From South to North, from North to South, using the same track both ways: in a frantic search for his beloved, a young man, heedless of the battle raging around him, stages two long chases back to back in the midst of the American Civil War. For this comic epic of the silent screen, Buster Keaton arranged exact replicas of period locomotives, as well as 4,000 military uniforms: “It’s got to be so authentic it hurts”, he told his staff. Timothy Brock’s score was inspired by the songs of the American civil war, by their lyrics, rhythm and bite, drawn directly from 1860s sheet music. And if the current health restrictions make it impossible to perform the original 2005 score for a large orchestra, the reduced orchestration helps keep the momentum going and provides a framework for several solos.

The Programme

Hordes of bat-like demons wielding sharp pitchforks; legions of Heaven’s pure souls floating in the sky; Paolo and Francesca gliding down from on high and then suspended in mid-air; Bertrand de Born holding up his severed head, and a gigantic soul-devouring Lucifer. In 1911, two pioneering directors adapted Dante and Virgil’s journey into the first full-length feature film in the history of Italian cinema, and they certainly spared no expense on special effects. Inspired by the famous engravings by Gustave Doré, the film was an unprecedented colossal: 3 years to make, a cast of 150, 100 sets and a huge box office success in Europe and the US. Edison Studio have now put their skills, expertise and live electronics technology at the service of a “perfect” soundtrack for the most visionary of Italian silent films.

The Programme