Connecticut College and Wesleyan University Orchestras Present “Frankenstein Live”
he Connecticut College Orchestra will team up with the Wesleyan University Orchestra to perform a live orchestral accompaniment to a screening of the classic 1931 film, “Frankenstein.” The performance begins at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 31 in Evans Hall.
The film, described by The Village Voice as “the most influential horror film ever made,” was directed by James Whale and stars Colin Clive as Dr. Frankenstein and iconic actor Boris Karloff as The Monster. It was produced without a film score. In 2001, American composer Michael Shapiro was commissioned by The Chappaqua Orchestra to write a score to be played under the dialogue of the film.
“This has been a fruitful collaboration with the Wesleyan University Orchestra and a unique project for our students and the entire community,” said Mathias Elmer, Connecticut College Orchestra director and visiting assistant professor of music. “Students increased their learning experiences in terms of how to accompany a live movie. They were also challenged with a quite difficult and extensive score that required learning unusual techniques, such as aleatoric spots and complex rhythms, to create the tension and dissonance that the movie is asking for.”
Michael Shapiro will join Elmer and Nadya Potemkina, director of the Wesleyan University Orchestra, for a Q&A session following the performance.
The Connecticut College and Wesleyan University Orchestras will present an additional performance at 8 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 26, at the Goldsmith Family Cinema in Middletown, Conn. Both performances in Middletown and at Connecticut College are free and open to the public.
October 22, 2019