The Phantom of The Opera

THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA — LIVE SOUNDTRACK PERFORMANCE

COMMISSIONED BY FONDAZIONE ALFONSO GATTO

PALAZZO D’AVOSSA, SALERNO
28.07, 2025




This project presents the live sound performance for the silent film The Phantom of the Opera (1925), created on the occasion of its Centenary.
The sonic intervention aims to establish a direct dialogue between early 20th-century expressionist imagery and contemporary listening, transforming the film viewing into an immersive and renewed experience.

The composition, developed through generative electronics and advanced sound design, goes beyond the traditional function of a period score.
Sound becomes an active narrative device capable of amplifying the gothic nuances, the psychological dimension of the characters, and the tensions that permeate the entire story.
Electroacoustic textures, synthesized timbres, and detailed micro-sounds constantly interact with the images, creating a soundscape that evolves together with the film’s editing.

The compositional approach is guided by a balance between emotional fidelity and interpretative freedom.
Key sequences were analyzed to identify internal rhythms, breaking points, and narrative transitions, translating these elements into sonic structures that breathe with the images.
Generative electronics allow real-time responsiveness to visual density, making each performance slightly different and always sensitive to the context.

The live performance is a central element of the project.
The sound is shaped during the screening, responding to the energy of the room and the intensity of the visual narrative.
In this way, the soundtrack becomes a performative act in which the tradition of silent cinema meets a contemporary musical sensibility that amplifies its emotional potential.

The reinterpretation of Rupert Julian’s film and Lon Chaney’s iconic tragic mask is not conceived as mere accompaniment, but as a sonic rewriting capable of highlighting the unsettling, fragile, and visionary qualities of the original work.
The new score creates a bridge between past and present, offering the audience a renewed aesthetic experience that enhances the film’s iconic power.

The composition is based on granular and subtractive synthesis systems, hybrid analog/digital processes, real-time modulations, and a wide range of sound-design techniques.
Integration with environments such as Max/MSP allows dynamic control of timbral parameters during performance, providing the flexibility necessary to shape sound in relation to the visual narrative.

The project was commissioned by the Fondazione Alfonso Gatto and presented inside Palazzo D’Avossa, a historic building located in the ancient center of Salerno.
This architectural context contributed significantly to the overall experience, amplifying the acoustic and immersive dimension of the performance thanks to the resonant qualities of the noble rooms and their atmosphere rich with memory.

The live sound performance for The Phantom of the Opera is not intended merely as a tribute, but as an act of reactivation of its imagery.
The film vibrates anew through a contemporary sonic dramaturgy that reveals new interpretations and emotional layers, offering the audience an audiovisual journey that brings to light the expressive essence of silent cinema.