Pianist makes silent films go down a treat
British pianist John Sweeney is esteemed for his improv skills as a silent film accompanist, writes Andrew Sun
Few musicians can match John Sweeney in the specialised art of musical accompaniment for silent films. Across his home country and much of the rest of Europe, the English pianist is recognised as among the best at enhancing the experience of a silent movie.
Since 1990, Sweeney has been a sought-after performer for the Giornate del Cinema Muto in Pordenone, Italy, the British Silent Cinema Festival and with the British Film Institute (BFI) for its silent presentations.
I usually try to have some sense of what I'm going to start with, but after that I don't know where it will go
Sweeney's immense talent brought him to Hong Kong in early January to add a unique touch and extra dimension to the screenings of restored Alfred Hitchcock silent classics such as The Pleasure Garden (1925) and The Manxman (1929) that were presented by the Hong Kong International Film Festival Society - and made possible with extra backing from the BFI, the British Council, Hong Kong Film Archive and the Leisure and Cultural Services Department.
"When I play, I'm improvising. I don't work things out ahead. I am familiar with these Hitchcock films but sometimes I don't get to view them in advance, so I'm leaping into the unknown," he says.
"What I usually try to do is have some sense of what I'm going to start with, but after that I don't know where it will go.