Archa Theatre

Metropolis Live (programme from the performance)

Films became Inspiration for Musicians (MF Dnes)

Archa Theatre and the Goethe-Institut-Prag present

January 22 and 23, 1996

Music:
Silvia Sauer
Ernst Seitz
Colin Dunwoodie
Christoph Wüstenhagen

Performing:
Silvia Sauerová, vocals
Ernst Seitz, piano
Colin Dunwoodie, tenor saxophone, alto saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute

Dramaturgy and production:
Christoph Wüstenhagen

Silvia Sauer, Ernst Seitz and Colin Dunwoodie perform in concerts under the title Some Other Trio. Together, they are part of other groups, such as Rothengrund Art Ensemble and the Colin Dunwoodie Quartet. During their careers, they have collaborated with musicians Emil Mangelsdorf, Joe Cocker, Clare Fisher as well as others.
          The project of the live concert which accompanies the film "Metropolis" was created from an idea of Christoph Wüstenhagen and the intensive work of all participating musicians. The project lasted for more than six months until the end of 1995.
          In addition to all other unfinished versions, whose originals do not exist, they found an eighty-minute print copy, which was the best for their plan. The treatment of the music in its final result doesn't have anything in common with the original musical accompaniment (the same as in the case of the pop version of Giorgio Morodera).

Brief Excerpts of the Film
The action takes place during the 21st century. Industrial magnate Johann Federsen (Alfred Abel) governs Metropolis. The workers live underground. They are forced to an even higher productivity, while the sons and daughters of the wealthy are devoted to orgies of luxury in the Joshiwara Gardens. Fredersen's son, Freder (Gustav Frölich), advises his father to add more workers to the underground. He falls in love with the young Marie (Brigitte Helmová), who provides comfort to the oppressions.
          Marie speaks to the workers. She proclaims that they are only able to rid themselves of these ties that bind when their heart stands between their hands and their minds. Freder's father secretly participates in this meeting of the workers. He entrusts an inventor Rotwang (Rudolf Klein-Rogge) to make a new robot which has Marie's face. The imitation Marie should incite the workers to revolt and Federsen would then be authorised to forcibly intervene.
          The workers are provoked by the robot, and begin destroying the machinery. The city is flooded with water. Freder and Marie intervene at the last minute and save the city. The industrial boss reconciles with his foreman (Heinrich George). Freder forces his father to shake hands with the foreman.

Metropolis
German film from 1927

Directed by: Fritz Lang
Script: Thea von Harbou
Director of photography: Karl Freund and Gunther Rittau

In the main roles:
Brigitte Helm
Gustav Frölich
Alfred Abel
Rudolf Klein-Rogge
Theodor Loos
Fritz Rasp
Heinrich George

Metropolis belongs among the most controversial films in the history of cinematography. During the time of its creation, between 1925 and 1926, it was the most expensive film production in the world, with thousands of extras and enormous expenses of its materials. For the first time, trick photography was used to a great extent. The idea for the film, which was based on the script of Lang's former wife Thea von Harbou, was later adopted by the Nazis and Lang dissociated himself from the film upon his emigration to America.
          Today, "Metropolis" is considered as one of the primary works in the genre of science fiction, and is valued for its artistic individuality. Above all, the proof of its originality, in as much as it was included among the classic works of the Twentieth Century, is that until today, since its creation, Metropolis is cursed as being non-abashedly stolen by filmmakers.

Films became Inspiration for Musicians

The Project Metropolis, presented by Prague's Archa Theatre earlier this week, offered more from the production which connected the screening of the older better quality of the silent film and live musical accompaniment. Here, we can mention a new variation to an old theme - well, truly at the beginning of cinematography, the pianist sat on the stage in front of the screen and played music which accompanied the silent picture.
The Scottish-German trio, Some Other Trio, was created by pianist Colin Dunwoodie, saxophonist Ernst Seitze and singer Sylvie Sauer. They chose the same principle which the domestic audience would have experienced if they were here for the presentation of the reconstructed film "Erotikon", directed by Gustav Machatý, which was accompanied by the music of Jan Klusák. Or during the performance of the French ensemble Art Zoyd who accompanied the films "Nosferatu" and "Häxan".
The exception of Project Metropolis consists in its complex approaches of "Some Other Trio". The film of Fritz Lang from 1926 - a utopian fiction which would take place in the 21st century - wasn't a springboard to the self-reflection for the trio. Ironically, the musicians presented many scenes which gave new meaning to the film. However, at the same time, they revered their craft: they kept the rhythm of the editing and didn't even forget the bustling. A spectator, who is not very dedicated, would perhaps bet that this music would be forever a part of Metropolis.

Alex Švamberk, MF Dnes, 25. 1. 1996