The era of silent film was also an era of musical improvisation to accompany films. This began in 1895 with the first public film screening in which live sounds and music played an integral role. Pianists and orchestral musicians used their skills to emphasise the moods and emotions of the scenes, usually without fixed scores. Improvisation made it possible to react flexibly to the developing plot and support the film dynamically. With the introduction of experimental silent films, which often featured unconventional narratives and visual styles, the importance of improvisational accompaniment increased even further.
As a prelude to the Symposium: Filming Improvisation – Improvising with Film, the internationally sought-after silent film pianist Eunice Martins has put together a film programme as well as a quartet. For Sound & Lecture N° 25: Film – Sound – Improvisation, Eunice Martins will be joined by percussionist Simon Berz, hurdy-gurdy player Caroline Cecilia Tallone and guitarist Eric Wong, with whom she will improvise to a total of five experimental silent films. Films from the 1910s to 1920s by Eugene Deslaw, Lea Giunchi Guillaume, Hans Richter and Germaine Dulac will be shown, as well as a film by Patrice Kirchhofer from 1977. Afterwards, she will discuss her artistic work and the special combination of improvised sound and moving images, together with host Mathias Maschat.
Eunice Martins is a renowned silent film pianist and sound artist who specialises in the live accompaniment of silent films and experimental films, as well as composing music and sound design for film and VR productions. Since 2000 she has been the house pianist of the Berlin Kino Arsenal – Institute for Film and Video Art. She studied piano and composition at the Berlin University of the Arts and began her career as a musician in the 1990s. Eunice Martins has performed in film theatres, festivals and other cultural institutions worldwide. Her work is characterised by a close connection between image and sound, combining classical techniques of silent film accompaniment with improvisational and experimental approaches. In addition to her performances, she dedicates herself to teaching and giving workshops on silent film accompaniment. Martins’ artistic practice also includes interdisciplinary projects in which she collaborates with film directors, dancers and visual artists.
Simon Berz, Cecilia Caroline Tallone and Eric Wong are versatile musicians who all three work in the field of free improvisation and can be considered integral to the Berlin Echtzeitmusik scene. Simon Berz is a drummer and sound artist; his work in experimental and improvised music, in sound art and new forms of performance aims at innovation, interaction and participation. He uses improvised music to create bridges between his compositions and performances to visual arts, dance and film. Caroline Cecilia Tallone is a musician and violin maker based in Berlin. With a broad musical background, she plays experimental and electro-acoustic music on her modified hurdy-gurdy. She has performed throughout Europe, organised events and participated in artistic residencies. Eric Wong is both a guitarist and an electronic musician. As a guitarist, he performs as a soloist and in free improvisation groups. As an electronic musician, he focuses on the use of smartphones and Bluetooth speakers in his compositions and performances.
19:00: soundwalk with Thomas Gerwin
