Tag: lee erwin

  • The Sounds of the Silents — Theatre Organ Accompaniment in NYC, part 2

    —

    by

    Ben Model
    in ,

    When I began playing for silent films while at NYU film school I made a point of meeting all the accompanists in NYC. It was at the Carnegie Hall Cinema that I met theatre organist and composer Lee Erwin. I got to hear him accompany films on theatre organ for a number of years before…

  • Playing The Audience In To A Film

    —

    by

    Ben Model
    in ,

    I don’t remember how or when I started doing this, but I’m certain it’s something I picked up or learned from Lee Erwin. I start playing before the film begins. I’m pretty sure it’s a traditional way to begin a show that theatre organists use and have used since the silent era. Aesthetically, it makes…

  • 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…

  • interim post: Lee Erwin-scored short

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    I know, I know, I haven’t posted any video here in a few weeks. To keep you happy, here is a 1929 Mack Sennett short co-starring Carole Lombard that I just uploaded to YouTube. It has a score by Lee Erwin, which he performed and recorded on his ersatz theatre organ, comprised of three early…

  • Lon Chaney in “The Unknown”

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    Played a matinee of L’Inconnu – or The Unknown – at MoMA today. The print came from GEH and has French titles which looked like they were made in the ’40s(?), white helvetica-ish against black. There is a print with the original release titles around (available from Turner/WB); I played to it at the Cinema…

  • Radio City Music Hall

    —

    by

    Ben Model
    in

    I made my Radio City Music Hall debut yesterday, playing for the graduation ceremony of the School of Visual Arts. I improvised 90+mins of music while the graduates came up and received their diplomas…17 groups in all. I used the RCMH’s 9-foot Steinway grand, which was placed extreme downstage right, where I had a clear…

  • Squaw Man shows; Chaplin orchestral performance

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    [FYI…I have now fixed the setting on this blog that allows you to post comments so that it works now.] Played for DeMille’s The Squaw Man (1914) twice last week, and brought my MD recorder to the second show to make a reference recording. We ran the film at 20fps both times. What was interesting…

  • Radio City Music Hall concert Jan 16

    —

    by

    Ben Model

    I attended a theatre organ concert at Radio City Music Hall last Tuesday. This was the third time that NYTOS (the New York Theatre Organ Society) had held this annual event. I had gone the first year, then missed it in ’06 because I had a show, and was really looking forward to coming this…