Buster Keaton's 'The General': scored by Jeff Beal
7th November 2017
As Beal explains: 'This sense of comedy in Keaton's performance was the first thing that excited me about seeing the film.… My goal with the music was first to underscore and personalize the performance. The experience of a silent movie is quite different than a talking picture. All of the information had to be conveyed by movement, body language, and other visual clues. I strove to make the experience of seeing the film an involving and organic one for a contemporary viewer'.
The General in Concert is available from Schirmer Theatrical, part of the Music Sales Group, complete with the restored 2K version of the film (under license from Kino Lorber, Inc.), as well as a second version of the film programmed with punches, streamers, and an optional click track for the conductor. Beal's original score is available in two orchestrations:
Chamber orchestra 2(afl,pic).1(ca).2(bcl).1/2.1.1.0/2perc/banjo.pf.hp/str
Full orchestra 3(pic;afl).2+ca.3(bcl).2+cbn/6.3.3.1/timp.3perc/bjo.pf.hp/str
LACO @ the Movies details:
Saturday November 11th @ 8 pm | The Theatre at Ace Hotel, Los Angeles, CA
Exclusive VIP experience available: call 213 622 7001 x 1 or visit laco.org
Watch the trailer | Peruse the score
