.

In any case, those who are curious about this experiment will
have a chance to see it in June (I'll post or mail dates and
other ticket info if people are interested) at Herbst Theater
(in the building next to the San Francisco Opera House).

	- Greg Paley