Press Release

Venice, CA – On Friday, October 30, 2009, the G2 Gallery will present L.A.-based String Theory as they perform a live score to the projected silent film classic The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari. 

String Theory will construct their long-strings across the main gallery which will then be played to the projected image of the silent film above them.  Seats will not be available as the String Theory will have dancers placed throughout the gallery promoting a wandering total immersion into the performance by attendees.

“Everything about this event fits our current show perfectly,” states Gallery director Jolene Hanson. “Dr. Caligari was known for its uniquely dramatic lighting and abstract imagery, which ties into Robert Turner’s exhibit showcasing his distinctive perspective and ability to capture rare lights.”

The event begins at 6:00 p.m. with a reception followed by music at 7:00 p.m. The event is free and open to the public. Masked attendance is preferred.

About String Theory
All the invented instruments in the String Theory arsenal were designed and constructed by Luke Rothschild, one of the founding members of the group. Luke learned about long-strings while at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago where he received his BFA in 1992. Drawing on earlier long-string technology, Rothschild created a series of resonators designed to enhance the positive aspects of the inherent long-string tonality, while still delivering a stunning and singular sculptural visual profile. The smaller resonators travel more easily, and have a better time adapting to more intimate environments.

String Theory's Long-string Harp installations run from the resonating chamber and attach to existing architecture or structure, and allow sound to come off of the bridge of the instrument. The way these instruments work is through a vibration called a compression wave. This is a longitudinal vibration that occurs on the molecular level, and is quite different than a more common elliptical vibration that is utilized by guitar, cello, and piano among many other instruments. A cotton glove coated with rosin dust grasps the brass wire and strokes lengthwise pushing the molecules as they compress up the length of the string to the tuning block. The tuning blocks prevent the vibration from continuing up the string, and therefore dictate the pitch of each string; the further away the block is, the lower the pitch of the note. Each string has its own fixed note, and String Theory almost always chooses to tune their long-string Harps to a C chromatic scale.

Information taken from www.stringtheoryproductions.com

About The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari
A milestone of the silent film era and one of the first "art films" to gain international acclaim, this eerie German classic from 1919 remains the most prominent example of German expressionism in the emerging art of the cinema. Stylistically, the look of the film's painted sets--distorted perspectives, sharp angles, twisted architecture--was designed to reflect (or express) the splintered psychology of its title character, a sinister figure who uses a lanky somnambulist (Conrad Veidt) as a circus attraction. But when Caligari and his sleepwalker are suspected of murder, their novelty act is surrounded by more supernatural implications. With its mad-doctor scenario, striking visuals, and a haunting, zombie-like character at its center, Caligari was one of the first horror films to reach an international audience, sending shock waves through artistic circles and serving as a strong influence on the classic horror films of the 1920s, '30s, and beyond. It's a museum piece today, of interest more for its historical importance, but Caligari still casts a considerable spell. --Jeff Shannon

Information taken from www.amazon.com