A Film Screening of FAUST, a 1926 Silent Film by F. W. Murnau, with live musical accompaniment, created and performed by Martin Marks, with soprano Divya Pillai (G). 8pm, Killian Hall. Free.
Faust is a visually lavish and mesmerizing film. Director Murnau was at the height of his powers, and his cast included several great European actors—most notably Emil Jannings in the role of Mephistopheles. Murnau’s version departs from Goethe’s in many respects, though the director, like the poet, does heavily emphasize the tragic love story of innocent Gretchen and not-so-innocent Faust. For his accompaniment, film music expert Martin Marks has compiled a wide array of 19th-century pieces, including vocal works by Schubert, Schumann, Berlioz, Rossini, Brahms, and Humperdinck. Intermixed with these are incidental “mood” pieces that were commonly used in the twenties to accompany silent films.
