“The Passion of Joan of Arc” is a classic of the silent film era. Released in 1928 and directed and written by Carl Theodor Dreyer, the film chronicles the trial in 1431 by the French clerical court (clergymen loyal to England) of the young woman who claimed to hear the voices of saints directed by God. The film is praised for the acting of its young star, Renée Jeanne Falconetti, and for its cinematography (by Rudolf Maté, with art direction by Hermann Warm and Jean Hugo), which includes many close-ups (facial only) of Joan and her accusers. (The claustrophobic feeling created by these many close-ups adds to the film’s dramatic intensity.)
As with many silent films, the use of subtitles was limited in the film, with much of the emotion (and story) conveyed visually instead of through dialogue. The close-ups of Ms. Falconetti in this respect are especially powerful, and her performance in that regard is remarkable. The film is also noteworthy for its depiction of Joan’s execution when she is burned at the stake. It is an intensely graphic depiction, with the flames only very slowly consuming her body. Dreyer intended to create the impression that Joan’s soul was being carried to heaven in the smoke that rises from the fire’s flames.
As great as the film is, it needs a musical score, and at the screening of the film at the Mondavi Center (on the campus of U.C. Davis) last week, the Orlando Consort provided just that added effect. The resulting performance (by the five male singers) made the viewing of the film a most memorable experience, one that was witnessed by an unfortunately small, but highly appreciative, audience.
What made the execution of this viewing of the film especially noteworthy was the work that went into the creation of the score by the members of Orlando Consort. To construct the score to accompany the scenes, the Consort members only used music from the time of Joan’s life. For each of the film’s 50 separate scenes, the singers chose a different chant or musical composition. And then, for the actual showing of the film, they sang the entire score, in exact synchronization with the film, as they stood in front of the screen, facing the audience. And they did so a cappella, and without a conductor. As we said, it was a remarkable achievement.
Among the composers whose works the Consort included were Gilles Binchois (one of the most famous composers of the fifteenth century), Estienne Grossin, Gillaume Dufay, Johannes le Grant, Richard Loqueville, and Johannes Reson. As was common for musical compositions from this era, many of the selections were chants or simple melodies. In several instances, the Consort added lyrics from Christine de Pizan’s “La Ditié du Jeanne d’Arc” (“The Poem of Joan of Arc”) written in 1429, two years before Joan’s execution. Otherwise, the music was sung as a chant or as simple chansons.
The voices of the Orlando Consort are those of four men. They are Matthew Venner (counter-tenor), Mark Dobell (tenor), Angus Smith (tenor), and Donald Greig (baritone). For the Mondavi screening, Robert Macdonald (bass) joined to add the lower register required for some of the chosen score. The singing of all five, often in four and five part harmony, was exquisite. Their voices provided the essential musical element to make the screening of this classic silent film a truly artistic event. Viewing it and experiencing it was emotionally moving and spiritually profound.