San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-10-14
MUSIC IN THE MOVIES.


orchestra. with musicians of recogniz
ed ability directing, a recent articl,
in Musical America" by Edward
Kilenyi, musical director of tn,
Cameo Theater in New York, who
has had years of experience in ar
ranging and synchronizing music tC
movies. is of considera... e general in
terest.
When the industry was i'm its in
fancy. the pianist who supplied tho
music. played whatever he thought
suited a particular scene. until that
changed, when he broke off in tn,
middle of a well-known tune. anC
"monkeyed, unsteady until he could
think of something else. This hap
hazard method has changed with the
careful improvement Of everything
connected with the moving picture in
dustry. and there is very exact fit
ting of the music to the picture, easy
enough to do, in a way. but very diff
ficult to do really we'll.
lie first thing to be considered
is the selection of appropriate music
for certain picture. and for this
no set rules can be observed. A di
rector must be guided chiefly by his
own musical taste and Knowledge and
his sense of fitness. A sensitive con
ductor will feel the atplosnhere qnC
mood of the scenes he is illustrating
and will choose music that will be-
not only fitting, musically. but that
will emphasize its associations. Il:
far as an average audience is con
cerned. the associations mean more
than the music itself. For this raa
son the best of all accompaniment
for pictures are songs, whose woods
are known to the audience, and neSt
to songs the best are those with whose
names the audience is familiar. Care
must be taken to observe the tradi
tional association of such music.
Every good movie conductor has
thousands of compositions in his
mind. and many of them keep writ
ten catalogues to be referred to
Among the titles in a good catalogue
the following headings are sure to b.
found: Slow melodies in major anC
minor: excitements. mysteries. cats
dogs. birds. nature. love, mother
babies. home, French, English, dra
matte, tragic. comic, Broadway, ole
songs. army music. sea music ant
countless others.
Sometimes the scenes call for must,
that does not connect itself with any
thing the director can remember. IL
that case he must compose melodies
of his own. and it is to this necessit,
that we owe some of the most effec
tive music used in connection Will
pictures. Victor Herbert is spend
ing his entire time, ut present, il
composing music for the screen. ant
he is only one of the well-knowI
composers. similarly employed.
After the selection of the musi,
to be used the timing" is consider
ed. ard while this is more or les,
mechanical process. it is one that re
quires much work and thought befor,
it is perfected. In some of the biz
studios. a director is given ever!
facility for this work. He has /:
stenographer to whom he dictate
musical notes on the different scenes
as the picture is run off for him. II,
can 60 through the pictures as oftel
as he cares TO and can have til,
speed regulated TO his desire. Thel
with his notes. he makes his musica
selections, which he has played I,
him on piano. while the picture il
run off again. This time he fits tn,
music to the scenes.
When the music selected runs /;
little longer or shorter than the scene!
hearranges for cutting and fitting j
exactly. If the scene runs for nine
teen measures. and the music he ha,
selected has only sixteen. he ma,
hurry the speed of the film or SLOW
down the tempo of the music so tina
they will come ont exactly even.
process that requires much more mu
steamship than "timing- is that o
modulating one tune into another. /
is essential TO pass from one scene {,
another without any break i'm the mn
steal continuityC and the directo
must often compose a few modulat
ing measures. If there is one ton,
in common between the first meas
ure of one melody and the first meas
IRE of the .piyotnl meditation
the transition is simple enough I
is had to finish every number will
n perfect cadence. Often this il
avoided by slowing down TO make foui
measures of two. in order to reach;
good piyotal chord.
In VARYING the tempos of the musi,
to fit the scenes being shown Is nm
other nlacc that tbe cood toste an,
musiciansbip of the director count
The objection * often made that III,
orchestra snoils well-known tunp
Inv nloviny II either too fast or IN,
slow A comnetent Director will Il,
tbis iudiciouslv and will choose /,
fIexibIe niece of music that is NOT ,
classic and that is NOT associated viii
traditional internretationWa sim
ME melody that can be nloved eitbe,