The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra
Encyclopedia
The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra is an ensemble of composers and musicians based in St. Louis, Missouri
. The ensemble composes and performs original scores to accompany films of the Silent Era, and composes and records soundtrack music for contemporary films.
-commissioned original score and live accompaniment to Buster Keaton
's film Go West
. Finding silent film accompaniment more rewarding than conventional bar shows, the ensemble ceased to write and perform lyrically-based music. Readopting the moniker "Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra," the ensemble focused itself primarily on composing and performing original scores to films of the Silent Era. Frederick returned to St. Louis in 2008 and rejoined the ensemble. In 2009, multi-instrumentalist Heather Rice (formerly of the Carpark Records
band Light Pollution
) and classical strings musician Emma Tiemann joined the ensemble. In addition to its silent film scoring and accompaniment, the ensemble continues to compose and to record soundtrack music for contemporary films.
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. The ensemble composes and performs original scores to accompany films of the Silent Era, and composes and records soundtrack music for contemporary films.
Origins and History
The ensemble was formed in 2003-04 in St. Louis as "The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra" during the break-up of members Robert Laptad's and Brien Seyle's band The Whole Sick Crew and members Matt Frederick's and Matt Pace's band The Baysayboos. During this time, the ensemble composed and recorded soundtrack music for local short films. In 2005, Frederick moved to the East Coast. The ensemble added former Whole Sick Crew members Luke Deichman, Beth Dill and Jeremy Quinn, and dropped the "Motion Picture Orchestra" from its name. In 2007, the Rats & People released a full-length album of songs The City of Passersby. 2007 also was the year that the ensemble premiered its Webster UniversityWebster University
Webster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
-commissioned original score and live accompaniment to Buster Keaton
Buster Keaton
Joseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
's film Go West
Go West (1925 film)
Go West is a silent movie starring Buster Keaton.Keaton portrays Friendless, who travels west to try to make his fortune. Once there, he tries his hand at bronco-busting, cattle wrangling, and dairy farming, eventually forming a bond with a cow named "Brown Eyes." Eventually he finds himself...
. Finding silent film accompaniment more rewarding than conventional bar shows, the ensemble ceased to write and perform lyrically-based music. Readopting the moniker "Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra," the ensemble focused itself primarily on composing and performing original scores to films of the Silent Era. Frederick returned to St. Louis in 2008 and rejoined the ensemble. In 2009, multi-instrumentalist Heather Rice (formerly of the Carpark Records
Carpark Records
Carpark Records is an American independent record label based in Washington, D.C. .-Signed artists:* 242.pilots* Beach House* Cloud Nothings* Lesser Gonzalez Alvarez* Belong* Casino Versus Japan* Class Actress...
band Light Pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
) and classical strings musician Emma Tiemann joined the ensemble. In addition to its silent film scoring and accompaniment, the ensemble continues to compose and to record soundtrack music for contemporary films.
Discography (As "The Rats & People")
- The City of Passersby (Full-Length CD) (2007)
- I Sang to Heather Nethereye (Split 7-inch) (2007)
Silent Era Film Scores (As "The Rats & People Motion Picture Orchestra")
- Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
's Go WestGo West (1925 film)Go West is a silent movie starring Buster Keaton.Keaton portrays Friendless, who travels west to try to make his fortune. Once there, he tries his hand at bronco-busting, cattle wrangling, and dairy farming, eventually forming a bond with a cow named "Brown Eyes." Eventually he finds himself...
(Premiered 2007, commissioned by Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
) for piano, acoustic and electric guitar, two violins, trumpet, trombone and percussionist - F.W. Murnau's The Last Laugh (Premiered 2008, commissioned by Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
) for piano, Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
, electric guitar, two violins, glockenspiel and percussionist - Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
's The High SignThe High SignThe High Sign is a 1921 short comedy film starring comedian Buster Keaton. It was written and directed by Keaton and Edward F. Cline. The runtime is 21 minutes. Although One Week was the first of Keaton's independent shorts to be released, The High Sign was the first one to be produced. ...
(Premiered 2008) for piano, two violins, viola, trombone and percussionist - Sergei EisensteinSergei EisensteinSergei Mikhailovich Eisenstein , né Eizenshtein, was a pioneering Soviet Russian film director and film theorist, often considered to be the "Father of Montage"...
's StrikeStrike (film)Strike is a 1925 silent film made in the Soviet Union by Sergei Eisenstein. It was Eisenstein's first full-length feature film, and he would go on to make The Battleship Potemkin later that year. It was acted by the Proletcult Theatre, and composed of six parts...
(Premiered 2009, commissioned by Webster UniversityWebster UniversityWebster University is an American non-profit private university with its main campus in Webster Groves, a suburb of St. Louis, Missouri. Webster University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools...
) for piano, two violins, viola, trumpet, trombone and percussionist - F.W. Murnau's Nosferatu (Premiered 2009, commissioned by Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
) for Wurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer electric pianoWurlitzer 200A|250px|thumbThe Wurlitzer electric piano was one of a series of electromechanical stringless pianos manufactured and marketed by the Rudolph Wurlitzer Company, Corinth, Mississippi, U.S. and Tonawanda, New York...
, two violins, viola, electric guitar, thereminThereminThe theremin , originally known as the aetherphone/etherophone, thereminophone or termenvox/thereminvox is an early electronic musical instrument controlled without discernible physical contact from the player. It is named after its Russian inventor, Professor Léon Theremin, who patented the device...
, vibraphone, trumpet, trombone and percussionist - Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
's One Week (Premiered 2010, composed by Kevin O'Connor of 7 Shot Screamers7 Shot Screamers7 Shot Screamers is an American psychobilly band that resides in St. Louis, Missouri.Their music is a mix of classic Chuck Berry-inspired rock and roll, psychobilly, 1970s glam rock, and punk...
) for piano, two violins, viola, trumpet, trombone, upright bass and percussionist - Benjamin ChristensenBenjamin ChristensenBenjamin Christensen was a Danish film director, screenwriter and an actor both in film and on the stage. As a director he is most well known for the 1922 film Häxan and as an actor, he is best known for his performance in the film Michael , in which he plays Claude Zoret, the jilted lover of the...
's HäxanHäxanHäxan is a 1922 Swedish/Danish silent horror film written and directed by Benjamin Christensen...
(Premiered 2010, commissioned by the St. Louis International Film FestivalSt. Louis International Film FestivalThe St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003...
) for piano, two violins, viola, vibraphone, trumpet, trombone and percussionist - Buster KeatonBuster KeatonJoseph Frank "Buster" Keaton was an American comic actor, filmmaker, producer and writer. He was best known for his silent films, in which his trademark was physical comedy with a consistently stoic, deadpan expression, earning him the nickname "The Great Stone Face".Keaton was recognized as the...
's The GoatThe Goat (1921 film)The Goat is a 1921 short comedy film written, directed by and starring comedian Buster Keaton.- Plot :Buster Keaton is walking by and peers through a barred window while captured murderer "Dead Shot Dan" is having his picture taken. Seeing that the photographer is looking away, Dan moves his head...
(Premiered 2011, commissioned by Lee Expressive Arts Elementary School) for piano, two violins, viola, trombone and percussionist - Ernst LubitschErnst LubitschErnst Lubitsch was a German-born film director. His urbane comedies of manners gave him the reputation of being Hollywood's most elegant and sophisticated director; as his prestige grew, his films were promoted as having "the Lubitsch touch."In 1947 he received an Honorary Academy Award for his...
's The Wild CatThe Wild Cat (1921 film)The Wild Cat is a 1921 German silent comedy film directed by Ernst Lubitsch.- Cast :*Victor Janson as commander of Fort Tossenstein*Marge Köhler as his wife*Edith Meller as Lilli, their daughter...
(Premiered 2011, commissioned by the St. Louis International Film FestivalSt. Louis International Film FestivalThe St. Louis International Film Festival is an annual film festival in St. Louis, Missouri, which has been running since 1992. The coordinating organization changed its name to "Cinema St. Louis" in 2003...
) for piano, two violins, viola, trumpet, trombone, recorderRecorderThe recorder is a woodwind musical instrument of the family known as fipple flutes or internal duct flutes—whistle-like instruments which include the tin whistle. The recorder is end-blown and the mouth of the instrument is constricted by a wooden plug, known as a block or fipple...
quintet and percussionist