By Erno Rapee
The Overture | The
Scenic Picture
The Editing of the News Reels
| Vocal or Dance Artists
Musical Accompaniment to the Feature
Picture
The Comedy | The Organ
The Overture and its selection depends largely upon the general layout of the program. If you have a Spanish picture and you are building a Spanish prologue and you happen to have a Spanish scenic it is obviously desirable to choose a Spanish Overture to keep the program in the same vein throughout. Establish your atmosphere with your Overture and keep the same atmosphere leading up to your feature picture, which is assumed to be the strongest number on your program. Should the picture have no particular local color and no bearing upon the make-up of your show as a whole, then the selection of the Overture should be made with the idea of having your program as diversified in character as possible, or it may be determined by the particular taste of your audience.
The size of the orchestra is, of course, a very important question. Where there is an orchestra of thirty-two or more pieces the performance of most works of such standard composers as Wagner, Liszt, Tschaikowsky, Verdi, etc., if well performed, will invariably meet with success. Several years ago, the playing of two or three Movements of a Tschaikowsky Symphony (with cuts, of course) in a movie house, was considered a sort of an experiment. Today the stage of experiment with Tschaikowsky and his Symphonies is a matter of the past. The 2nd and 4th Movements of the 4th Symphony or the 3rd and 4th Movements of the 6th Symphony are in the repertoire of every fair size movie orchestra. The same could be said of excerpts from the Wagnerian Operas such as the Valkyries Ride, Wotan's Farewell, etc.
Christmas and Easter Holidays would naturally suggest particular types of Overtures, such as Christmas Carols, or Easter Chimes in Russia, etc. American Holidays should, of course, be marked by the use of Yankee Doodle, Dixie, Southern and Northern airs, etc.
The Jubel Overture by Weber has been found particularly useful, as towards the end it develops a big climax to the strains of "God Save The King" which lends itself well to patriotic tableaux. Victor Herbert's American Fantasie is always a satisfactory Overture and can be well used for covering three or four different tableaux during the various sections of the composition.
For Irish Holidays Victor Herbert's Irish Rhapsody or his Eileen Selection will always be an appropriate overture. A warning word must be said to the ever-anxious Musical Director to choose only such works as the number of men at his disposal can do justice to. Although there are modern orchestrations of practically all the big symphonic works, it is not a pleasure for an intelligent audience to listen to one lone trombone playing English Horn, French Horn and Bass Clarinet parts, which, although they are cued in the Trombone part as a rule, will not give the desired coloring and effect. On the other hand, with an orchestra of fifty men or more it would be wasted energy to play an Overture like "Jolly Robbers."
Recently Rossini's antiquated "Semiramide" was performed by an orchestra of thirty men in one of the larger theatres of New York City but was done so exquisitely that it received round after round of applause, which would show that it is not what you play but how you play it.
I have been asked several times to supply a list of Overtures so the various musical directors throughout the country would not have to weekly go through the worry of finding an Overture, but would only have to consult the list to be covered each and every week. It would be an impossible task to select fifty-two compositions and denote them as "the" Overture to be played in fifty-two weeks of the year, because, as I mentioned before, the size of the orchestra, tastes of your audiences and the general make-up of your program will be important factors in determining the number to be used as an overture. Sometimes a collection of old time songs or a fantasie prepared by the musical director consisting of the most popular hits of well known composers will prove to be good Overtures.
By mentioning these two possibilities we have reached ground too dangerous to tread on extensively as the solution of the problems presenting themselves in compilations of that sort will depend largely upon the ingenuity and versatility of the musical director.
The Scenic picture, by the very nature of its being, as a rule portrays scenery and atmosphere with relatively little action and all it requires for its accompaniment is purely melodious music moving in the same atmosphere as the picture; the Andante Movement of symphonies such as the "New World" by Dvorak or the "Rustic Wedding" by Goldmark or the "5/4 Movement of Tschaikowsky's 5th" will be found very pleasing and satisfactory material. For North American Scenic pictures with big massive rocks and thundering waterfalls Victor Herbert's "Natorna Selection" is a most suitable accompaniment. If you have an Italian, French or Russian scenic a selection of corresponding Folk-songs usually proves very appropriate. Some cuts may be necessary in those selections as your picture may change from quiet scenes to waterfalls or to mountain climbing and it is advisable to have different strains for different sections of the picture. For scenic pictures dealing with water and sea you will find suitable accompaniment in Mendelssohn's "Fingal's Cave" Overture or the "1st Movement of Caucassian Sketches" by Ivanoff-Ipolitoff; etc. If you happen to have a scenic moving in one atmosphere lasting about six minutes and you choose a selection which only lasts five minutes do not hesitate in cutting the weakest parts of your scenic picture to suit the length of the music, as it has been found that in accompanying scenic pictures the music if well proportioned, well rounded and played in a natural tempo will prove a tremendous enhancement.
Though this would appear to be an easy matter I consider it a very intricate procedure. The various shots selected from the different news reels have to cover incidents varying from race and aeroplane flights to fat women taking reducing exercises. You must show the spectacular and the humorous as well. It is well to keep the best shots for the close of the News. The mixing of foreign news with domestic as well as local is advisable. Many news reels are spoiled by having the best of the shots in the beginning or middle and the weaker shots towards the end. It is up to the man who edits for his theatre to make the necessary changes and finish every individual shot with a climax so that his news shall consist of a series of climaxes leading up to the big climax which will be the last shot.
The musical accompaniment to the magazine can help to make your news reels very important and even outstanding on your program because it offers so many chances of describing with music what the eye actually sees. Most of the subjects of the news reels consist of action and as such are the easiest to accompany. It being the most realistic part of your program I advise the use of all possible effects in your percussion section. Train effects, ending with a red flash all over the house and stage I found to be particularly effective.
Marches are the most abused compositions for news reel accompaniment. Any time a leader cannot decide just what music to choose the easiest way out is generally found by taking any old march and playing it through. Marches should only be used to accompany actual marching or for such occasions as the launching of a battleship, presence on the screen of important men, preferably in diplomatic or military capacities. A 6/8 march will prove itself mast valuable for actual marching. For scenes of military or political character, the lively 2/4 marches will be better accompaniment.
For instance, at the launching of a new dirigible where there is lots of activity shown preparing for the flight, a good 2/4 march played brightly and brilliantly will be proper accompaniment.- Now the dirigible ascends- the higher up it gets and the further away it seems the more your music should diminish. There is no use changing your music, keep the same march, play it very subdued, with tremelo accompaniment, and it will be in harmony with the scenic atmosphere. The procedure of coming to a satisfactory end of a march is a very important one. Not every shot will be of the desired length to allow you to play the march all the way through, but by timing your subject properly, you can, by eliminating some repeats and if necessary making some cuts, come to the very end of the march which is always a more satisfactory procedure than just to play one or two strains and then break off at random on the dominant or a secondary chord.
The proper musical accompaniment for some of our great Presidents appears to be a source of continuous controversy and misrepresentation. I have heard "Swanee River" played to accompany President Grant where a more martial air would be very much more fitting. The following selections, I think, will prove, in most cases, a proper accompaniment: for George Washington- "My Country 'Tis of Thee" for Abraham Lincoln- "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," who is so well identified with the last line of the lyrics: "His truth goes marching on." For Marine Scenes-The "Marine Hymn" or "Semper Fidelis" by Sousa. The playing of the Star Spangled Banner, I would not advise under any consideration as it is the National Anthem and should be reserved for momentous occasions such as a Declaration of War, the signing of Peace or the presence in your theatre of the President himself.
The Gate City March which contains "Maryland My Maryland" in the trio will prove a fitting accompaniment for scenes in that locality. For Southern scenes of military character the introduction and finale of the Southern Rhapsody-by Hosmer, should prove satisfactory accompaniment. For the various Governors choose, if available, songs or martial airs connected with their State; as for the Governor of Mississippi use the song M.I.S.S.I.S.S.I.P.P.I. For prominent people in Indiana use "On The Banks of the Wabash"; for the Mayor of New York- "The Sidewalks of New York" and for California personages- California Here I Come." For personages which you cannot connect with any well known air "Hail To the Chief" will be a stirring and suitable accompaniment. For comedy situations the use of such well known songs as "Look Out For Jimmy Valentine," "She Has Rings On Her Fingers," "Everybody Works But Father," "Where Did You Get That Hat, "are not only appropriate but entertaining accompaniment. The judicious selection of numbers will help considerably to make your news.
If your theatre employs vocal or dance artists and builds prologues to the feature picture the selection of this type of entertainment should be governed by the same principles as those of selecting the Overture. The question as to whether a vocal or dance prologue should be used for any particular picture depends largely upon the atmosphere and the main character of your picture. A Spanish or Italian picture as a rule will lend itself to a dancing prologue, while a western picture, with, perhaps a "waiting mother" for a "wandering boy" will offer good material for a vocal prologue with a clean western back ground.
I found the following a very satisfactory plan. Start your prologue with off-stage singing drawing nearer and interrupting some kind of pantomime on stage; this will prove particularly effective if done behind the scrim and when the picture is flashed on let the singing and dancing continue by dimmed lights until the picture on the screen occupies the complete attention of your audience and your orchestra has drowned the singing on stage. Some pictures have scenes, holding the keynote to the story, which if reproduced in life on the stage will make effective prologues. Building prologues, of course, is a field depending entirely upon individual endeavor, ability, vision, taste and also upon the equipment and staff at the disposal of the conceiver. I want to suggest here a few drops and accessories which can be used in many forms, shades and varieties with a minimum expenditure:
Your black drop is adaptable to many different presentations, either as background for a fine soloist, or when split in the center with a doorway, giving the impression of distance or with a painted panel representing any number of things according to what your vocal or dancing act may demand. In one particularly effective scene I remember the blacks were used with a church window placed in the center, the window painted on the front side and lighted from the rear. The singer singing "Ave Marie" in the front of the panel was lighted by a blue lamp from above, giving the impression of a person standing outside of a Cathedral. If you have an organ or a harmonium backstage your effect should be complete.
The Silver curtain will lend itself particularly well for specialty scenes, such as a "Music Box" dance with full lights or Grotesque dance with blue or green lights. Your Batik will be mostly useful for interior sets, particularly by splitting it a little off center and putting in a window, behind which you can use your sky drop. A piano, a vase of flowers, parlor furniture, etc. etc. placed in front of this batik and using dim lights will give a realistic homelike atmosphere.
It is your sky drop which is the most important part of your outfit as it will lend itself to any number of outdoor scenes which can be made very realistic by just using some rocks, flowers or hedges in front in artistic disorder. Stars, moon, sun, cloud, or ripple effects will all enhance the atmosphere. A sky drop will also lend itself to all kinds of silhouette effects. Cut a trap behind the drop and put your lighting strip into it: Either a dancing act or an orchestra in front of the drop with the rest of the stage and house in darkness, will give you a complete silhouette effect. Of course the ideal condition is where you do not have to fit your acts to the drops or hangings on hand, but can go to work and decide what scenery you want to give to the act and then order it.
However, most theatres are not in a position to spend several hundred dollars every week on scenery, so it will depend upon the ingenuity of the producer to make his two or three drops look as attractive as possible by his versatility and by surrounding it with props. The amount of props to carry depends upon the amount of money you can invest or can spend from week to week. Property such as platforms of various heights and sizes, runway, windows. of different sizes, some circular, some oblong and some square, a moon, stars, benches, hedges, grass, mats, trees, flower baskets, etc. are absolute necessities in staging acts. No matter how many or how big an act you use or what outlay you can afford for new scenery and property, the one thing to be constantly borne in mind is to avoid sameness of productions. Do not have similar type of singers appear too often in succession, if you have a permanent ballet corps vary their numbers as much as possible, sometimes bring in a jazz band for the sake of spice. If your orchestra plays a serious symphonic work one week, for the sake of diversity have them play a musical comedy selection the next week. If one act works in an outdoor scene with moonlight be sure that your next act is surrounded by glowing amber.
A great deal has been written on how to arrange music to feature pictures. Experience and observation have taught me that the simplest procedure is as follows: Firstly, determine the geographic and national atmosphere of your picture; Secondly, embody everyone of your important characters with a theme. Undoubtedly there will be a Love Theme and most likely there will be a theme for the Villain. If there is a humorous character who makes repeated appearances he will also have to be characterized by a theme of his own.
It will happen quite often that two characters, each having a theme, will appear together in which case it will be necessary to write original music for that particular scene treating the two themes according to the rules of counterpoint. After your atmosphere is established and your characters are endowed with their respective themes determine if either the playing of atmosphere music or the individual theme will suffice in portraying happenings on the screen or if the psychologic conditions are such that the emotional part will have to be portrayed in preference to atmospheric or characteristic situations. Now you can start setting each scene: if you have a picture playing, for instance, in China, you will have to find all your accompaniment material in existing Chinese music, both to cover atmospheric situations as well as to endow your characters. If there happens to be two Chinese characters and one English you will of course cover your English character, by English music for the sake of contrast.
The choice of the Love Theme is a very important part of the scoring as it is a constantly recurring theme in the average run of pictures and as a rule will impress your audience more than any other theme. Special care should be taken in choosing the Love Theme from various angles. If you have a Western picture dealing with a farm hand and a country girl you should choose a musically simple and sweet ballad. If your Love Theme is to cover a relationship between society people, usually portrayed as sophisticated and blasé, choose a number of the type represented by the compositions of such composers as Victor Herbert or Chaminade.
It will often happen that the situations on the screen require the Love Theme being used for an extraordinary length of time in which case you may have to play four or five choruses. This situation should be handled by varying your orchestrations, play one chorus as a violin solo, then have all the strings play it; the next one can be played on the Oboe or Cello and so forth. If you have exhausted all variations and particularly if the situation is of a dramatic sort have your men play that same chorus 1/2 a tone higher or lower. As long as you vary your instrumentation or your tonality it will not get tiresome. The danger of monotony is often encountered playing an oriental picture, as the playing of oriental music for an hour or longer will naturally get on the nerves of almost any listener, more so as oriental music is of very specific type. In that case grasp every opportunity the picture will afford and play some English, French, Italian or American music to break the monotony.
The Villain ordinarily can easily be represented by any Agitato of which there are thousands. Distinction should be made between sneaky, boisterous, crafty, powerful and evil-minded villains. A crafty villain who does not exhibit any physical villainy in the course of the picture can be easily described by a dissonant chord being held tremolo and very soft. If the Villain happens to be of the brute type who indulges in lots of physical activities, a fast moving number would be more apt. Sometime you have a villain whose power to do evil is mighty but he achieves his evil deeds without any physical activities in which case chords slow and heavy should be a proper synchronization.
The portrayal of humorous characters seems to be rather hard as there is very little music written which in itself sounds humorous and you very often will have to fall back upon your own ingenuity for the creation of such themes. Emotional and dramatic characters and situations are the hardest to fit, firstly because it requires that the music should swell and diminish in accord with the emotional moods portrayed on the screen and it is a rare good luck to find a piece of dramatic music which will rise and fall simultaneously with the action; secondly because that very dramatic music we have reference to ought to play around the themes which are identified with the characters and within whom the emotional or dramatic situation exists. This also very often necessitates the writing of original music.
The use of Silence will prove very often highly effective in situations like the appearing of an unexpected person, committing a crime, in fact all unexpected happenings which are followed, as a rule, by stillness. The recitativo, to be effective, should also be built on the theme or themes of the characters. Very often the arranger of the music for the picture will not have time to cover every little detail in the manner here suggested, but he can help a great deal by shaping the orchestra's playing. A good musician can take an ordinary 4/4 Andante and as readily make it into a misterioso as into a recitativo. This is purely a case of ingenuity and adaptability on the part of the leader.
The flashbacks seem to be a continuous source of trouble to the inexperienced leader. If the flashback is not of extreme length and the scene preceding the flashback is of such character that it will hold attention even during the flashbacks I would not advise changing the music but would advise bringing it down to "PPP." Another source of trouble I found is the making of musical endings.
The brutal procedure of breaking your music no matter where you are just because the cue for the next number is flashed on the screen is an antiquated procedure not in use any more in first-class theatres. If you train your orchestra sufficiently and arrange for some kind of a signal for your men, you will not have to go more than 8 or 1P bars in most compositions before you can come to a tonic close. The finishing of most numbers during a feature picture should not be in a decisive cut-off manner but more of a dying-away effect. The more segues you can arrange between your numbers the more symphonic the accompaniment will round.
The turning of pages in the orchestra is a comparatively easy matter, if you have more than one man to each instrument. It is important that the out-side men religiously stick to playing only and have the turning done by the inside-men. In theatres where you have time to prepare a score most of your numbers will not start at the beginning, but with certain passages which you think will fit particular scenes. The number on your music and the place where it should start should be marked very plainly by an arrow so that the eye can grasp it in a second. If you have more than one theme it will be an easy matter if you will carry out the following suggestions: If theme No. 1 is also 7-13-18 and 24 put all these numbers on top of the page and have the music sticking out in the center of your stand above your other music; if theme No. 2 is also 3-14-29 and 34 put that number also on top of your music and have that piece sticking out of the right or left side of your stand. if you will then mark on the bottom of No. 6 that the next number is Theme No. 1 I think you will find no difficulty in handling two or more themes.
If your film breaks, which nowadays is a rare happening, I advise keeping on playing the number and if necessary make a D.C. If you were playing your number soft and with strings only, bring in your brass and woodwind and play the number in concert form. Fortunately these breaks never last more than 10 or 15 seconds. Should there be a fire in the booth, which may necessitate a wait of several minutes, I advise bringing up the house lights and having the men play any popular hit of the day which they may know by heart. It is advisable to keep in mind some such selection for use in case of emergency. The main object is to prevent the audience from getting nervous and to keep them entertained.
The effects in the percussion section and back stage can be made very effective if used judiciously. I only advise the use of effects if they are humorous or if they can be made very realistic. The shooting of the villain, unless a real shot can be fired back stage and can be timed absolutely, will be much better handled by stopping your orchestra abruptly and keeping silent for a few seconds than if the attempt of a shot is made with a snare drum. In one of the foremost theatres in New York City, I saw a picture in the course of which the villain jumped through the window and immediately after was slapped on the face by the heroine. The effect-man backstage was supposed to drop some glass at the proper moment to imitate the breaking of the window. As it happened the man was asleep on the job and the dropping of the glass occurred when the heroine slapped the villain, so what would have been a tolerably descriptive effect turned out to be the cause of hilarious laughter on the audience's part.
Effects which can be worked most satisfactorily are storm effects, obtained by the use of batteries of large square head drums and wind machines back stage.
In theatres where singers are available, vocal selections back stage will occasionally prove very effective. The most effective incident of such type I remember was applied in the Capitol Theatre in New York City during the presentation of the "Passion" where during the scene of the funeral of the French King a mixed chorus chanted the Funeral March from Madame Sans Gene. The effect was almost uncanny as outside the death chamber there were a multitude of people assembled.
It is the Vaudeville theatres throughout the country which commit the grossest insults to feature pictures for reasons I was never able to quite understand. If the musicians are too tired after having played the vaudeville to play music to the feature picture, then there should be an organist who is alive to the possibilities. If it is ignorance on the leader's part it is up to the management to see that the accompaniment to the feature picture is placed in proper hands. Happenings like one I witnessed where Dvorak's "Largo" was played from beginning to end with frightful tuning and wrong tempo during a reel of snappy events depicting dancing cannibals, Italian Army, Streets of New York, etc. indicated a condition which ought to be remedied if for nothing else but for the sake of music and its masters.
In choosing your orchestrations I would advise the use of arrangements which are so cued that if necessary they can be played with strings alone and will sound full, for in three quarters of the average feature picture music of very soft quality is required. The "Overplaying" by which is meant playing so loud that it attracts the ear more than the picture attracts the eye, has killed many a good picture.
The comedy has only one duty in a program and that is to make people laugh. As a rule it is the only bright spot and should be carefully chosen for its entertaining value. In some comedies there will be good opportunities to burlesque the characters with old songs. Other comedies, which may have no reference whatsoever to well known or old time songs (unless there is some specific quick action where you could well play some very bright one-steps) could best be supported by popular hits of the day with muted brass, but in concert form. Medleys of old time hits can supply valuable material for the scoring of comedies.
I must sound a word of warning again in reference to the effects, particularly of the noisy type like falls, crashes, collisions, etc., which, if not carried out with taste and judgment will kill the laughter of your audience, which is a very valuable thing since it is contagious and sells itself. In some comedies I found it very effective to employ a few words spoken through a megaphone while the orchestra was silent.
The organ, which is often called the queen of all instruments, has rarely, if ever, been fully exploited. As a rule, even in the largest houses, the organist will play his solo at the end of the show as a "Chaser" and as such it receives very little attention from the public. As a solo instrument it should be used in the earlier part of the program where it has a better chance. Where there is an orchestra of even moderate proportions the organ playing along with the orchestra is not an advisable procedure as it is an instrument easily affected by changing atmospheric conditions and has a distinct tone quality of its own rarely blending with orchestra instruments.
In orchestras of 6 or 7 pieces, the use of Horn, Flute, or English horn stops on the organ is acceptable, but only on the condition that the organ is in tune with the orchestra. It can also be made very useful in church scenes or in filling out in big climaxes of overtures, such as "Tannhauser" or "1812." In accompanying the feature picture it is very important for the organist not to use solo stops which will divert attention from the picture by their singularity, but to use a combination of stops which is soothing and only accentuate important developments in the picture. Improvising on the organ is a subject upon which books have been written, and in my belief cannot be taught. The same principles as are applied to scoring a picture can be followed with the organ but can be worked out in much greater detail than with an orchestra since even a fairly clever organist can play two themes at the same time which cannot be done by an orchestra unless special arrangements have been made. An organist can more closely follow the action by increasing or reducing his volume or by changing his stops than any orchestra, no matter how well schooled or rehearsed. Humorous effects which in an orchestra can mostly be brought out only by special arrangements are readily at the disposal of any organist. The main requirements for an organist who wants to improvise for his picture is the ability of making smooth and quick modulations from one key to another, this, added to the memorizing of several themes and applying them at the proper time and also having a fairly good knowledge of the more or less known songs will help the organist to achieve a satisfactory synchronization.
It would be a useless procedure to mention combinations of stops which should produce a certain effect as most organs are built on different specifications and it is surprising to hear the varying sounds produced by similarly named stops an different organs. The following suggestions should only be taken as general and not as explicit instructions: a grotesque effect could be obtained by playing the melody, preferably of a 6/8 staccato type on the Bassoon and Piccolo two or three octaves apart. For creepy, gruesome effects the low register of the Oboe or Clarinet should give the proper coloring. For Pastorale scenes a soft English Horn or Flute solo with a still softer string accompaniment would be a worthwhile experiment. For rippling water a sustained melody with florid accompaniment should prove effective. The much spoken of effect of the organ-the Rumble should mostly be produced by the low notes of the pedal which can be pressed down with one foot while the other foot controls the crescendo box.
Special care should be taken that only the 16 and 32 foot stops are used for your pedals and if you want to add the lower notes of your manuel by pressing them down with the palm of your hand or forearm, exclude all shrill stops and only use soft 16 and 8 foot stops. I have known of isolated cases where organists feature as their solo number popular songs, but they were very few. The organ by its very nature does not lend itself well to sharp rhythmic expression, but leans more towards the majestic, sweet or sustained.
A much abused practice among organists I found to be that they use piano solo parts if they play alone. The orchestral piano part will have the following advantages: first of all it is clearly indicated which instrument has the melody and which instruments have the accompaniment and this should guide the organist in obtaining the proper combinations. Besides that the leading of voices is generally much better and more carefully edited in the orchestral piano part than in the solo piano part. Another advantage is that the flute variations or counter melody in the cello or horn are always indicated in the orchestral piano part, whereas they are very often omitted from the solo piano part.
Original article by Erno Rapee, 1925.
Adapted from Erno Rapee, The Encyclopedia of Music for Pictures, (New York: Belwin, Inc.), 1925.
© 1996, David Pierce, on editing and revisions (if any)
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