The Silent Pianist Speaks
Neil Brand, musician, writer and broadcaster (BBC’s The Film Programme, Sound of Cinema, Music that made the Movies) welcomes us to the world of early cinema. The Silent Pianist Speaks is one of the most unique and memorable shows you will see, celebrating the great filmmakers of the Silent Era and the magic of the accompanists who breathed life and sound into their work.
From the earliest, earthiest comedies and thrillers, through a silent cine-verité classic shot by a young Billy Wilder, to the glories of Hollywood glamour and the sublime Laurel and Hardy, Neil provides improvised accompaniment and laconic commentary on everything from deep focus to his own live cinema disasters.
‘Brand’s improvised piano playing elevates silent movies from crude slapstick to subtle ballet’ Guardian 2007
Produced by Music at Oxford.
Go to Oxford Playhouse for full details and tickets.
This concert is part of American Cool, a month long festival celebrating American art, literature, music, drama and film from 1920s – 1940s coinciding with the Ashmolean’s exhibition: America’s Cool Modernism: O’Keefe to Hopper. www.ashmolean.org/americascoolmodernism | americancoolfest
