The Cleveland Orchestra Performs Musical Soundtrack for Charlie Chaplin's 'Modern Times' 12/11

The Cleveland Orchestra performs the musical soundtrack for a showing of the 1936 classic film, Modern Times.  In the final appearance of Chaplin's iconic Little Tramp (the character that brought him world fame), the incomparable actor-director created a comedy about man's struggle to survive in the industrialized world during the Great Depression.  William Eddins conducts the Orchestra.  Performing with the Orchestra in the roles of singing waiters will be Brent Chamberlin, Jason Levy, Rohan Mandelia, and Matthew Rizer.

            Charlie Chaplin not only wrote, directed, and starred in Modern Times; he also produced the film and created much of the music for it (although the tunes he came up with were arranged and orchestrated by others).  Although almost entirely a silent film (with synchronized sound effects), Modern Times is the first film in which Chaplin's voice is heard, singing Léo Daniderff's comical song "Je cherche après Titine" ("I'm looking for Titine").  In Modern Times, the song is also known as "The Nonsense Song" because Chaplin's character has to make up the words as he sings, having just lost the song lyrics that he had jotted on his shirt cuff.

 

To watch a trailer for Modern Times, click here.

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