Composer and pianist Robert Bruce presents his live original score to F.W. Murnau’s 1926 silent film masterpiece Faust on Sunday, October 23 at 2 p.m. at Edgewater Community Hall located on Selkirk Avenue.
Out of the 12 or so silent films composer Bruce has scored since 2003 and now regularly plays live to, Faust is widely considered the most outstanding program overall.
“In this case the planets just lined up in terms of choosing a truly great silent film to work with and having some of my best music just resonate perfectly and quite seamlessly adds another dimension to the story and visuals,” Bruce says.
“The somewhat eerie tone of the classical/ambient music I write quite a lot of found a natural home in Faust, and that is somewhat rare for me in my scoring of both silent and modern films, as most require lighter music. The slightly Germanic element in some of my writing also lends itself very well, particularly in the scenes with the children.”
This will be Bruce’s second Edgewater presentation, the first being his very popular performance of It starring Clara Bow in April, 2011.
Of Bruce’s Faust presentation in Toronto, artistic director Shirley Hughes said “Our closing night performance by Robert Bruce was nothing less than jaw-dropping… his stunning score melded perfectly with this incredible film built on shadow and light.”
One attendee called it “a marriage of film and music made in Heaven,” and blogger Dan Gaege wrote:
“…Firstly the movie itself. It really is an amazing feat for 1926. The special effects are countless and the performance of the devil is really quite delightful. Secondly the music. Wow. Robert Bruce scored and performed the piece for the entire two hour running time… it was quite beautiful and haunting. Perfectly suited for the film.”
A self-taught composer/pianist with a creative bent that often leads to uncharted territory, Bruce calls Hamilton, Ontario home.
Since the late 1970s Bruce has developed a diverse catalogue which includes music for young children; piano repertoire for students; music for film, television and animation; music for healing and meditation; piano works.
The Edgewater Hall is a fortunate choice for events of this calibre, with renowned acoustics, spacious and comfortable surroundings, hi-tech lights and sound and the first-class Seiler Grand piano.
Columbia Valley Music specializes in all performance art, their Variety Shows have added colourful, highly original performances to the regional scene for the past 10 years.
Information on other upcoming CVMusic events can be found at stagehouseplace.com or by phoning 250-347-9668 or 250-347-9860.
Tickets for Faust are $15 regular, $12 for seniors and $10 for students. They are available at the door, or reserve in advance by calling 250-347-9668, 250-347-9860 or emailing edgeh2o@telus.net.
