The New York herald., 1922-10-01
RieSenfeld Tells
Secret of Success
in Comedy Music
Rivoli and RialtO Director
Says Element of Surprise
Is Essential.

''The secret OF successful comedy
music lies mainly in surprise, either
through twisting familiar melody about
or In having an instrument like the
sliding trombone or tho bassoon clown
unexpectedly" said Hugo Riesenfeld,
managing director of the Rivoli and
Rialto. who declares that of all his tasks
the preparing of musical setting to a
screen comedy is the most enjoyable.
Sometimes IL is done by an incon-
gruous association of ideas. sometimes
by contrasts. but In the majority of
cases by using melodies with which the
audiences are familiar. In fact, II the
audiences want to hear their favorite old
melodies they must listen 10 the set
tings TO comedies, for that is where they
are used most
'The comedy TO which music can be
set easiest is the travesty on an opera.
Chaplin's Carmen burlesque was n com
paratively easy picture to score. The
story and the music are so well known
that with little ingenuity in transpo-
stion OF Instrumentation or changes in
tempo the familiar operate score takes
on comedy values where they were seri-
Gus before. The 'Habanera' can be
turned into a fox trot and the 'Toreador
March can be switched into some other
tempo. When, as in Chaplin's Carmen,
the burlesque is based upon an opera the
music setting cannot be otherwise than
travesty on the original score.
But In other comedies the problems
are not quite so simple. The musician
must create his own music frame and
must use the compositions at hand or
revise new melodies or effects. II the
picture is one In which the association OF
ideas can be used. as, for instance. hav-
ing the orchestra pay How Dry Am
when the scene is burlesque bar at
which buttermilk is served. the results
are usually successful. At other times
II Is possible to use contrasts. playing
q serious theme like Hearts and Flow
ers' TO a mock seriousness on the screen.
But there are times when special effects
must be created--such as those which
were used with the Sidney Drew comedS
in which the actor was supposed 20 be
suffering from a cold. We devised an
influenza theme that met with such
success that we had requests from man
ayers in all parts OF the country for the
score. In fact, the score was later
shipped by the producer right with the
Aims. In this particular case the IN
struments were the comedians.
THE best music settings. to my mind'
are those In which the sense of humor
of the audience Is reached by orchestral
effects. THIS class OF scoring usually
demands original writing, Of course. ~
is here that surprise plays a great part.
Strausss Till Eulenspiegel' is brilliant
orchestral example OF the sudden incon-
gruous sound imposed upon rich mar
monte structure. It isn't In being Oft
pitch as of different orchestral coloiing
that gives peculiar sense of risibility
to such compositions Unexpectedly IN
jectng phrase on the bassoon. having
the saxophone bray In the middle OF
a languid harmony gives the surprise
twist and the ridiculous combination
which Is so highly effective for comedy
settings. The bassoon has been the
clown OF the orchestra for about $50
years at the Opera Comique In Paris
and the saxophone is gradually coming
into vogue as a merrymaker.
The most interesting experiments
have been those, however, in which the