Film-concert
« Performing at film concerts for the adrenaline rush of improvisation. »
PostED ON 18.10.2025
Organist Grégoire Rolland accompanies Victor Sjöström's silent film The Phantom Carriage.
© DR
La Charrette fantôme (1921)
What do you like about film concerts?
It brings together a diverse audience, made up of cinephiles, music lovers, organ enthusiasts, heritage connoisseurs, and the regular Auditorium crowd... Film concerts connect people!
Are film concerts performed without a score?
Yes, although it depends on the film and the choices made by each organist. I play themes from the repertoire, such as the overture to Richard Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman, or a well-known lullaby by Johannes Brahms for anything related to family; I then turn it into a slightly more personal melody. There’s a lot of work to be done beforehand in terms of constructing the narrative thread. To do this, you need to know the film thoroughly, identifying the points of tension or moments when the music needs to change. You also have to be adaptable because there’s always an element of the unknown.
What’s special about the organ you’ll be playing?
It’s an exceptional organ, first of all because of its scale; it consists of 6,400 pipes and more than 80 different stops, which allow for specific timbres (disturbing, brilliant, neutral, etc.). The organ is like a whole orchestra in itself. The organ in the Auditorium of Lyon is now one of only three concert hall organs in France and is part of Lyon's historical, cultural and heritage richness. It’s a great asset for this city!
Interview by Fanny Bellocq
La Charrette fantôme by Victor Sjöström (Körkarlen, 1921, 1h46)
2K Restoration by the Swedish Film Institute
