The Sound of Silent: Battleship Potemkin

  • Fri 12 May 2017
  • 6.30 pm

Hauser & Wirth Somerset is delighted to announce The Sound of Silent: Celebrating 100 Years of Music and the Movies. This weekend of film screenings, live music, talks and many other activities is the result of a unique collaboration with acclaimed musicians Ashley Wass and Matthew Trussler. To launch this wonderful weekend of film and music Matthew Trusler and Ashley Wass will perform a live re-scoring of Sergei Eisenstein’s 1925 silent masterpiece Battleship Potemkin. The screening will take place in the Rhoades gallery, which will have been transformed for this special event with the addition of a grand piano kindly donated by Blüthner Pianos. 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. Tickets: £15 The Roth Bar & Grill will be open for dinner following the event and booking is strongly recommended. Ashley Wass Described as an ‘endlessly fascinating artist’, Ashley Wass is firmly established as one of the leading performers of his generation. He has performed as soloist with ensembles including all of the BBC orchestras, the Philharmonia, Orchestre National de Lille, Vienna Chamber Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, RLPO, and under the baton of conductors such as Simon Rattle, Osmo Vanska, Donald Runnicles, Ilan Volkov and Vassily Sinaisky. In 2012 Ashley formed the Trio Apaches with violinist Matthew Trusler and cellist Thomas Carrol. The central focus of the Trio is to create innovative projects, with a particular focus on exploring repertoire that isn’t performed every day. Trio Apaches regularly appears on BBCRadio 3 and is rapidly establishing itself as one of the most in demand British ensembles of today. Wass is currently a Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music, London, and is an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Matthew Trusler Trusler is 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. Alongside his concerto work Matthew Trusler is an accomplished recitalist and an avid chamber musician who has performed recitals in leading venues around the world including Wigmore Hall, London, Auditorium du Louvre, Paris and Palais des Beaux Arts, Brussels.

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