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Episode 52 show notes: The Silent Film Music Podcast

Episode 52 Show Notes: William Perry interview (part 2)

Interview with William Perry, composer, pianist, orchestrator, and silent film accompanist.


From William Perry’s score for The Gold Rush (transition from piano to orchestra)

Ben’s introduction

WP: In the early 1970s, the curators at MoMA were discovering silent film, its history and its language

Pre-screening films and preparing to accompany them

Awareness of the audience and their reactions, keeping ahead of them

“Tea with Lillian Gish”

Excerpt from “Silent Film Heroines: Lillian Gish – Orphans of the Storm”

Expanding one’s musical vocabulary

National or ethnic idioms, dance, singing on screen

D.W. Griffith, how his editing rhythm can conflict with the accompaniment

Favorite Films   The General accompanied by William Perry

Excerpt from William Perry’s score for The Beloved Rogue starring John Barrymore

Perry leaves MoMA to develop in other directions, especially orchestral versions of his piano scores

Erno Rapee and the Radio City Music Hall Orchestra played Mahler on the radio

Fanfares on piano vs. real brass fanfares!

Perry began thinking orchestrally

Producing Anyone For Tennyson 1976-1978 on public television

Producing and scoring 1980 – 1986 Mark Twain features for Great Performances

Life on the Missisippi  and how to make a TV director nervous

Excerpt from Life On The Missisippi: Pilot on the Missisippi

An excerpt “Swordplay” based on scores for The Three Musketeers and The Iron Mask, as heard on the CD “Toujours Provence”

Working with orchestrators on film scores and other works

“That’s What Friends are For” and “Evil Weasels” from The Wind In The Willows  (1985), music by William Perry, lyrics co-written by William Perry

Keeping the medium of silent film accompaniment alive todayThe duties, challenges and tricks of a film accompanist

Rachmaninoff’s piano

Ben’s outro


William Perry’s company, Trobriand Music with links to the recordings heard in this podcast.

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