The tradition of novelty — comparative studies of silent film scores

perspectives, challenges, proposals

Marco Bellano

pp. 208-220

in: Claus Tieber, Anna K. Windisch (eds), The sounds of silent films, Basingstoke, Palgrave Macmillan, 2014

Abstract

"Music for the silent film was an independent, ever-changing accompaniment"¹: from theater to theater, many different musicians worked on the same single silent picture. As a result, each film could have many different 'scores". Even when original compositions started to spread around 1908,² only the big theaters in the most important cities in Europe or in the US were likely to benefit from that music: the smaller towns (with lesser artistic resources) often preferred to continue with compilation/improvisation practices.³ The existence of multiple interpretations created a tradition based on the continuous renovation of film music: a tradition of novelty.