The Sound of Silents. Sound and Music in Viennese Cinemas

My project studies the ways in which film was accompanied by music and sound in Vienna from the very first public performance to the end of silent film period. Silent cinema and the modes of musical performances that were combined with it cannot be seen as linear development. Different modes of musical performances can be observed during this era. These modes sometimes co-existed; they were not simply following each other. This project focuses theses different modes and their relations with film - from the cinema-like so-called Kinoballaden (the Viennese equivalent to the American Illustrated Song) to composed scores for feature films. In order to understand and analyze the functions of music in silent cinema it is necessary to survey the entire acoustic level of silent cinema: music, sound effects and voice(s) from a lecturer or from actors and/or singers. It is furthermore necessary not to focus on the relation between music and film alone, but on the functions of sound (defined as an umbrella term for all acoustic elements) and the entire program that consisted of more than films or (later) more than one film. The project will emphasize on the role of popular music - from folk songs to hits, from operettas to early jazz. It will also research the relationship between an early music industry (sheet music as well as the early record industry) and the film industry, and the way these two industries cooperated and influenced each other. The project will not reduce itself to sound and music for Austrian films, but for all films that were exhibited in Vienna. In this context the transnational relationship between the origin of film and music as well as the relationship of genres and sound/music will be observed. It may sound absurd for a project on film music, but the aim of it is neither music nor film(s) in themselves, but the very special kind of performances that took place during this era in Viennese cinemas (and their precursors). The project is based on empirical evidence and wants to combine aesthetics as well as sociological and economical approaches. My investigation of historical practices will be guided by theoretical approaches from different fields. The goal of my project is to write a comprehensive study of a field that has not been researched systematically before in order to underline the importance of sound and music in cinema and to inspire those who are working today in this field: scholars, musicians, curators and archivists.

The aim of the project was to trace the acoustic performance practices in Viennese cinemas (and other locations where films were shown) and the development of silent film music by means of the few surviving sources. Until the commercial introduction of sound technologies in Vienna in 1930, music was not mechanically connected to the films yet and it was left to the Kapellmeister or the musicians present in the cinema to select the musical accompaniment for the film. Due to this live performance of music, the same film would sound completely different - depending on the venue, the time of day and so on - and no film presentation was absolutely identical (nor exactly repeatable). To investigate this 'cinema music', we must turn to sources that dealt with the actual performance of the films. Historical documents that shed light on this previously unexplored aspect of Viennese cultural, music and film history can be found in the sporadic articles and comments from the trade press as well as in newspaper announcements and reviews, playbills of locations where films were shown. After completion of the project it can be stated that the music that was performed in Vienna's cinemas was as diverse as the locations where the screenings took place. The accompaniment ranged from phonograph records, solo pianists, to small ensemble consisting of piano, violin and drums to salon orchestras, choirs, vocal soloists to large, 60-piece symphony orchestras (although these were the exception in Vienna). It is imperative to note that the development of the musical accompaniment cannot be regarded as linear, but rather consisted of countless dramatic and musical forms that existed at the same time. After World War I, the most common ensemble employed in cinemas was the salon orchestra, consisting of 6-12 musicians.An outstanding aspect of Viennese film production was the exceptionally high number of music films, which refers to films in which music plays a significant role, such as biographies of famous composers, musicians or singers, as well as films based on operas, operettas and other musical works. The use of vocal music featured significantly in the accompaniment of such films and was applied in various manifestations (soloistic, choral, recorded, live). The combination of voice and film, of song lyrics and moving images represented an important function for the audience as it not only charged scenes with emotional content, but fulfilled commentary functions with regard to the images. Cinema music repertoire until the late 1920s can be described as a relatively small selection of well-known works of different genres ranging from opera, operetta, folk songs, and popular pieces to Wienerlieder. Only in the mid 1920s, local music publishers became interested in issuing specific sheet music for film accompaniment. This in-depth study of cinema music in Vienna reveals that the film screenings were not mere mechanical events, but rather live performances where music featured as a prominent factor. This project finally addressed the wanting investigation of silent film accompaniment in the "City of Music", in Vienna, thus laying a foundation for further studies on this rich topic.