Cinema ARTA, which first opened its doors in 1913, was a true witness to cinema history. What fascinates me about ARTA is how this space unites time, generations, and the stories of the people who have passed through its doors over the years. When I come here to watch movies, I participate, subconsciously, in a collective cinematic experience of the last century, which is reflected in the memory of the building and the space.
Sound and music, which complement the cinematic experience, are similar to this added value of the experience of watching films in this space.
Film music is able to convey what the film is trying to say without words and elicit a visceral emotional response. It bridges time, generations, and the film with the audience, it transcends languages, and it can convey a collective emotional tone. You cannot see it, but it is there, and it is an essential part of our cinematic experience.
I have wanted to do this curated series about film music at ARTA for years, to (re)visit films while emphasising the importance of sound, score, and composers.
It was difficult to decide on the selection. There are many talented film music composers, and the eight films chosen serve only as an introduction and a necessary journey through film music history. Our project does not end here: the series what’s the score? will continue to feature exceptional film composers and remarkable film scores.
– Csilla Nagy, curator of ARTA
„Sound is fifty percent of a film, at least. In some scenes it’s almost a hundred percent. It’s the thing that can add so much emotion to a film. It’s a thing that can add all the mood and create a larger world. It sets the tone and it moves things. Sound is a great <<pull>> into a different world. And it has to work with the picture – but without it you’ve lost half the film.” – David Lynch
Through the series what’s the score? we propose to explore the relationship of the sound and film score with the film, as well as to present composers that have created a powerful identity and a special film universe through their creations.
Through a selection of eight films of different time periods, accompanied by linked events, we aim to make an introduction into film music history, to present film music scores, original soundtracks and important composers from cinema history who are also exemplary for the hundred or so years that Cinema ARTA has been in operation.
Beginning September 6, a new screening will take place every Tuesday, accompanied by linked events at ARTA Café. The series will conclude with a special event: ARTA Days, an event commemorating the 109anniversary of the cinema’s opening, which will take place between October 28 and 30, 2022.
Films were never truly silent. Since the appearance of film and until the end of the 1920s, films were accompanied by live music or the cinema phonograph. After sound and image synchronisation became technically feasible in 1929, music became an integral part of the storytelling process, paving the way for the birth of a new profession.
With the first three titles in the series we introduce you to three Golden Age composers (from the ’30s to the ’50s). Composers from this era came from the world of concert music and wrote almost entirely orchestral scores. From this era we present to you: Max Steiner (Casablanca), the father of film music, who was among the first to recognise the need for original scores for each film, Fumio Hayasaka (Seven Samurai), an excellent composer who is rarely discussed, and Bernard Herrmann (Psycho), who “defined suspense music” and established it as standard practice for horror and sci-fi movies.
In the 1950s film music developed in different directions: studios began to ask composers to write original melodies for films, which would not only serve as promotional material, but would also allow for additional forms of income when released as soundtrack albums. It was a time when jazz music was becoming increasingly influential. From this era we present you Miles Davis, whose contribution to the French film noir Ascenseur pour l'échafaud is notable for several reasons. The soundtrack of this film is a jazz score in its purest form, performed by a music trio who were improvising on the screen. Miles Davis’s work in this film established him as one of the most important Afro-American film composers, paving the way for the appearance of artists such as Quincy Jones, Herbie Hancock, and Terence Blanchard.
Western films were popular in the 1960s. From this period we chose one of the most prolific film music composers of all time who needs no introduction: Ennio Morricone (The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly).
With the introduction of synthesisers came a new vocabulary of computerised arpeggios and other technologies. This was a significant paradigm shift in the way film music was created, with long-term implications for the industry. Until now, an ensemble was needed to perform the score. From this period (starting from the ’60s to the ’80s), we present you Vangelis (Blade Runner), one of the most important figures in electronic and modern film music. He used many electronic instruments in the style of a “quasi-classical orchestra” composed of just one person.
Today one can find all the genres in film music, with the palette of soundtracks becoming increasingly broad and diverse. We present you the following contemporary composers: Philip Glass (The Hours), widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the end of the twentieth century, a minimalist composer of “music with repetitive structures”. We will end the series with the musical world of the Icelandic composer Jóhann Jóhannsson (Last and First Men), and his only film, a project that combines film and music to create a poetic meditation on memory, loss, and the concept of utopia.
Tuesday, September 6, 19:00 - Casablanca
dir.: Michael Curtiz | original score: Max Steiner | 1942 | 102’
lg.: EN, FR, DE, IT | sub: RO, EN
21:00 - Get together & after movie music w/MeloMelanj @ARTA Café
Tuesday, September 13, 19:00 - Seven Samurai
dir.: Akira Kurosawa | original score: Fumio Hayasaka | 1954 | 207’
lg.: JP | sub: RO, EN
Tuesday, September 20, 19:00 - Psycho
dir.: Alfred Hitchcock | original score: Bernard Herrmann | 1960 | 109’
/lg.: EN | sub: RO
Tuesday, September 27, 19:00 - Ascenseur pour l'échafaud
dir.: Louis Malle | original score: Miles Davis | 1958 | 91’
lg.: FR, DE | sub: RO, EN
20:30 - Jazz vinyl listening @ARTA Café
Tuesday, October 4, 19:00 - The Good, The Bad and the Ugly
dir.: Sergio Leone | original score: Ennio Morricone | 1966 | 161’
lg.: EN, IT | sub: RO, EN
Tuesday, October 11, 19:00 - Blade Runner
dir.: Ridley Scott | original score: Vangelis | 1982 | 117’
lg.: EN | sub: RO
21:00- Pop-up studio w/Cirkular @ARTA Café
Tuesday, October 18, 19:00 - The Hours
dir.: Stephen Daldry | original score: Philip Glass | 2002 | drama | SUA | 114’
lg.: EN | sub: RO
Tuesday, October 25, 19:00 - Last and First Men
dir.: Jóhann Jóhannsson | original score: Jóhann Jóhannsson | 2020 | 70’
lg.: EN | sub: RO
⏺️Discover the what's the score? playlist on Spotify
A journey through film, history and music featuring the best film scores
Partners: French Institute Cluj, MeloMelanj, Cirkular, Make Music Not War
This event is part of the ARTA în dialog Association’s project ARTA: cinema and patrimony. This cultural programme is co-financed by the Administration of the National Cultural Fund (AFCN). The programme does not necessarily reflect the Administration of the National Cultural Fund. AFCN is not responsible for the content of the project or for the ways in which the results of the project may be used. The recipient of the grant is solely responsible for these.
This project is organised with the financial support of the Cluj-Napoca City Hall and City Council.
