Fans of classic films are in for a treat as the Alloy Orchestra returns to the Detroit Film Theater September 24, 25, and 26 to accompany silent classics that include an experimental Russian feature, the complete version of the masterpiece "Metropolis", and a rarely seen silent film from Alfred Hitchcock.
The Boston-based Alloy Orchestra is a trio that composes and performs soundtracks for an eclectic selection of silent films. Performances feature traditional percussion instruments, electronic synthesizers and keyboards, as well as banjo, accordion, a musical saw, and a variety of found objects.
The Alloy Orchestra describes their sound as "the Berlin Philharmonic meets Godzilla" or "the sound of water dripping into a sink". Both descriptions may be accurate at least in part, but the music produced by this trio on their amazing "rack of junk" and assorted instruments defies easy categorization. Maybe this is one of the reasons Alloy Orchestra gigs continue to surprise and delight me after hearing them perform many times at the DFT.
Although we'd heard Alloy Orchestra perform in a darkened movie theater many times, we never saw them perform until a special pre-movie performance in the Detroit Institute of Arts' Rivera Court last year (where I took the photos accompanying this article).
The original group line-up of Caleb Sampson, Terry Donahue, and Ken Winokur first performed together as the Alloy Orchestra at a First Night event in Boston on New Year's Eve in 1990.
The manager of a local art movie house caught the show and approached the trio about accompanying a showing "Metropolis". This particular version of "Metropolis" was a 1984 reissue with a soundtrack by music producer Giorgio Moroder (a version featuring 1980s pop/rock that I described here as "somewhat bizarre" when I previewed the DFT's summer season, featuring the newest restoration of the film).
The trio, by now named the Alloy Orchestra for their collection of weird musical instruments and found objects, had only two weeks to produce a suitable soundtrack for the film. Their soundtrack was a hit, and the group looked for other chances to accompany silent films.
This year Winokur and Donahue, along with keyboardist Roger Miller (who joined the group after Sampson's 1999 death), celebrate the Alloy Orchestra's twentieth anniversary with a tour of "The Best of Alloy Orchestra".
Over the years, Alloy Orchestra created scores for nearly 30 feature-length films and many silent shorts. They usually premiere new scores at the Telluride Film Festival in Colorado (playing there every year since 1993) and perform in theaters, museums, cultural events and other venues around the world.
This weekend with the Alloy Orchestra at the DFT kicks off on Friday, September 24, with "Man with a Movie Camera". This 1929 film directed by Dziga Vertov, originally intended as a Russian propaganda flick, offers an impressionist view of life through a photographer's eye. We saw this film with its Alloy Orchestra accompaniment last year. The stunning cinematography and editing in this film make it surprisingly cutting-edge, and it's a must-see with the always inventive Alloy Orchestra soundtrack.
The Alloy Orchestra accompanies the newly restored "Metropolis" on Saturday, September 25. I saw this particular version this summer, without the Alloy accompaniment, and it should be a highlight of this weekend's Alloy Orchestra gig at the DFT.
Families may enjoy a special Alloy Orchestra program called "Masters of Slapstick" on Sunday afternoon (September 26). This hour-long show features a selection of short comedies featuring Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
Catch the Alloy Orchestra's accompaniment to the 1929 Alfred Hitchcock film, "Blackmail" on Sunday evening (September 26). Hitchcock made two versions of this film, a sound version considered to be the first talking picture made in England, and the seldom-shown silent version featured in this showing.
The DFT's Autumn 2010 schedule continues through November 2010. Check out the DFT online for a complete film schedule, times and ticket prices.
Want to listen to the Alloy Orchestra in your own home theater? Check out the DVD of "Man with the Movie Camera" with the Alloy Orchestra soundtrack, or hear samples of the group's music for several different films on the album New Music for Silent Films in CD or MP3 format.
Note: "Where I live" posts are part of a series of periodic stories about special events and people in, and around, metro Detroit. "Where I live" posts are stories I'll post in addition to my regular schedule of
stories about attractions around the larger Midwestern region. I hope you enjoy
reading them as much as I enjoy writing them.
© Dominique King 2010 All rights reserved
I missed it. Hopefully there will be more. After seeing Louis at the Max M. Fisher Music Center, I'm interested in seeing more silent film with live accompaniment.
Posted by: Randy | December 09, 2010 at 04:16 PM
Randy-The Alloy Orchestra seems to get around to the DFT one weekend each year--and it's been in September at least the past couple of years.
I really wanted to see Louis at the Max, but we weren't able to make it there. We did see the symphony play along with "The Wizard of Oz", though. A little different than seeing the silents with music accompaniment, but still a lot of fun!
Posted by: Dominique King | December 11, 2010 at 07:31 AM