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Old Sydney Comes to Life in Silent Films Live Music Performance
Images of early 20th century Sydney shown in Sydney Opera House as part of IMPROVisual till 2 March
WHEN: 18/02/2013 to 02/03/2013
WHERE: Sydney Opera House - Western Foyer
STATE: State
COUNTRY: AUS
Images of early 20th century Sydney will come to life at the Western Foyer of the Sydney Opera House as part of IMPROVisual, a series of free silent film and live music sessions running from 18 February to 2 March.
The footage from the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia’s (NFSA) national collection will be accompanied by a soundtrack of live, improvised music performed by pianist Elaine Loebenstein.
Loebenstein has curated the program.
The one-hour compile of early Sydney film footage is titled Sydney Before the Bridge. Its sources are newsreels, documentaries, unedited actuality, a comedy and cinema advertising slides.
Sydney Before the Bridge shows the now vanished streetscapes of CBD and suburban Sydney along with people at leisure and at work, and the sport, industry, catastrophes, fashions and novelties of the years 1896 to 1930.
According to NFSA Graham Shirley, Loebenstein’s live improvised soundtrack “adds extra resonance to the images”, all of which were filmed silent.
Highlights include:
„h Patineur Grotesque (1896) – The earliest surviving Australian film, shot in Prince Alfred Park near Central Railway.
„h Sydney City, Harbour & Beaches (c1902-1929) – The Pastoral Finance Association’s wool store ablaze at Kirribilli Point, December 1921.
„h Australasian Gazette: The Maoris Give Their War Cry (1922) – Maoris perform the haka before the New Zealand Maori versus NSW Second Thirteen game in this earliest surviving film of rugby league action in Australia.
„h The City of Sydney (1927) – A government-sponsored documentary on the major landmarks of the city of Sydney.
„h Sydney Tramways (c1928) – Coverage of horse-racing at Randwick, followed by huge crowds boarding trams as they depart the racecourse.
IMPROVisual is supported by the NFSA and the General Consulate of Ireland, Sydney.
Program
Venue: Sydney Opera House – Western Foyer
Free entry
Monday 18th February, 8-9pm
Wednesday 20th, 12:30-1:30pm
Friday 22nd, 12:30-1:30pm and 5-6pm
Monday 25th, 8-9pm
Wednesday 27th, 12:30-1:30pm
Thursday 28th, 12:30-1:30pm
Friday 1st March, 12:30-1:30pm and 5-6pm
Saturday 2nd, Kids Program 10-10:30am and 11-11:30am
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