Live Music/Silent Film Programs
Classic 1920s silent films presented with live original scores by composer/pianist Robert Bruce
"A remarkable composer, Robert Bruce's silent film/live music concerts have been the performances our audiences have enjoyed the most. I would highly recommend them!" - Lisa Mahoney, Audience Development Coordinator, Cambridge Galleries
"Robert Bruce's performance at the Old Town Hall was amazing. The films were classic Keaton but it was Mr. Bruce's compositions that brought the images to life. We can't wait till his next appearance!" - Barbara Tanner-Billings, Facility Manager, Old Town Hall, Waterford
"A marriage of film and music made in heaven" - Stephen Hayes, Film Producer/Host of SOUNDTRACK9 3.3 CFMU-FM
"His music is very visual and lends itself to conjuring up images and scenerios. It speak of a very internal, personal soundscape with barely an influence from any other contemporary composer". - Award-Winner Music Critic Hugh Fraser, The Hamilton Spectator
Experience the magic of some of the most outstanding and engaging silent films of the 1920s presented with live original scores by composer/pianist Robert Bruce. These Live Music/Silent Film programs offer an opportunity to rediscover the lost art of the pre-sound era and experience first-hand how silent film was originally presented. A surprizingly alive and truly multimedia film presentation that offers a greater involvement and connection with the audience, these programs are also fun and engaging for families and filmgoers of all ages.
These programs are a natural fit for Robert Bruce who, as a composer, has specialized for many years in multimedia and multidisciplinary projects and who in his formative years was considerably influenced by the spirit of theatre, vaudeville and early cinema in his compositions. His music is widely considered "highly visual" and his scores, which are simultaneously traditional- and mildly contemporary-sounding, truly bring the films to life and even bridge them quite seamlessly to the present.
Robert Bruce's Live Music/Silent Film programs offer all the excitement and spontaneity of a live concert blended perfectly together with the charm and nostalgia of classic 1920s silent cinema. The uncanny effect of this program has to be experienced and it is an experience that any true appreciator of music and the dramatic and cinematic arts will cherish.
Films Presented with Live Music by Composer/Pianist Robert Bruce
Films Starring Comedy Legend Buster Keaton:
- Three Ages (Comedy - 1923 - 63 min.)
- Sherlock Jr. (Comedy - 1924 - 44 min.)
- usually presented with the short The Balloonatic (Comedy - 1923 - 22 min.)
- The General (Comedy - 1926 - 75 min.)
- Steamboat Bill Jr. (Comedy - 1928 - 69 min.)
- The Cameraman (Comedy - 1928 - 76 min.)
Films by F.W. Murnau:
- Sunrise (Drama - 1927 - approx 95 min.)
- Faust (Drama - 1926 - approx 110 min.)
Films Starring Harold Lloyd:
- Safety Last (Comedy - 1923 - 80 min.)
Films Starring Harry Langdon:
- Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (Comedy - 1926 - 61 min.)
Technical Requirements:
Robert Bruce's Live Music/Silent Film programs are relatively easy to produce. All that is needed, aside from the room/venue where an audience can view the program, is an acoustic piano in good working order (no digital pianos or electronic keyboards are used), a screen or wall space suitable for viewing films, a DVD player and a digital projector.
Robert Bruce provides all the 1920s films on DVD and appears in person to perform his original scores live in each presentation.
For further information or bookings please Contact Robert Bruce.
Multimedia
Performace Video Samples
Buster Keaton's The Balloonatic - Downloadable
Buster Keaton's The Balloonatic - Web Player
Audio
Heritage Rag
This piece is used in some of the comedy programs