Cheltenham Contemporary Concerts: Nigel Ogden - Holy Apostles Church, Cheltenham

Friday 5th February 2010

Cheltenham Contemporary Concerts brought its twelfth season to a close with a classic horror film from the silent era.

Nosferatu - A Symphony of Horror by the German director F W Murnau is based on the Dracula story and is highly regarded for its Expressionist artwork.

 The chief interest of the evening, however, was Nigel Ogden, presenter of Radio 2's The Organist Entertains who brought his improvisatory skills to the organ of Holy Apostles' adding an extra dimension to the spine-tingling atmosphere of the film with crashing chords at moments of high tension.

We normally associate silent films with jangly piano accompaniments, but as Mr Ogden pointed out, the better class cinemas often employed an orchestra or an organist to enhance the dramatic impact of the pictures.

If all musical performances matched the standard of this one, we can perhaps understand why some of our ancestors mourned the passing of the silent era.

Cinematography has come a long way since Nosferatu was made with its fixed camera shots and sometimes ponderous scenes. However, there is plenty of imagination at work with striking use of shadow, juxtaposition and daring camera angles.

Max Shreck cuts a sinister figure as the vampire count whose shadows are as menacing as his appearance. His disciple, the estate agent Knock (Alexander Granach), who packs his assistant Hutter off to Transylvania with a contract, runs him a close second. The newly weds, played by Gustav von Wangenheim and Greta Schroder, react appropriately to the horrors they encounter.

This proved an absorbing, though not entirely relaxing, evening for both music-lovers and film buffs. CCC should be congratulated for their enterprise in staging this event.

Roger Jones