HÄXAN - WITCHCRAFT THROUGH THE AGES (Sweden 1922, Dir: Benjamin Christensen).

Häxan - Witchcraft Through The Ages: with the film score composed & performed by Geoffrey Smith

Sep 26, 2019

 The complete film featuring the SOUNDTRACK composed & performed by GEOFFREY SMITH on multiple prototype hammered dulcimers & voice. http://www.dulcimer.co.uk http://www.thefluidpiano.com 

ARTICLE ABOUT THE FILM & SOUNDTRACK 

Häxan - Witchcraft through the ages is a truly legendary and infamous film. It was banned in every country in Europe when first released in 1922. Haxan was one of the first drama-documentaries, integrating fact, fiction, objective reality, investigation, delusion and hallucination. The film's mixture of narrative methods is astonishing for its freedom and audacity. Christensen's uninhibited and experimental style endeared Häxan to the Surrealists: it's transfused with humour - a witches' brew of the horrific, gross, and darkly comedic. Grave robbing, perversion, repressed eroticism, torture, possessed nuns, ritual sacrifice and a satanic Sabbath: the director uses a series of dramatic episodes to explore the hypothesis that the 'witches' of the Middle Ages suffered the same mass hysteria as did the mentally ill in the early 20th century.

Moreover, Häxan has a freshness and timelessness that retains a powerful and shocking resonance in the 21st century: this is a moving, disturbing but also ultimately liberating study of the persecution of the mentally ill, women, the poor and the elderly. Geoffrey Smith's score for Häxan further explores his pioneering approach to composition, performance and design that was exemplified in Faust and The Cabinet of Dr Caligari. As well as a composer, performer, orchestrator, inventor, vocalist, songwriter and percussionist Smith is acknowledged both as a world-leading virtuoso and a unique innovator in composition, technique and performance on the hammered dulcimer. He is also a pioneer in Dulcimer design. Smith's score has been inspired and led by Christensen's genius. 

The director is simultaneously painter, historian, political psychoanalyst, horror guru and pioneering filmmaker. Häxan comes alive as few attempts to recreate the past on film have. There is a palpable atmosphere of excitement, evil, temptation and perversion enabled by inspirational direction, virtuoso camera work, innovative lighting techniques as well as absolutely astounding special effects that were decades ahead of their time and which are all the more impressive when viewed from a 21st century perspective. For the performance of Häxan Smith uses numerous prototype hammered dulcimers, one being the first microtonal dulcimer incorporating his revolutionary 'Microtonal Fluid Tuning Mechanism': It would have been impossible to compose and perform the soundtrack for the film without this invention, which in turn led to his invention of the Fluid Piano: http://www.thefluidpiano.com 

The hammered dulcimer is an ancient percussion instrument struck by small wooden hammers, sticks or mallets. The largest dulcimers have well over 100 strings. Each country has its own indigenous dulcimer which peculiarly reflects its respective culture - England, Scotland, Hungary, Greece, Italy, Iran, India, Germany, Egypt, Tibet, China, Korea, Mexico and so on. Until today the dulcimer has been seen as a traditional instrument and has usually been used in 'folk' and 'classical' musics in respective cultures. Smith's new score for Häxan is a revelation in the composition and performance of live music for film. 

Now for the first time. 'Häxan - Witchcraft through the ages' a classic of world cinema, has a musical soundtrack worthy of its place in the history of film. This immensely dynamic score illuminates Christensen's aesthetic obsession, his wildly imaginative investigation of the paradox of the persecution of superstition by superstition, the juxtaposition of horror with dark humour and the ultimate triumph and liberation of the spirit. M

EDIA "It's a tribute to Smith that his music was able to bring this wonderful move back to life." Financial Times “The Hammered Dulcimer has been waiting for someone like Geoff Smith to come along.” Fiona Talkington, BBC Radio 3. 

“A fascinating combination of disturbing images and otherworldly sounds which yanks the tradition of silent movie accompaniment spectacularly back to the future. Smith is a virtuoso percussionist who has revolutionised a forgotten instrument.” Sunday Times

 ***** The Scotsman #film #music #soundtrack #dulcimer #cimbalom #yangqin #hackbrett #composer #performer #vocalist #percussion