Noe Music to Present Live Music for Silent Film

Telegraph Quartet members Eric Chin, Jeremiah Shaw, Pei-Ling Lin, and Joseph Maile (photograph by Lisa Marie Mazzucco, courtesy of Jensen Artists)

Many readers probably know by now that pianist Stephen Prutsman has taken a great interest in composing musical accompaniment for the classic silent films of Buster Keaton. These have been performed by Prutsman and the members of the Telegraph Quartet, violinists Eric Chin and Joseph Maile, violist Pei-Ling Lin, and cellist Jeremiah Shaw for over a year by now. The first two of these endeavors were performed during the San Francisco International Piano Festival for the screening of College last year and that of Sherlock Jr. at the penultimate program of this year’s Festival.

At the beginning of next month, Prutsman will take his latest effort to the Noe Valley Ministry for its West Coast premiere. Noe Music will present the Telegraph Quartet performing for the screening of Keaton’s The General, which was made in 1926. The narrative was based on The Great Locomotive Chase, a memoir by William Pittenger about the hijacking of a Confederate train by Union soldiers during the Civil War. 30 years later it was “modernized” by Lawrence Edward Watkin and Walt Disney for the movie The Great Locomotive Chase. Those familiar with Keaton’s work will probably guess (correctly) that the Disney version was a far more serious undertaking!

Unlike the usual Noe Music programs, this event will begin an hour later than usual, at 5 p.m. on Sunday, December 1. It is expected to last about 90 minutes. As most readers probably know by now, the Noe Valley Ministry is located in Noe Valley at 1021 Sanchez Street, just south of 23rd Street. General admission will be $45 with a special $60 rate for reserved seating in the first few rows. Students will be admitted for $15. A Web page has been created for ordering tickets online.