Cinema:Silent Film Music by J.S. Zamecnik

David Shepard, Film Preservation Associates
"Bravo! I listened with enormous pleasure to the music... In treating these as little salon pieces, you have made them far more beautiful than they usually sound in accompaniment to silent movies. And like everything from Mont Alto, they are beautifully played."

Product Description:
A student of Antonin Dvorak, American-born composer J.S. Zamecnik (ZAHM-ish-nick) is one of many forgotten composers from the silent film era. Intense, descriptive, and passionate, this music--played live during film screenings--was once the most widely performed genre of American classical music. But with the advent of talking pictures, it disappeared into undeserved obscurity. With this recording of Zamecniks music, the Mont Alto quintet responds to the resurgence of interest in silent films by making available some of the music that was considered indispensable for their presentation.

Cinema:Silent Film Music by J.S. Zamecnik,J.S. Zamecnik,Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra

Average customer rating: Terrific, wonderful, moving performances! Response to the gentleman from Austin Worthy effort, spotty results Cinema music

Cinema:Silent Film Music by J.S. Zamecnik J.S. Zamecnik & Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Silent Film Music ASIN: B00000IJM7 Release Date: 1999-03-10

Tracks:

1. Mood Pensive
2. Le Chant des Boulevards
3. Entreaty
4. Storm Music
5. The Sacrifice
6. Shadowed!
7. A Rustic Festival
8. Ballet Sentimental
9. Hindu
10. Captain Betty
11. A Gruesome Tale
12. Danse Fantastique
13. Dramatic Tension
14. Danse Passion
15. Grief
16. Hurry Music
17. Death Scene
18. Oriental Veil Dance
19. Mandys Ragtime Waltz

Album Description

A student of Antonin Dvorak, American-born composer J.S. Zamecnik (ZAHM-ish-nick) is one of many forgotten composers from the silent film era. Intense, descriptive, and passionate, this music--played live during film screenings--was once the most widely performed genre of American classical music. But with the advent of talking pictures, it disappeared into undeserved obscurity. With this recording of Zamecniks music, the Mont Alto quintet responds to the resurgence of interest in silent films by making available some of the music that was considered indispensable for their presentation.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific, wonderful, moving performances!.......2006-06-20

Long gone sounds from a long gone era. Something to cherish for a life-time, and more. Thank you!

Response to the gentleman from Austin.......2001-09-22

I simply must respond to the comments about the violin sound on this CD: I am the pianist and director of the Mont (not Mount) Alto orchestra. I know that violin sounds can be a matter of personal taste. We have listened to this recording many times, and I find no fault at all with our violinist, Susan Hall, who brings a lovely tone and spirit to this music. Susan is able to bring a tasteful humor to pieces like Danse Fantastique that leave other violinists at a loss. There are few groups who play everything perfectly, and I hear music on the radio every day that sounds far worse than this. It would be lovely if the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields were to approach this music, but they aren't likely to any time soon. I strongly encourage you to sample the sound files provided for you on this web site -- if the violin is not to your liking, avoid the recording. But this is the only complaint we've had to date about the execution of this material, so it is definitely a matter of personal taste. In any event, it's not like a Mozart concerto where if you don't like this recording you can buy someone else's -- despite the vast importance of this music in the period 1913 to 1928, this is the first and only time this music has been recorded for public release. If you want to hear silent film music, check it out.

Worthy effort, spotty results.......2000-11-21

The music of John Zamecnik, American composer and student of Antonin Dvorak, is largely unknown today, because, as is the case with some other composers who have suffered similar fates, his work was written for a particular medium and cultural milieu long obsolete: the world of silent films, accompanied by live orchestra.

It is a pity, because on the evidence of this recording and other music by Zamecnik I have encountered, the composer had a gift for memorable melody that conveys strong and immediate emotion. It is easy to see why he had such a success in his chosen field, which requires little else beyond the specialized skill of fitting music to the limited time frame of a particular film scene.

The Mont Alto Motion Picture Orchestra, really a chamber ensemble, is to be commended for attempting to revive this charming music. Unfortunately, on the evidence of this CD, good intentions are not matched by equally adept execution. While it is not gallant to point fingers it must be said that the principal offender among the generally competent players is the violinist. In track after track she consistently plays below the pitch, and her faulty intonation is exacerbated by a wide and loose vibrato. In this day of such high standards in string playing, such technical blots are simply not acceptable. The CD is worth listening to once for the music. I am not sure I will listen to it much more.

June 22, 2006: I did spell the group's name wrong in my original review and have corrected it.

Cinema music.......2000-02-18

This CD presents a sequence of short pieces composed by a student of Dvorak, for use in the silent cinema. The music is both charming and moving, and it is beautifully played. Strongly recommended.

Track Listings:

1. Classical Piano
2. Complete Solo Piano Music
3. Composers' Voice Portrait
4. Crossings
5. Die Orgeln im Dom zu Bantzen
6. Disseminate Ostrava/Kontradictionaries/Disseminate Q-02
7. Dunhill - Bantock - Stanford : Violin Sonatas / Stanzeleit
8. Duo Forza
9. Elgar: In the South; Walton: Partita; Britten: Sinfonia da Requiem
10. English Orchestral Songs

Track Listings

track listings

Track Listings

20 Best of Percy Sledge

Charpentier: Impressions d'Italie; La Vie du Poète

Drinkhouse

Uproarious Twenties in Dixieland/Wilbur and His New Orleans Orchestra

Decent Days & Nights Pt.2 [CD-single] [Enhanced] [Import]

Daddy's Home to Stay [Import]

Christmas Song Book

Cantata Sonata Odes & Fugues

Covers

Cleo's Choice

Days of Our Nights [Import]

Demolition Man [CD-single]

Cold Winter Night [Import]

Jesus is a Waymaker

C-Jam Blues