Nosferatu at Desert Fringe
Posted by Cindi Drennan on January 19th, 2010
Nosferatu
Quorn resident and composer, Matthew Timmis, presented a new music performance piece in accompaniment to a screening of the film noir classic Nosferatu.
This one-off event was presented at Desert Fringe (a regional presentation of the Adelaide Fringe) on Saturday 27th February at 4 PM, at The Institute (Commercial Road Port Augusta).
Performers included the Desert Voices choir, three rock bands, and other musicians, and the soundtrack composed by Matthew was synchronised to the film and performed live. The event was highly successful and Matthew and the performers hope to present the event again at some stage, possibly in Adelaide.
The free performance was supported with equipment from Flinders Flicks and Illuminart.
Building on his recent Pt Augusta / Adelaide Fringe successes “Smoke On The Water” and “Car-cophony”, Matthew Timmis will compose an original live score for the 1922 silent film “Nosferatu” for the 2010 Desert Fringe.
F.W. Murnau’s now iconic German Expressionist film was in essence an unauthorized adaption of Bram Stoker’s “Dracula”. The production company, Paran Film could not obtain the rights to the novel so simply changed the names and other details. The studio was later forced to declared bankruptcy after Bram Stoker’s widow, Florence Stoker, sued for copyright infringement and won. The court ordered all existing prints of “Nosferatu” be destroyed, however copies of the film had already been distributed around the world. These prints were then copied over the years, helping “Nosferatu” gain its cult reputation as one of the greatest movie adaptations of the vampire legend.
Now in the public domain and on Google Videos and You Tube, the movie won’t be screened using a new reprint or re-master but instead embrace notions of popular culture through a DIY community ethic and sound mash up.
Matthew will collaborate with the Desert Voices Choir, the Port Augusta High School Concert Band and Quorn Area School Band, and various members from Pt Augusta Community Bands, to create a soundtrack that will feature experimental loud guitar, a horn section, acoustic instruments and a couple of folk songs.
For further information about the event please visit the Country Arts SA web site.