by Warren M. Sherk
“Music and Cinema: The Wedding of the Century?” opens this month at the Musée de la musique in the Cité de la musique in Paris. Curated by French film critic, journalist, and author N. T. Binh, the exhibition seeks to answer the enigmatic question, “What is the magic of cinema without the emotion of the music?”
The exhibition, which runs from March 19 through August 18, 2013, is aimed at general audiences of all ages, from casual moviegoers to lovers of all types of music.
The exhibit shows how music enhances the evocative power of motion pictures through iconic films, examines some close collaborations between filmmakers and composers, and appraises the role music has played throughout the history of film.
Viewers will be treated to film and music clips, audio interviews with composers and filmmakers, photographs, soundtrack album covers, musical instruments, film production documents, drawings and storyboards, and music scores, in the form of manuscripts and full scores. Through educational interactive modules visitors will learn more about music in film.
Two levels of temporary exhibition space at the Cité de la musique are devoted to the exposition. On the ground floor the exhibit traces music from conception through the film’s afterlife divided into four parts: Before Shooting, During Filming, Postproduction, and After the Film. The floor below is dedicated to listening to soundtracks and a large projection room.
Dimitri Tiomkin joins Erich Wolfgang Korngold, Max Steiner, and others represented in part two of the exhibit that includes Hollywood origins. An uncut sheet of stamps, “The Legends of American Music,” published by the U.S. Postal Service in 1999, features Tiomkin and five other major Hollywood composers. The stamp illustrations are by Drew Struzan and the design and graphics by Howard Paine.
Download the presskit (in French), with an introduction from Laurent Bayle, general director of the Cité de la musique, and Éric de Visscher, director of the Musée de la musique.
Nguyen Trong Binh is a member of the editorial board of the journal Positive and columnist for the magazine Zurban. He also teaches cinema in Paris; writes and directs documentary films; has written books on Joseph Mankiewicz, Ernst Lubitsch, and Ingmar Bergman; and has participated as commissioner in several previous film exhibitions in Paris.
Mathilde Flinois is responsible for production of the exhibition for the Musée de la musique. To fulfill Binh’s unique vision, Mathilde spent months tracking down archival materials—visual, aural, and written—at libraries and archives around the world.
The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences Margaret Herrick Library contributed music from the collections of Alex North and Jerry Goldsmith, along with production art from the collections of Saul Bass and Leonard Stanley. Library director Linda Mehr met with N.T. Binh at the museum in Paris in October of last year. Music coupon codes.
La Cité de la Musique Salle des concerts ©Pierre-Emmanuel Rastoin www.rastoin.com
Eight concerts during the exhibition include an homage to John Williams and concerts by Michael Nyman and Alexandre Desplat. Hourlong pre-concert talks will feature N.T. Binh with Desplat, Nyman, and other concert participants from Fred Pallem to Philippe Truffault.
The exposition catalog, co-edited by the Cité de la Musique and the French publishing house Actes Sud, features 200 color illustrations among its 352 pages. It will be available for 39 Euros.
The Cité de la Musique houses the Musée de la musique, a museum of rare musical instruments and collections; La Salle Pleyel, a concert hall offering hundreds of concerts each year; and the Harmonia Mundi bookshop that offers a selection of more than 9,000 CDs or DVDs, devoted to classical music, jazz, and world music. Throughout the year the venues provide a rich variety of educational programs.
Cité de la musique, photograph by William Beaucardet, courtesy of the Cité de la musique.
Designed by architect Christian de Portzamparc, the Cité de la Musique at 221 Avenue Jean Jaures has been located amidst the tranquil setting of Parc de la Villette since 1995.
Easily accessible by public transportation by metro line 5 towards Bobigny – Pablo Picasso, exit at Porte de Pantin or by tram T3 stop Porte de Pantin.