“The idea for this score came about after twenty years of entirely pianistic experience, mainly in the field of silent cinema; during this time I have had the opportunity of experimenting with different systems and styles, and in front of different types of audience. Thus I have been able to understand and identify the most effective system and the freest and purest form of improvisation possible, namely that which occurs when the pianist does not know the film which he is accompanying. I have therefore applied this ‘rhapsodic’ principle of approach directly to the orchestra, imagining an orchestra which ‘improvises’ in front of a film which it has never seen. This performance therefore continues for three hours, from beginning to end, without ever repeating the same theme twice (in exactly the same way as the ignorant pianist) basing all its energies upon the typical symphonic repertoire”.

(Antonio Coppola)