A live screening of Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent masterpiece with a live, specially curated soundtrack.

 

Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent masterpiece, Battleship Potemkin, is both one of the the most influential films in history and one of the most controversial. Despite being hailed as amongst the greatest movies ever made, it has been banned on numerous occasions in countries around the world due to its propagandist convictions and potential to influence political thought.

 

Originally written as a revolutionary propaganda film, Battleship Potemkin is a dramatic retelling of a notorious mutiny in 1905, when the Potemkin’s crew rebelled against their officers. Eisenstein hoped the film would be given a new soundtrack every 20 years to help retain its relevance for each passing generation.

 

For this screening, Matthew Trusler (violin) and Ashley Wass (piano) have curated a powerful soundtrack of music by several different composers, many of whom were influenced and affected by the Russian Revolution of 1917. Works by Shostakovich, Prokofiev, Mussorgsky, Janacek and Bartok have been selected to complement the film’s narrative, and are skilfully timed to correspond with each change of scene.

 

The juxtaposition of one of the 20th Century’s most powerful films with a live soundtrack from some of the greatest composers associated with this turbulent era of political upheaval, makes for a truly compelling experience.

 

Repertoire included in the Potemkin soundtrack:

Mussorgsky - Pictures at an Exhibition

Bartok - Out of Doors

Prokofiev - Violin Sonata No. 1

Prokofiev - Violin Sonata No. 2

Janacek - Violin Sonata

Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in E minor

Shostakovich - Prelude and Fugue in D minor

 

 

 

Matthew Trusler has developed a reputation as one of Britain’s leading violinists, performing with many of the world’s great orchestras, and receiving huge critical acclaim for his diverse recordings. Trusler has been invited to perform as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout Europe, Australia, the USA, Japan and South Africa, with orchestras including the BBC Symphony, BBC Scottish and BBC Welsh orchestras, the Philharmonia, London Philharmonic, Royal Philharmonic, CBSO, Halle and Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Further afield he has appeared with the Minnesota Orchestra, NDR Hanover, Helsinki Philharmonic, Deutsche Symphony Berlin, Malaysian Philharmonic and Johannesburg Philharmonic.

 

Described as an ‘endlessly fascinating artist’, Ashley Wass is firmly established as one of the leading performers of his generation. Increasingly in demand on the international stage, Ashley has performed at many of the world’s finest concert halls including Wigmore Hall, Carnegie Hall, Concertgebouw and the Vienna Konzerthaus. He has performed as soloist with numerous leading ensembles, including all of the BBC orchestras, the Philharmonia, Orchestre National de Lille, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, RLPO, CBSO, Bournemouth Symphony and under the baton of conductors such as Simon Rattle, Osmo Vanska, Donald Runnicles, Ilan Volkov and Vassily Sinaisky.