World renown organist David Briggs will provide live accompaniment to the 1922 classic silent film Nosferatu at Truro Cathedral on Saturday, July 17. We caught up with him to ask a few questions about performing a live soundtrack to a classic.
What is the specific challenge of accompanying silent movies and what attracts you to Nosferatu?
I’ve loved to improvise ever since I was six years old. When I was young my piano teachers always used to complain that I didn’t practise my scales and arpeggios and used to prefer to make up music!
I’ve always found improvisation very liberating – it’s just something in my creative make-up, I guess. Improvising to movies is great fun – the main intention is always to enlarge on the emotional content of the film and there should obviously be as close a connection as possible – you have to stay one step ahead, like a good movie composer would.
How many times have you performed to silent films at Truro Cathedral?
Just once, I believe – that was for Hunchback of Notre-Dame last October. I remember the cathedral was packed. I think people are intrigued about the synthesis between a visual image from the 1920s and music which is completely spontaneous and created as a one-off for this point in time.
How different is accompanying a silent film to what we’re used to as a film score?
I think the main emphasis should be the same – but of course when you’re improvising you can never change your mind – never rub anything out. So you have to keep a certain distance, as well as being in control of the detail. It’s a bit like going into a ‘zone’.
Are there techniques in Nosferatu or your accompaniment that you’d like to see more of?
The sheer drama (to our minds rather ‘over the top’) of these great silents is very stimulating to any improviser. It’s extremely atmospheric, in a totally different way to later movies, and the Truro Willis organ is the perfect vehicle to highlight all the emotions in this fantastic movies – it’s a real treasure trove of colour and dynamic contrast.
David Briggs, many thanks
