Film / concert - December 19, 2010 - Hugo van Neck, Fokker organ

Concert Fokker organ | December 19, 2010, 11 hours | BAM HAll, Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ, Amsterdam

The untempered cinema: AELITA


This production brings film and live music together in a cinema of untempered sounds. On the Fokker organ, pianist and master improvisor Hugo van Neck accompanies the movie Aelita of director Yakov Protazanov, with a.o. the actors Yuliya Solntseva, Igor Ilyinsky and Nikolai Tsereteli. Only the organ pipes and the movie images can be seen in the BAM Hall this morning. Exciting, dramatic and funny scenes will be reinforced by the 31-tone organ during this performance. This film will be introduced at 11 o'clock by movie specialist Theodore van Houten.

AELITA is called the first Soviet science fiction film because of its "futuristic" sets on Mars, although most of it takes place in Moscow. The movie is set at the beginning of the NEP (New Economic Policy) in December, 1921. A mysterious radio message is beamed around the world, and among the engineers who receive it are Los, the hero, and his colleague Spiridonov. Los is an individualist dreamer. Aelita is the daughter of Tuskub, the ruler of a totalitarian state on Mars in which the working classe are put into cold storage when they are not needed. With a telescope, Aelita is able to watch Los. As if by telepathy, Los obsesses about being watched by her. After some hugger-mugger involving the murder of his wife and a pursuing detective, Los takes the identity of Spiridonov and builds a spaceship. With the revolutionary Gusev, he travels to Mars, but the Earthlings and Aelita are thrown into prison by the dictator. Gusev and Los begin a proletarian uprising, and Aelita offers to lead the revolution, but she then establishes her own totalitarian regime. Los is shocked by this development and attempts to stop Aelita, and then reality and fantasy become confused, and Los discovers what has really happened.

The comparison between 1921's Russia and a capitalistic planet Mars is a kind of Bolshevik propaganda. Engineer Los is building a spaceship to reach Mars. He is in love with Aelita, the regent, who he met in his dreams. In real life, his wife Natacha takes care of refugees.

 

 

You can order tickets by the Muziekgebouw. The tickets are inclusive a drink after the concert in the restaurant the Star Ferry of the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ.

www.muziekgebouw.nl/agenda/Concerten/1277/  >>>

Sunday December 19, 2010 | 11.00 hours| BAM Hall |Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ

Prices: € 13,00 Normal |€ 10,50 Stadspas | € 10,50 CJP
www.muziekgebouw.nl/agenda/1277 | www.huygens-fokker.org

 

 

Performers

Hugo van Neck - Fokker organ

Theodore van Houten - introduction movie

 

 

  

This concert is made possible by the support of: the Fonds Podiumkunsten, the Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds, the SNS REAAL Fonds and the Muziekgebouw aan 't IJ. Show our sponsors