Quotes
Silent Sherlock review–conductor/composer Tom Nazziola and The Chicago Philharmonic put new life in old films: “The music for each film did NOT fade into the background, as even the finest scores seem to do when they accompany movies with action, dialogue and soundscapes. Indeed, Nazziola’s compositions modernized, adorned, enhanced and became the focal point of each of the 3 antique pieces, making them more funny, more charming, more relevant." “Nazziola is doing astonishing compositional work with silent films, from the drama of The Golem to the comedies of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton. His talent is rare. His contribution indispensable." "The BQE Project's innovative mix of original musical themes and enhanced live accompaniment fills the theater with an energy and a spirit that makes classic cinema come to life in whole new ways." "The BQE Project meshed seamlessly with the original soundtrack to 'Blue Angel', providing a sensitive live accompaniment to Marlene Dietrich's recorded voice and breathing new life into the classic film. A true tour deforce!" “The music itself is so compelling that the score can easily stand alone as a powerful piece of music in its own right, but The Golem will never again be the same without the addition of Mr. Nazziola's score.” “Ending the Williamstown Film Festival with Frankenstein accompanied by BQE Project's live original score was a night to remember. An incredible Halloween graced by the melding of two art forms - a horror classic onscreen, a brilliant musical troupe onstage.” “…..Not only does the music sync so closely to the film imagery that one could believe it was a soundtrack on the film itself, but the melodic themes and the powerful moods that Nazziola is able to create, even within the very constricted confines of the timing and movement of the existing imagery, are just mesmerizing." "The BQE Project is one of the best of those groups that regularly composes new scores for old films and performs them live." "The BQE's merged soundtrack to the film ‘The Blue Angel’ has added another powerful dimension to this already masterful film; beautifully performed: Bravo!" "With his BQE Project's 'Frankenstein' score, composer Tom Nazziola has re-animated the 1931 monster movie with a decidedly contemporary sound." "The BQE Project was highly entertaining… a fascinating marriage of past and present, as well as sight and sound." "BQE's score gave new life to the restored print of Josef von Sternberg's Blue Angel." “Having seen The Golem (silently) before, I had never fully enjoyed or understood it. But your score, with its effective evocations of Jewish music (and the movie’s fabulous abstract-expressionist sets) and its cogent support of the rather complex, often “patchwork” and slightly erratic dramaturgy in the film, made the weird tale come fully ALIVE for us in the audience. THANK YOU! Keep up the great work!” "In the end, one could have watched the film and have easily forgotten that there were six live musicians performing at the base of the screen. This, ironically, is the greatest compliment that could be paid to a band in such a circumstance." |
