Northern Silents returns to the National Centre for Early Music to score the 1925 silent film classic, The Phantom of the Opera.
The film
Beneath the opulence of the Paris Opera House, in the darkness of the catacombs, lurks the Phantom - a lonely creature whose only comfort is the sound of the music which drifts down to him from the stage above. When a new soprano arrives, he becomes enraptured by her voice and swears to possess her at any cost…
Both a dark love story and a horror classic, The Phantom of the Opera is one of silent cinema’s most lavish achievements. Its vast sets and innovative experiments with film colour are the background for one of early horror cinema’s most striking character creations - Lon Chaney’s Phantom. Chaney experimented for two years with metal hooks, wax, putty, and paint to create the skull-like appearance which terrified audiences a century ago.
The music
Silent film pianist Jonny Best will bring the film alive with a brand new improvised score. One of the UK’s leading silent film pianists, Jonny performs all over the UK as a soloist and with the improvising quartet, Frame Ensemble.
Join us for a hauntingly unforgettable evening and celebrate the 100th birthday of one of silent cinema’s most beautiful creations.
Music: Jonny Best (piano)
Director: Rupert Julian
Year: 1925
Country: USA
Length: 92 mins
With thanks to FPA Classics
