I just returned from a final dress rehearsal of a film scoring project performed by my orchestra, the Augsburger Philharmoniker. A full score was written, rehearsed, and conducted by the composer Johannes Kalitzka, and set to the silent film Die Weber. The story is based on an uprising by local proletariat weavers in 1844 in the region of Silesia (Schlesien) which straddled Germany and Poland until Germany's unification in 1871, and is now part of modern-day Germany.
The music is very well suited to the film, with its mix of cacophony, persistent rhythms, and instrumentation techniques (sampling, colorful percussion, individual string parts within string groups, special effects performed on various instruments). At times, I felt emotionally disturbed while watching the workers struggle to overthrow the wealthy, and the music provided an unsettling backdrop as well as apt commentary that succeeded in being modern yet timelessly fitting.
For those who write music - setting your scores to silent films is a great way to really showcase your style and communicate a story. Search out old and preferably forgotten silent films and see how they inspire your work. I'd be interested in playing your creations!
