Silent Film Organ Specialist Clark Wilson returned to the hallowed halls of the Walt Disney Concert Hall to perform a chilling score for the classic German horror film.
By John Lavitt
Los Angeles, CA (The Hollywood Times) 11-04-2024
As the earliest screen adaptation of Bram Stoker’s Dracula, the legendary horror film Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror (1922) is a masterpiece of German Expressionism by director F. W. Murnau. As Count Orlok, the copyright replacement for Count Dracula, actor Max Schreck is so creepy and realistic that movies have been made about him being a real vampire. Please see Shadow of the Vampire (2000) with Willem Dafoe as Count Orlok and John Malkovich as F. W. Murnau for the best example of these reimaginings. Incredibly, in the first quarter of the 21st century, when technology reigns supreme, this antiquarian horror film remains unnerving.
Therefore, Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror, proved to be a perfect canvas for silent film organ specialist Clark Wilson to apply his magical touch to on Halloween night at the Walt Disney Concert Hall (WDCH). With many concertgoers in full Halloween regalia, including this critic dressed as a Steampunk Vampire, Clark Wilson combined the grand history of the magnificent WDCH organ with the legendary legacy of the classic horror film.
Basing his take on the original organ score composed for the film, Clark Wilson expands and bolsters the original with the added flourishes of the massive instrument at WDCH. As the LA Phil describes Wilson, “He works exclusively with the organ in developing historically accurate musical accompaniments as they were performed in major picture palaces during the heyday of the silent film.”
A renowned scholar of silent films, Wilson gives presentations at schools and universities, concert halls and performing arts centers, theaters, film festivals, and conventions nationwide. The organist of choice for many of the American Theatre Organ Society’s international convention silent-film presentations, he has been the Walt Disney Concert Hall’s only choice to perform on Halloween night since the venue first opened. Presented with the American Theatre Organ Society’s Organist of the Year award in 1998, Wilson is a well-known organ technician and tonal finisher who understands the intricate complexities of such an imposing instrument.
From the first note to the last, everyone at the WDCH had a horrifically fabulous time watching Wilson do his thing as Nosferatu, A Symphony of Horror played on the big screen. Such a night revitalizes the bygone past with new energy and excitement. Once again, with its dynamic programming and wide array of performance offerings, the Walt Disney Concert Hall proves to be at the apex of Los Angeles culture.
