‘The Gold Rush’ with live music by East Texas Symphony Orchestra set for Jan. 26

Published 2:22 pm Wednesday, January 16, 2019

Charlie Chaplin’s “The Gold Rush” is a silent film but it was not made to be seen in silence.

Chaplin, who stars in and directed “The Gold Rush,” also wrote a musical score to further enhance the story’s action and emotions.

Under direction of Richard Lee, East Texas Symphony Orchestra is taking on the challenge of performing the score as the film plays on a large screen. 

The concert/movie is set for 7:30 p.m. Jan. 26 at the University of Texas at Tyler’s Cowan Center. Tickets are available at etso.org and the Cowan Center box office. 

Inspired by the 1890s’ gold rush in Alaska, the story follows Chaplin’s downtrodden Little Tramp character on a quest for riches. He encounters adventure, love and danger. 

When released in 1925, the movie was met with almost universal praise. Variety called it “the greatest and most elaborate comedy ever filmed, and will stand for years as the biggest hit in its field. … Innumerable gags and situations that score round after round of laughter are logically woven into the theme of the story.”

ETSO’s Season

East Texas Symphony Orchestra’s season also includes: 

• The 5 Browns, sibling pianists, on March 23
• Augustin Hadelich, violinist, on April 27

For more information, go to etso.org. 

Variety went on to say that Chaplin had reached “new heights as a comedian. … He transcends everything that has ever gone before in comedy production, and it will be a long time before any one displaces him as the genius of pantomime.”

“The Gold Rush” was re-released in 1942 with added narration and Chaplin’s score.

Maestro Lee said presenting “The Gold Rush” fulfills the orchestra’s mandate of presenting “worthy and meaningful art to East Texas.”

“Great art should not be forgotten,” he said. “It is important for me personally to make sure that we are familiar with Chaplin’s great films as it seems to me that each passing generation is less and less so. His films are regularly ranked as some of the best this country has ever produced. We should cherish them.”

This will be the second time that ETSO under Lee’s direction has presented a Chaplin movie with score as part of its subscription season. In 2015, ETSO performed the music of “City Lights.”

The score to “The Gold Rush” includes sound effects — such as the sound  of the firing of a rifle — that must be hit at precisely the right second.

“I have action cues (of what is being depicted) written into the score periodically so that I know the music is where it is supposed to be,” he said. “All the gunshots and other specific sound effects are marked in the score and hopefully will line up with the corresponding action.”

Continued Lee, “The music this time is harder, faster in spots, and even more challenging to synchronize (than in “City Lights”), believe it or not. … “It’s ‘Flight of the Bumblebee’ extremely fast. I feel lucky I don’t have to play it.” 

The night should be a memorable experience for the audience, he said.

“I would hope that the audience could fully immerse themselves in the experience, as always. A good concert should take us away from the reality of everyday life for a while.”