Score for "Nosferatu"
Score for the silent-film, Nosferatu: A Symphony of Horror (1922)
2016, rev. 2018
approx. duration 58 minutes
Instrumentation
Conductor *
2 Violins
2 Violas
Cello
Double Bass
Piano
*necessary for live performance with film
Notes
CLICK HERE to read Peter B. Kay's article "Nosferatu: Re-Imagined"
A new score for the classic, 1922 silent film of the same name, Peter B. Kay’s Nosferatu is an extensive arrangement of the chamber music of Johannes Brahms tied together with his own original music. To help transport audience members to the Victorian Era, Peter focused on the works of Brahms, who was also a contemporary of Bram Stoker, author of Dracula (on which the film Nosferatu is heavily based).
Because this score was created for the Spartanburg Philharmonic’s one-hour “Espresso” chamber music series - where it was performed live along with the movie - Peter also edited the original film down from 94 minutes to 58 minutes to accommodate the time constraint of the performance.
Commissioned by the Spartanburg Philharmonic and premiered at “Espresso #2: Cafea Vampyre” in October 2016. The revised version premiered at “Nosferatu: A Dark Brew” in October 2018.
Watch:
Revised 2018 version
Original 2016 version
Featuring Excerpts from Brahms:
(in order of appearance)
String Sextet no. 1, mvt. I
Piano Trio no. 2, mvt. III
Sonata for Violin & Piano no. 3, mvt. II
Piano Quartet no. 2, mvt. IV
String Sextet no. 2, mvts. I & II
String Quintet no. 2, mvts. I & II
Seven Fantasies, mvt. II
Piano Quintet, mvt. IV, Coda
Waltz for Piano, no. 3 & no. 16
String Quartet no. 1, mvt. II
Three Duets, III. Die Meere
Symphony no. 1, mvt. I
Sonata for Cello and Piano, mvt. I
Variations and Fugue on a Theme by Handel