Score / Cinemaconcert
The Phantom Carriage
As many as sixteen composers have composed a new electroacoustic score for this groundbreaking silent film, a favorite of Ingmar Bergman. The premiere of this new score, performed live by the Metropole Orchestra, took place at the Eye Filmmuseum.
Client:
MiMM
Objective:
Crafting a 5-minute orchestral score for the scene "George"
The Challenges
The mission was to breathe new life into a silent film classic, transforming it with a contemporary electroacoustic score that would resonate with modern audiences. ‘The Phantom Carriage,’ a silent film that had influenced cinematic masters like Ingmar Bergman, was to be re-scored by not one, but sixteen composers. The challenge was to craft a cohesive and emotionally compelling soundtrack that could stand shoulder to shoulder with the film’s groundbreaking visuals.
The Solution & process
The process kicked off with a deep dive into the film’s narrative and visual language. We meticulously deconstructed scenes, extracting key emotional beats and cinematic themes, which served as a springboard for our musical brainstorming. Collaborating online with the diverse group of composers, we began stitching together musical motifs and themes that would underpin the new score.
For the scene dubbed “George,” I cooked up a 5-and-a-half-minute orchestral piece, starting with a digital mock-up in Ableton. The score was a delicate balancing act, tweaking melodies and harmonies to mirror the on-screen drama while injecting fresh themes where needed. We even played around with live digital effects, making the most of the orchestra’s amplified capabilities. The resulting demo was a vital touchpoint, aligning the production team and musicians on what was shaping up to be an eclectic, yet coherent soundtrack.
Turning our digital drafts into physical sheet music, we got down to the nitty-gritty with the Metropole Orchestra. The rehearsals were a cycle of fine-tuning, ensuring the musical nuances were on point. The click track was syncing every swell and silence to the film’s pulse.
The Results
The payoff was a sold-out premiere where the Metropole Orchestra, synced to the second, performed our new electroacoustic score live at the prestigious Eye Filmmuseum. A seamless blend of sight and sound that transported audiences, proving that even a film nearly a century old could find a new voice with the right mix of respect for the past and a dash of modern innovation. ‘The Phantom Carriage’ rolled once more, this time to the rhythm of an orchestra harmonized with the digital age.
