“[…] Music for the silent film was an independent, ever-changing accompaniment” (Marks, 1997: 6): from theatre to theatre, many different musicians would meet a single silent picture. As a result, each film could have a lot of different ‘scores’. Even when original compositions started to become more common (around 1908, Altman, 2004: 251- 52), only the big theatres in the most important cities in Europe or in the USA were likely to benefit from that new music: the smaller towns (with lesser artistic resources) often preferring to continue with compilation/improvisation practices (Simeon, 1995: 117). The existence of multiple interpretations created a tradition based on the continuous renovation of film music. In the contemporary age, especially since the Thames Television presentation of Abel Gance’s Napoléon (1927) with music by Carl Davis (1980), the repertoire of the music for the silents started to grow again. In the past 30 years, the venues where silent film are screened in a way respectful of historical practices multiplied, as well as the production of appropriate music.
The tradition of novelty. Comparative studies of silent film scores: perspectives, challenges, proposals
BELLANO M.
2014
Abstract
“[…] Music for the silent film was an independent, ever-changing accompaniment” (Marks, 1997: 6): from theatre to theatre, many different musicians would meet a single silent picture. As a result, each film could have a lot of different ‘scores’. Even when original compositions started to become more common (around 1908, Altman, 2004: 251- 52), only the big theatres in the most important cities in Europe or in the USA were likely to benefit from that new music: the smaller towns (with lesser artistic resources) often preferring to continue with compilation/improvisation practices (Simeon, 1995: 117). The existence of multiple interpretations created a tradition based on the continuous renovation of film music. In the contemporary age, especially since the Thames Television presentation of Abel Gance’s Napoléon (1927) with music by Carl Davis (1980), the repertoire of the music for the silents started to grow again. In the past 30 years, the venues where silent film are screened in a way respectful of historical practices multiplied, as well as the production of appropriate music.
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