Dr. Erik Christian Peterson
The Aesthetics of String Quartets and Silent Film: A Case Study
The past decade has seen a surge of interest in silent films; for proof of such a movement, one must
look no further than the 2011 Oscar-winning film, The Artist. In the sphere of music performance, a
number of contemporary ensembles have arisen whose primary aim is the creation and performance
of music to accompany silent films.
Like silent film, the string quartet is experiencing an eruption of creative performance outlets. At
least two string quartets have adopted the practice of accompanying feature-length silent films.
Musical sources for such performances fall into one of two camps: the assimilation of
pre-existing musical scores or the use of a newly composed score. This paper will
examine instances of string quartets employing both source materials: the first, the
Kronos Quartet’s recording of Phillip Glass’s newly composed score to accompany the 1931 film,
Dracula; and the second, the Voxare Quartet’s compilation of Soviet string quartet scores to
accompany the 1929 film, The Man with a Movie Camera.
This paper explores the two following questions: does the use of either pre-existing
materials or newly composed music support or detract from the film’s narrative,
aesthetics, and affect? And, does an experimental, non-linear film reliant on visual energy and
aesthetics (The Man with a Movie Camera) demand a musical source different from a film
structured through linear narrative (Dracula)? An aesthetic discussion of the two films and the
music chosen to support them will address the research questions above. Members of both string
quartets will be interviewed in order to ascertain the practical matters of performance practice and
the relationship between performer, composer (or in the case of Voxare, how the music was chosen
and arranged), and film.