HÄXAN

Original film score project for the 1922 silent film Häxan - Witchcraft Through the Ages.

In 2019 Gianola composed their own score to the Benjamin Christensen’s 1922 silent film masterpiece Häxan for an electro-acoustic chamber ensemble featuring oboe, clarinet/bass clarinet, string trio, two xylophones, percussion, soprano with effects and themselves on electric guitar. The score was recorded at Downman Sounds Studio and released on Lantern Light Records in October 2023. The score deeply explores the narratives of the film, specifically the call for justice for millions of people (mostly women) persecuted and murdered during the witch hunts of the middle ages.

“Throughout, Gianola’s composition was attentive to every detail of the film, and the players flawlessly executed it while experimenting and improvising along the way. The composition was completely synchronized with the images, little trills timed perfectly with a raised eyebrow or comical movement, its apparent effortlessness evidence of just how much work must have gone into it. Deftly the players brought to life the film’s full range of emotional landscapes, from the delightful surrealism of the Witches Sabbath to the agonizing torture of the witch trials. Their musicianship successfully formed a bridge between the audience and the world of the film, which, while occasionally disorienting and disturbing, proved a fascinating place to spend an evening.” - Holly Devon, Antigravity Magazine, Reviewing a live performance of The Häxan score in May 2023.” Read Full Article HERE.

Gianola rescored the film utilizing through-composed classical chamber writing and aleatoric improvisations in a unique mixed chamber ensemble of New Orleans musicians. The score is laid out in seven movements to reflect the film being divided into seven chapters. Throughout the work Gianola maintains a unifying blend of classical-inspired scoring, tastes of jazz improvisation and compelling soundscapes of both acoustic and electronic sounds. Expanding on the use of electronics features a wild vocal feature by soprano Megan Ihnen, with loops of wild wails and other vocal improvisation on the track “Flying into the Night”. Each member of the ensemble has featured solos throughout different passages of theme in addition to thematic writing for each instrument. With all the different themes and sounds presented in The Häxan Suite, the album follows the brilliant narratives of the original film, adding a new take to this silent-film classic.