Silent film, Germany 1921
Digitally restored complete version 2006
With new piano soundtrack by Markus Horn
Running time: approx. 94 minutes
In the town of Wisborg, estate agent Mr. Knock is pleased to receive a commission from Count Orlok to find a house for him. He dispatches his young assistant, Hutter, to Orlok's castle in the far off Carpathians. He tells Hutter to get him to buy the vacant house just opposite Hutter's own. Hutter arrives at his destination safely and the Count is all too eager to buy the proposed property especially after he sees a photo of Hutter's pretty young wife Ellen. Hutter soon realizes the evil he's dealing with and is locked away while Orlock makes his way by ship to Wisborg.
As Orloc travels to Wisbourg, plague descends in his wake and the people of Wisbourg begin to sense the coming of evil. Hutter eventually escapes Orloc's castle determined to return home as quickly as possible but exhausted and ill, finds himself in hospital. Hutter nonetheless arrives home the same day as Orlok and the townsfolk begin to panic over the increasing number of deaths...
Shot in 1921 and released in 1922, Nosferatu was an unauthorized adaptation of Bram Stoker's Dracula, with names and other details changed because the studio could not obtain the rights to the novel (for instance, "vampire" became "Nosferatu" and "Count Dracula" became "Count Orlok"). Stoker's heirs sued over the adaptation, and a court ruling ordered that all copies of the film be destroyed. However, one print of Nosferatu survived, and the film came to be regarded as an influential masterpiece of cinema.
To see Markus Horn's new score live is to experience a whole lot more than merely a piano playing along to a film. Combining elements of classical music, jazz, pop and avant-garde and enhancing them with a large portion of improvisation, this soundtrack creates an entirely unique, fascinating universe. With jazzy grooves, pop harmonies and abstract passages Horn's musical language goes beyond the typical influences of late romanticism, bringing new impulses and fresh sounds to the world of silent film accompaniment.
Preparations for a new project can take up to six months. Compositions, themes and motives are created to then develop further with the story line and serve as a basis for improvisation. In addition, gaining detailed knowledge of the film is absolutely vital, in order for the pianist to be entirely synchronised with the plot and to breathe with the film. The resulting live show is an independent, powerful and lyrical accompaniment to F.W. Murnau's expressionistic silent movie masterpiece.