(Un)Silent Film~ THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE in CONCERT: WORLD PREMIERE

THE PHANTOM CARRIAGE
In CONCERT: WORLD PREMIERE score by Amir Sanjari
Performed Live to Film by Orange Road Quartet

Step into a chilling Halloween-season experience as the silent film classic The Phantom Carriage (1921) is brought to life with a brand-new score by Mannes School of Music student Amir Sanjari. Directed by Victor Sjöström, who also stars in the film, this early horror masterpiece weaves a haunting ghost story, morality tale, and groundbreaking special effects that continue to captivate audiences today.

The last person to die on New Year’s Eve before the clock strikes twelve is doomed to take the reins of Death’s chariot and work tirelessly collecting fresh souls for the next year. So says the legend that drives The Phantom Carriage (Körkarlen), directed by the father of Swedish cinema, Victor Sjöström. The story, based on a novel by Nobel Prize winner Selma Lagerlöf, concerns an alcoholic, abusive ne’er-do-well (Sjöström himself) who is shown the error of his ways, and the pure-of-heart Salvation Army sister who believes in his redemption. This extraordinarily rich and innovative silent classic (which inspired Ingmar Bergman to make movies) is a Dickensian ghost story and a deeply moving morality tale, as well as a showcase for groundbreaking special effects.

The (Un)Silent Film series has been critical in advancing the resurgence of film screenings with live music and has been hosted by Matthew Broderick, Bill Irwin, Rob Bartlett, Ed Rothstein, and Michael Bacon.

(Un)Silent Film nights have presented the world premieres of works composed for The Birds and The Immigrant (by Nathan Kamal and Alexis Cuadrado, respectively), a New York premiere of a score by Hollywood composer Craig Marks for the film Sherlock, Jr., and Charlie Chaplin’s original scores for Gold Rush and other Chaplin classics. In Spring 2024, (Un)Silent presented the world premiere of a new score to the iconic film Metropolis, composed by Mannes student Amir Sanjari. In Fall 2024, the acclaimed Philip Glass score to Tod Browning’s 1931 film classic Dracula, originally composed for the Kronos Quartet, was performed live to film by the Orange Road Quartet, the Cuker, and the Stern Graduate String Quartet in Residence at the Mannes School of Music.

ABOUT AMIR SANJARI

Amir Sanjari is a composer, orchestrator, and producer who aims to tell stories through his unique musical language. Born in Tehran and raised in the south of Spain, Amir was exposed to a wide variety of music ranging from classical to rock, hip-hop, and flamenco. Inspired by his favourite composers, he began teaching himself piano from the age of 10, and became interested in composing his own music by the age of 15. His love for film and music started after hearing John Williams’ score for Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List, and influencing his decision of writing music for cinema. This led to his first project, composing music for a Star Wars commercial produced by Lucasfilm.

A true cinephile, Amir’s approach to music combines his deep knowledge of not only music but of cinema and the art of filmmaking. Having studied the films of Denis Villeneuve, Wes Anderson, Peter Greenaway, and Sergio Leone taught him about how the right use of music in film can enhance its emotional depth. At the same time, he discovered the world of the avant-garde. Artists such as Krzysztof Penderecki, Morton Feldman, Francis Bacon, and David Lynch attracted him to their bizarre, unique and yet beautiful worlds.

Amir’s latest projects include his concept-album based on the film The Passion of Jeanne d’Arc, a live to picture performance of an original orchestral score for Fritz Lang’s Metropolis and a premier of his art song ‘A Moment of Happiness’ at Carnegie Hall. During his undergraduate years at The New School, Amir has collaborated with over 30 filmmakers from all over New York and has created countless original scores for their films, as well as worked with world class musicians such as Zlatomir Fung. Amir has worked with prestigious ensembles such as JACK Quartet and the Mannes Orchestra, as well as having the privilege to assist the Philip Glass Ensemble.