WNYC; New Sounds Live; Metropolis.

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Collection
WNYC
Series
New Sounds Live
Episode
Metropolis.
Contributing Organization
WNYC (New York, New York)
AAPB ID
cpb-aacip/80-66vx17vr
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Description
Episode Description
METROPOLIS Silent film with score composed and performed by the ALLOY ORCHESTRA Presented in association with New Sounds Live curated by WNYC's John Schaefer Wednesday, January 26 at 7 PM WFC Winter Garden METROPOLIS ABOUT THE FILM Considered one of the greatest science-fiction films of the century, German director Fritz Lang's 1926 wildly imaginative METROPOLIS captured for the rest of the century the frightening image of a futuristic city as a hell of scientific progress and human despair. Through the machinations of the mad scientist (Rotwang), the rulers attempt to stifle a workers' rebellion by turning their saintly leader (Maria) into a robot. Divided in two halves, Lang places the city's spoiled wealthy citizens above ground, while the slaves inhabit the depths of the underground. Lang's METROPOLIS represents the pinnacle of German Expressionism with its stylized sets, dramatic camera angles, daunting shadows and frankly artificial theatrics. Especially evident in the set designs are the two world's vast differences which Lang achieves by juxtaposing the great city of Metropolis with its skyscrapers and stadiums, to the subterranean workers' city of grinding gears and exploding pistons, from METROPOLIS descended such films as Dark City, Blade Runner and The Fifth Element, each of which employ the recurring theme of a loner hero who is disillusioned to the daunting inner workings of a futuristic city threatening to control society. ABOUT THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA Founded in 1992, the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based ALLOY ORCHESTRA is a three-man musical ensemble, writing and performing live music for classic silent film. The ensemble creates unusual sounds combining state-of-the-art electronics with their invented percussive instruments. These homemade instruments, made from found objects and racks of junk metal, create the illusion of an art installation as well as generating a different and unusual spectrum of sound, ranging anywhere from radio signals to a full orchestra. The energetic 1992 score for METROPOLIS features their rack of junk including horseshoes, trunk springs, plumbing pipes and air-conditioner duct work. The ALLOY ORCHESTRA collaborates with archives and collectors to present extraordinary prints of some of the 20th century's most celebrated classic films. The ALLOY ORCHESTRA has scored the music for eleven silent films, among them A Trip to the Moon (1904;, Lonesome (1928), 5triHe (1924) and 5teamboat Bill Jr. (1927). They have performed at such prestigious museums and theaters as The Louvre in Paris and New York's Lincoln Center. MEMBER5 OF THE ALLOY ORCHESTRA TERRY DONAHUE percussion, accordion, vocals KEN WINOKUR percussion ROGER C. MILLER synthesizer UPCOMING EVENTS CELEBRATE BUENOS AIRES! A FESTIVAL OF MUSIC, DANCE, LITERATURE AND CULTURAL HERITAGE SUSANA RlNALDI FEBRUARY 1ST, 8PM WFC WINTER GARDEN BUENOS AIRES 1910: MEMORIES OF THE WORLD TO COME Wednesday, February 2-Sunday, March 26 Tuesday-Friday, 11am-7pm Saturday & Sunday, i2-5pm WFC Courtyard Gallery and North Bridge JULIO BOCCA AND BALLET ARGENTINO FEBRUARY 3, 7PM WFC WINTER GARDEN For a complete schedule of events-, call (212) 945.0505 or visit www.worldfinancialcenter.com ALL EVENTS ARE FREE! The World Financial Center Arts & Events/Marketing Staff: Allan Abrams Technical Director Melissa Coley Artistic Director Sylvia DeJesus Administrative Assistant Iris Torres Office Manager Karen Kitchen Program Coordinator Tom Kovacic Retail Marketing Assistant Mariell Meacham Retail Marketing Director SallyAnne Santos Production Manager Sara Wicks Program Assistant NOW OPEN! STARBUCKS COFFEE 4 WFC, STREET LEVEL
Genres
Performance
Media type
Sound
Credits
AAPB Contributor Holdings
WNYC-FM
Identifier: 71676.1 (WNYC Media Archive Label)
Format: DAT
Generation: Original
WNYC-FM
Identifier: 71676.2 (WNYC Media Archive Label)
Format: audio/vnd.wave
Generation: Dub
Duration: 01:32:13
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Citations
Chicago: “WNYC; New Sounds Live; Metropolis.,” WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed June 3, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-80-66vx17vr.
MLA: “WNYC; New Sounds Live; Metropolis..” WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. June 3, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-80-66vx17vr>.
APA: WNYC; New Sounds Live; Metropolis.. Boston, MA: WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-80-66vx17vr