Tag: d.w. griffith

  • Matching Music: Dramatic Boost or Overkill

    —

    by

    Ben Model
    in , ,

    In selecting “appropriate music” for a scene in silent film accompaniment, there’s a fine line between support and simply mirroring what’s onscreen. It’s something I learned and developed during the first few years I was accompanying silents at NYU. It’s a question I still grapple with today. What do I mean by mirroring? This may…

  • Marion Davies Marches On…!

    Marion Davies Marches On…!

    —

    by

    Ben Model
    in , , , ,

    Happy Birthday to Victor Herbert, Composer of “Babes In Toyland”, “Ah, Sweet Mystery of Life” and the elusive “Marion Davies March” Victor Herbert’s March of the Toys wafted over my WFMT app this morning, in honor of the composer’s birthday, and I immediately thought of Stan Laurel & Oliver Hardy – and then Marion Davies.  Stan…

  • video blog episode 1: Griffith, Gish, and instant leitmotifs

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    I’m going to give video-blogging another go in 2010. Using the FlipVideo camera makes it a little more convenient, and talking-head blogging sure beats writing, and typing and correcting typos (which only seem to appear after I click on ‘publish’). I’m hoping I can be a little more consistent than the last time I tried…

  • Oct 14-15: D.W. Griffith Biographs @MoMA; press interview

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    October 13 and 14 found me at MoMA playing for a program of Griffith Biograph shorts, as part of Charles Silver’s series. The Weds show was in Bartos, on the Modus digital, and the Thurs show was in Titus 2, on the Steinway. (The T2 instrument, BTW, was Blanchette Rockefeller’s piano and had been reconditioned…

  • Carmagnole in “Orphans of the Storm”

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    Am playing for Orphans of the Storm in Huntington tonight. Reviewing my story sheet reminded me that toward the end the townspeople dance the Carmagnole. My notes — cribbed from some other website years ago — on the dance read: “The Carmagnole, an anonymous song and street dance popular during the Reign of Terror of…

  • historic Mamaroneck Play House – June 22

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    Every year the town and village of Mamaroneck NY (where Griffith had studios for a few years) holds its annual “Historic Harbor Festival”. The entire main drag is taken over by a giant street fair with booths, performers, food from local restaurants, etc. Mam’k’s 1920’s movie theater, currently owned by Clearview Cinemas, is smack in…

  • Midnite show at MoMA – June 21

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    On Saturday June 21 at midnight (!) I presented and accompanied a program of silent one-reelers from 1913 at MoMA. The program was part of an innovative education program done by Amir Parsa called “That Year, This Day” in which class participants spent time at the museum from 6pm to 2am in galleries and education…