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The Gold Rush

Thursday

15.09.2022

19:30 — Bâtiment des Forces Motrices

Concert film

Programme

Philippe Béranconductor

Charlie Chaplin

The Gold Rush

The music

Actor, director, filmmaker and composer, Charlie Chaplin has left his mark on the history of cinema. Through masterpieces such as The Gold Rush, The Immigrant, Shoulder Arms and The Kid, Chaplin brought a new dimension to comedy, not only through his extraordinary acting skills and creativity, but also in the study of characters, emotion and social satire present in his films. 

The Gold Rush tells the tale of the Lone Prospector, a valiant weakling, seeking fame and fortune with the sturdy men who marched across Chilkoot Pass into the great unknown in the mad rush for hidden gold in the Alaskan wilderness. Lonely, his soul fired by a great ambition, his inoffensive patience and his illchoosen garb alike made him the target for the buffoonery of his comrades and the merciless rigors of the frozen North.

Silent films were never silent: the live musical accompaniment played during the screenings was an essential part of the cinematic experience. The OSR offers a unique opportunity to relive this experience, accompanying a live projection of The Gold Rush in the magnificent Bâtiment des Forces Motrices.

Several versions of the score were created for this film, and the OSR will perform a version dating from 1942 which Max Terr performed as musical director - he went on to be nominated for an Oscar in 1943 for the original score of the film in the category "Best Music for a Drama or Comedy". 

Music composed by Charles Chaplin in 1942 when he edited the film slightly, took out the title cards and added a narration to the film, thus making it a sound film.
Score restored and adapted for live performance to fit the original silent 1925 version (with reinserted title cards) by Timothy Brock
Copyright of both original and revised scores: © Roy Export SAS - Roy Export Company
© Establishment and Bourne Co. All rights reserved.

OSR Live

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Richard Dubugnon

Arcanes symphoniques, pour grand orchestre

Jonathan Nott

conductor

Recorded on 09 December 2015 at Victoria Hall, Geneva

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Ludwig van Beethoven

Symphonie N° 4 en si bémol majeur op. 60

Jonathan Nott

conductor

Recorded on 30 July 2020 at Victoria Hall, Geneva

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