Concerts bring brand new music to classic films

Mike Marlatt
Contributor

When I first went to the TIFF Bell Lightbox to see one of the films in their In Concert series, I wondered just how the experience of seeing a film with a live score would hold up against seeing a film in a movie theatre today.
There’s really no comparison.
Post-screening, it became apparent the glitz and glamour cinema embodied in the past has been lost to mediocre actors and massive amounts of CGI – that is, if you’re going to any theatre besides the Lightbox.
This fall, the Bell Lightbox is offering a rare insight into films of the past through its live concert series, which features silent movies from TIFF’s list of Essential 100 films. The theatre is not just showing some of the most highly regarded films of all time on the big screen – they’re presenting new live scores created just for these films. It’s an incredible experience that mixes going out to see a classic film and going to a concert, all-in-one.
Neither of the two performances I saw disappointed: Erich von Stroheim’s 1924 Greed, paired with Toronto’s Do Make Say Think and friends – some of which included members of Broken Social Scene and The Weakerthans; and Dziga Vertov’s 1929 Man with a Movie Camera with the Michael Nyman band were both spectacular.
The concert series sought out artists from a wide array of genres – including jazz, noise, hip hop and classical – making for a whole new sort of interaction between the score and the film with which you may not be familiar.
“People generally associate silent film accompaniment with kinkling piano,” said Lightbox artistic director Noah Cowan. “We want to try and go past that.”
“Do Make Say Think, for example, utilized bits of jazz and pop and noise in their constructions. DJ Spooky [in his remix of Birth of a Nation] is mixing bits of new classical with hip hop. Both Michael Nyman and Gabriel Thibaudeau are working off of super-romantic classical music. The variety of styles is really important to us.”
The look and feel of the theatre definitely adds to the whole experience. There are not that many seats, making the performance feel that much more intimate. The sound quality at the Lightbox is also incredible, and you never miss any of the great music. While tickets are a little high-priced, they’re definitely worth it if you remember you’re paying for a film and a concert at the same time.
With the In Concert series, the Bell Lightbox seeks to provide Toronto a venue for newly commissioned scores like Do Make Say Think’s Greed soundtrack. “We wanted to engage the building with a group of very interesting young musicians here in Toronto who are making a large splash in the international scene,” said Cowan. This also helps put TIFF on the international stage even when the festival itself isn’t running.
At the same time, the Lightbox also provides a venue for travelling shows such as the upcoming Re-birth of a Nation by DJ Spooky.
If you are looking for the perfect blend of music and film, look no further than the live In Concert scores for TIFF’s Essential 100 films at the Bell Lightbox.
Upcoming Concert Events
Metropolis with music by Gabriel Thibaudeau
Tuesday, Nov. 9 and Wednesday, Nov. 10: 8 p.m.
Regular admission: $50   Students: $40
DJ Spooky’s Rebirth of a Nation
Tuesday, Nov. 16 and Wednesday, Nov. 17 8 p.m.
Regular admission: $25   Students: $20