The Black Cat Orchestra has composed and performed soundtracks for several early silent films. The Seashell and the Clergyman (La coquille et le clergyman) Germaine Dulac 1928 France The Seashell and the Clergyman is a Surrealist film, directed in 1928 by Germaine Dulac, from a screenplay by Antonin Artaud. At the time of its release, the British Film Censors wrote "This film is apparently meaningless, but if it has any meaning it is doubtless objectionable". The Black Cat Orchestra's original score taps into the hallucinatory dream-logic of the film. The score comprises much of our second album, "Mysteries Explained." View clip:     RealPlayer     QuickTime Buy a videotape Ghosts Before Breakfast (Vormittagsspuk) Hans Richter 1927 Germany Director Hans Richter described Ghosts Before Breakfast as "a rhythmical story of the rebellion of some objects (hats, neckties, coffee-cups, etc.) against their daily routine." The Orchestra's original music mirrors the film's abstract and lyrical domestic landscape. Several songs are featured on our forthcoming album, "Mysteries Explained". View clip:      RealPlayer     QuickTime Spies (Spionen) Fritz Lang, 1926 Ufa Studio Germany Directed in 1926 (between "Metropolis" and "M"), "Spies" is a breathless and stylish film about subterfuge, romance, and ruthless greed. The Black Cat Orchestra's score captures the film's ominous and threatening atmosphere. Dante's Inferno Giuseppe De Liguoro 1909 Milano Studios Italian 56 min. Dante's Inferno was released in America in 1911 with great fanfare. A faithful interpretaion of Gustave Dore's etchings, it was lauded as a great step forward in cinema's growth from a sideshow novelty to a legitimate art form. The Black Cat Orchestra's score for Dante's Inferno deftly escorts the viewer through the circles of writhing sinners, howling demons and flesh-eating beasts. more... View clip:      RealPlayer      QuickTime      download RealPlayer download QuickTime player