A Concert of Original Music
aligned to the action of the
Buster Keaton masterpiece
aligned to the action of the
Buster Keaton masterpiece
'Music for 'The General' is a concert of live, original music set to the action of the Buster Keaton masterpiece. The program was the result of a commission in 2002 from the Cine Clube de Covilhã, a group of cinema enthusiasts in the university town of Covilhã in the central mountains of Portugal for a festival of silent film with live music.
An hour and a quarter of music describes the madcap, rough and tumble action of the film and reflects a wide variety of compositional influences from parlor songs evocative of mid 19th century America to angular late 20th century experimentalism and improvisation. Military marches à la Hannes Eisler and Kurt Weill, love songs, cartoon music, the film music of Ennio Morricone, Danny Elfman and Nino Rota and the circus qualities inherent in Klezmer music are all channeled to musically animate this product of the cinematic genius of Buster Keaton.
An hour and a quarter of music describes the madcap, rough and tumble action of the film and reflects a wide variety of compositional influences from parlor songs evocative of mid 19th century America to angular late 20th century experimentalism and improvisation. Military marches à la Hannes Eisler and Kurt Weill, love songs, cartoon music, the film music of Ennio Morricone, Danny Elfman and Nino Rota and the circus qualities inherent in Klezmer music are all channeled to musically animate this product of the cinematic genius of Buster Keaton.
The Film
The General (1927) is an imaginative masterpiece generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies, the best train film ever made, and Keaton's own favorite. However, Keaton's greatest picture received both poor reviews by critics, who considered it tedious, and disappointing, weak box-office results when initially released in the late 20's. It led to Keaton's loss of independence as a film-maker and a restrictive deal with MGM and would take many decades to take it's rightful place as one of the greatest pieces of film art.
Today The General is regarded as an extraordinary, ground-breaking classic. The film has variously been called the best work of a cinematic genius, the silent screen's best, and the first film comedy of epic proportions.
Keaton biographer Tom Dardis wrote of Buster Keaton in The General. "Many of Keaton's critics have commented on the stunningly convincing look of The General, often comparing it with the Civil War photographs of Matthew Brady. In the 50 years since it was made, The General has become a piece of American folklore." Filled with hilarious sight gags and perfectly timed stunt work, the chase comedy was written and directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, and filmed with a huge budget for its time. It is memorable for its strong story-line of a single, brave, but foolish Southern Confederate train engineer doggedly in pursuit of his passionately-loved locomotive ("The General") AND the woman he loves. His stoic, unflappable reactions to fateful calamities, his ingenious and resourceful uses of machines and various objects (water tanks, a large piece of timber, a cowcatcher, a rolling artillery cannon on wheels, and unattached railroad cars), and the unpredictable forces of Nature, provide much of the plot. Based on a true Civil War story of the daring raid/seizure of a Confederate train by Union raiders, the tale is told from the point of view of a Southern engineer.
Tim Dirks
From http://www.filmsite.org/gene.html
The General (1927) is an imaginative masterpiece generally regarded as one of the greatest of all silent comedies, the best train film ever made, and Keaton's own favorite. However, Keaton's greatest picture received both poor reviews by critics, who considered it tedious, and disappointing, weak box-office results when initially released in the late 20's. It led to Keaton's loss of independence as a film-maker and a restrictive deal with MGM and would take many decades to take it's rightful place as one of the greatest pieces of film art.
Today The General is regarded as an extraordinary, ground-breaking classic. The film has variously been called the best work of a cinematic genius, the silent screen's best, and the first film comedy of epic proportions.
Keaton biographer Tom Dardis wrote of Buster Keaton in The General. "Many of Keaton's critics have commented on the stunningly convincing look of The General, often comparing it with the Civil War photographs of Matthew Brady. In the 50 years since it was made, The General has become a piece of American folklore." Filled with hilarious sight gags and perfectly timed stunt work, the chase comedy was written and directed by Buster Keaton and Clyde Bruckman, and filmed with a huge budget for its time. It is memorable for its strong story-line of a single, brave, but foolish Southern Confederate train engineer doggedly in pursuit of his passionately-loved locomotive ("The General") AND the woman he loves. His stoic, unflappable reactions to fateful calamities, his ingenious and resourceful uses of machines and various objects (water tanks, a large piece of timber, a cowcatcher, a rolling artillery cannon on wheels, and unattached railroad cars), and the unpredictable forces of Nature, provide much of the plot. Based on a true Civil War story of the daring raid/seizure of a Confederate train by Union raiders, the tale is told from the point of view of a Southern engineer.
Tim Dirks
From http://www.filmsite.org/gene.html
The Dates
Friday 16 Aug. - Cumberland, Weird Church, 7:30 pm (https://www.weirdchurchcumberland.com/)
Saturday, 17 Aug. - Denman Island, United Church, 7:30 pm (https://denmanislandunitedchurch.ca/)
Sunday, 18 Aug. - Merville Hall, 7:30 pm (https://mervillehall.ca/)
Wednesday, 21 Aug. - Victoria, Paul Phillips Hall, 7:30 pm (https://thefca.ca/events/category/paul-phillips-hall/)
Thursday, 22 Aug. -Quadra Island Community Center, 7:30 pm (https://quadrarec.recdesk.com/Community/Calendar)
Friday 23 Aug. - Port Alberni, Char's Landing, 7:30 pm (https://www.charslanding.com/)
Saturday, 24 Aug. - Tofino, Tofino Community Hall, 7:30 pm
Friday 16 Aug. - Cumberland, Weird Church, 7:30 pm (https://www.weirdchurchcumberland.com/)
Saturday, 17 Aug. - Denman Island, United Church, 7:30 pm (https://denmanislandunitedchurch.ca/)
Sunday, 18 Aug. - Merville Hall, 7:30 pm (https://mervillehall.ca/)
Wednesday, 21 Aug. - Victoria, Paul Phillips Hall, 7:30 pm (https://thefca.ca/events/category/paul-phillips-hall/)
Thursday, 22 Aug. -Quadra Island Community Center, 7:30 pm (https://quadrarec.recdesk.com/Community/Calendar)
Friday 23 Aug. - Port Alberni, Char's Landing, 7:30 pm (https://www.charslanding.com/)
Saturday, 24 Aug. - Tofino, Tofino Community Hall, 7:30 pm
The Ensemble
Aedan Geiger - trumpet
Sylvan Wilkinson - tenor & soprano saxophones
Rob Pearce - percussion
Chuck Currie - clarinets
Nathan Skip - alto saxophone
Gregg Moore - tuba, trombone, mandolin, banjo, electronics
Aedan Geiger - trumpet
Sylvan Wilkinson - tenor & soprano saxophones
Rob Pearce - percussion
Chuck Currie - clarinets
Nathan Skip - alto saxophone
Gregg Moore - tuba, trombone, mandolin, banjo, electronics
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abso-effing-lutely brilliant
Dr. Michael Eldridge, Redwood Jazz Alliance, HSU Dept. of English Best show EVER at Petrolia Community Center! Michael Evanson, Petrolia A tour de force. Ellen Taylor, Petrolia ‘Bravo! What a lot of creative work and passion’ Kymme, Courtenay ‘The General was fantastic. The music score was perfect and I enjoyed watching the musicians as much as the movie. It was SOOOO much fun. My jaws ached at the end of it from laughing so much. Wonderful Job from everyone! Dev, Royston ‘ |
What a beautiful way to bring the community together
Tina Marier, Orleans You were how many? Only six? You sounded like a whole orchestra! Jane Lapiner, Human NatureTheatre, Petrolia winner of Prize of Hope, 2010 a wonderful cinematic experience. I guarantee you will not be disappointed Greg King, director, Siskiyou Land Conservancy You helped us all travel back in time! What a wonderful, once-(or nonce)-in-a-lifetime experience for those of us in the 2020s to experience a silent film from a hundred years ago. Really great! Judy, Courtenay |
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Rob Pearce, completed a Bachelor of Performance from the University of Toronto 1982. While living and studying in Toronto played many freelance orchestral and musical theatre gigs. After graduation played in the Orchestral training program at the RCM Toronto. Won a scholarship to the Banff School Fine Arts in summer 1983. Moved to Victoria and started freelancing with the Victoria Symphony, various other projects including musical theatre, rock bands, big bands. Along the way played with a number of other Canadian orchestras as a freelancer. These activities continue to this day.
Nathan Skip is a west coast saxophonist and composer. A Victoria native, he has been playing in jazz, concert and R&B settings since middle school. In 2020, Nathan began composing music for his video game: Autonomous Anarchy, inspired by the 90s chiptunes of Sega and Nintendo. In 2021, he took part in the VSNEW Young Composers program, writing a string orchestra piece for the Victoria Symphony. The experience left him with a lifelong passion for composition. Nathan started his academic career at University of Victoria in 2023 and has been heard with such disparate ensembles as the UVIC Saxophone Quartet Blue and the Jazz and Creative Music Ensemble as well as leading a jazz combos. Nathan has also become a regular with the UVIC GameDev Club, writing intense themes to bring the club's video game projects to life.
Chuck Currie currently performs with the Meridiem Wind Orchestra and The Island Big Band and has performed world-wide at Wind Ensemble, Clarinet and Saxophone Festivals. He has recorded with most of BC’s major classical and wind ensembles including the Vancouver Philharmonic and the Royal Canadian Artillery Regimental Band. Chuck was the sax and clarinet instructor for St George’s School for 20 years and now operates Sax Noir Studio in Victoria. His students have auditioned successfully for the International Honors Wind Symphony at Lincoln Center and the Canadian Wind Orchestra among many others. Mr. Currie’s articles on pedagogy and equipment have been published in professional journals such as Canadian Winds Magazine, Saxophone Journal and Clarinet & Saxophone Magazine. Aedan Geiger is a Ladysmith BC native, recently graduated from VIU’s Bachelor of Music program and is keen to work in the local scene. To date, he has been found gracing such ensembles as the Nanaimo Musician’s Association Big Band and Michael Patrick's Blues Explosion. Most recently Aedan played in the Ladysmith Musical Arts’s band for production “Little Shop of Horrors”, which has got him eager to play in another show band! He is very excited to be taking part in an intriguing production with such a stellar group of people and hopes you all enjoy the show.
Sylvan Wilkinson is a recent graduate from the University of Victoria’s music program receiving their degree in saxophone performance. Throughout their degree they were a member of the University of Victoria Wind Symphony as well as The Purple Quartet. An active performer, they were awarded the Roberto and Mary Wood Scholarship (2022) and received first place at the Performing Arts BC festival (2023) and second place at the Federation of Canadian Music Festivals (2023). Sylvan continues to live in Victoria as they prepare for further studies.
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Gregg Moore is a native of the north coast of California and arrived in Amsterdam, Holland in 1975. Over 20 years there, he played jazz, experimental, blues, folk, reggae and pop music as well as composing for theater and dance. He formed the eclectic music ensemble Available Jelly, played with the Willem Breuker Kollektief, did music direction for Footsbarn Theater and was introduced to the joys of community music via the alternative brass band Fanfare v.d. EersteliefdesNacht. Moving to Portugal in 1994, he taught at various music and theater schools, performed and recorded with local renowned musicians and organized many multi-media celebrations of Portuguese folk culture. He first formed ‘Os Macacos das Ruas de Évora’ in 1995 as an opportunity for students to learn alternative forms of music performance. Since returning to his California roots in 2004, he has taught at the Northcoast Performing Arts Academy, Camp Winnarainbow and Lark Camp, composed music for the theater of the Flying Karamazov Brothers, Dell Arte, Humboldt State University and Circus Remedy. He is actively involved in promoting community music, hosts regular house concerts and performs indoors and on the street with a variety of local performance groups.
Contact;
+1 (707)499-8516
grgg465@gmail.com.
Contact;
+1 (707)499-8516
grgg465@gmail.com.