Ernst Luz and the A.B.C. Dramatic Sets
Ernst Luz in 1915 when he was introduced to the readers of Motion Picture News
One of the more interesting sets of photoplay or stock music for silent film is the ABC Dramatic Sets created by Ernst Luz (1878-1937). In addition to composing, Luz was also responsible for the musical column published in Moving Picture News from October 1912 to August 1913 and later in its reincarnation as Motion Picture News starting in July 1915.
Luz composed 25 Dramatic Sets, musical scenarios published between 1915 and 1918. Each is comprised of 2-5 separate movements, encompassing changes in rhythm and intensity to supply music for one or more related scenes. Luz includes several of these throughout his musical programs or cue listings silent films. Each has a specific intent. For instance, No. 21 is subtitled “Military scene” and has five separate movements, including a sampling of military bugle calls, a march, a galop, a battle hurry (“Use for heavy action in battle”), and a plaintive (“Illustrates lamentation after turmoil”). Bradford suggests Luz’s bugle calls for Men of Daring (1927). Luz’s Dramatic Set No. 4 is a “Musical illustration for passion, desertions or abuse, not violent.” It consists of only two movements, the first during a “display of temper or passion” and the second for the aftermath, “when action becomes quiet.” Krueger uses the first movement (A1) of No. 4 for Rustling for Cupid (1926). Most of these Dramatic Sets are available to view or download for free at the Silent Film Sound and Music Archive (sfsma.org).
My interest in the Dramatic Sets is limited to those related to or used in Western scenarios. No. 11 is specifically described as “Illustrating the Western Character, Introducing the barroom brawl or fight, followed by a chase.” The first movement is a lively composition in D major, featuring a repetitive perky melody with oom-pah styled accompaniment. The contrasting middle section is in G major albeit with more interesting harmonic motion and lots of syncopated chords. In the suggested accompaniments for the silent Western, the frontier atmosphere is often set to lively music such as this piece. The second movement is a classic Hurry, with lots of fast notes, tremolos, and tension-producing reiterated chords in the accompaniment. It is in D minor with a contrasting section in A minor. The third movement is a Galop, intended to be used for chase scenes, it actually seems a bit tamer than the previous Hurry. With its four-measure introduction, it seems to be more relatable to its dance version (the gallopade) rather than an actual chase scene.
Luz’s Dramatic Set No. 7 is specifically suggested for “Indian scenes.” The first movement, subtitled “An Indian Mystical,” is for “the threatening approach.” Each of the three compositions in this scenario are fairly short, although they can be repeated as needed to accompany a complete scene. James C. Bradford suggests the first movement of No. 7 (A1) in his cue sheet for The Devil Horse (1926). In G minor, this piece features the persistent open fifths in the accompaniment that are often used to signify indigenous drum sounds.
Like other creators of musical accompaniments, Luz didn’t always use an entire Dramatic Set, but only sampled individual movements. In his cue sheet for The Yaqui (1916) he included both movements from No. 3 (A1 and B2), in addition to one movement from No. 4 (B2) and two from No. 7 (B2 and C3). This suggests that perhaps Luz’s intention of providing one musical entity for an entire scene or series of scenes did not work. Dramatic Set No. 3 is designated for “fights or tumultuous action resulting in despair.” The first movement “Agitato” is suggested to connect the first and second reels of the film, after Modesta, the Yaqui woman, has been insulted by the Mexican General Martinez and the arrest of her husband Tambor, the Yaqui chief. Sounding very similar to the Hurry from No. 11, this movement is very fast with alternating ascending runs and tremolos. Interestingly, Luz recalls this same piece, but with the added suggestion that it be performed “Light,” at the end of the scene where Tambor and Modesta display their daughter, who has died due to lack of care while they worked in the plantation fields. This is immediately followed by the next movement of the Dramatic Set, the “Plaintive.” A very slow piece set in D minor, the sustained chords in the upper voices are accompanied by descending chromatic lines in the bass, creating a sorrowful atmosphere that matches the visual.
Luz suggests the Indian-styled Dramatic Set No. 7, for the crucial climactic point in The Yaqui. In these scenes Modesta endures an attempted rape by the plantation owner and rather than submit, she has stabbed herself in the heart. Tambor removes the knife from his wife and retreats to the woods where he awaits his revenge. The first movement, Moderato (“Indian Mystical”) is played during the rape scene, the second movement, “Hurry,” is played as Tambor enters the shack to try and save his wife, and the third movement, “Indian Plaintive,” is played as he removes the knife from her bosom. The second movement (“Hurry”) is suggested to repeat as Tambor hides in the woods. Finally, Luz ends the film’s musical accompaniment with the slow movement from the Dramatic Set No. 4, “Semi-Pathetic or Romantic.”
Luz recommended the Dramatic Set No. 20, which he subtitled “A dual description of the Plaintive and Frivolous with agitation, storm or tumult intersperced [sic],” throughout his musical program for The Wind (1928). This set was co-composed with Walter G. Hauenschild (n.d.), who was known for writing songs (e.g., “‘Neath the Passion Vine” for the film Where the Pavement Ends, 1923). Hauenschild would also collaborate with Luz on the Symphonic Color Classics, Luz’s later method (1925) for codifying musical accompaniments. Hauenschild’s Incidental Miniature No. 8, “Untold Secrets—Love Theme,” is also featured prominently in Luz’s musical program for The Wind, likely as a theme for Letty’s husband, Lige.
In a previous blog post (January 16), I wrote about how Luz uses the Dramatic Set No. 20 in the final scene of the film, but there are other interesting examples in the film. The first movement, Hurry (Allegro moderato), is a moderately fast piece with lots of chromatically ascending and descending lines and tremolos. For The Wind this has the effect of mimicking the wind. Appropriate for “excitement, fights, storms or tumult creating fear,” Luz suggested this piece to open the film, but it is intended to accompany the many ominous and threatening scenes of the wind. This music communicates Letty’s fear of the wind as presented to her by Roddy during the opening train trip.
Notably, other instances where Luz suggested this piece include dramatic or emotional scenes, such as when Beverly’s wife Cora physically pushes Letty off of her husband, an unpleasant scene that includes Cora confessing to a desire to kill Letty. A similar occurrence is during Letty and Lige’s wedding night, when Lige realizes that Letty doesn’t love him and he sadly leaves the bedroom. In these, and other scenes, the howling music of this Hurry is connected with Letty’s awareness of the wind, seen howling outside the window.
The middle movement of No. 20 is a slow piece, a “descriptive plaintive” that is recommended for scenes in the film where Letty seems defeated and saddened by her predicament, especially in the environment of extreme winds and rough, unsavory company, namely, Lige and his friend Sourdough. Luz describes this movement as “a long descriptive number, illustrating remorse, lamentation, etc.” It is often heard in contrast with the first movement, highlighting Letty’s reaction to the wind and her emotional response. This is apparent during the early scene when Letty sits down to eat with Beverly’s family, along with Lige and Sourdough (his sidekick). The two men’s attraction to Letty is evident, and her disappointment with the situation is heard in the music. As Letty regards the wind outside the window, the Hurry is suggested again recalling her fears, but the lamentation recurs as she returns to eating her dirt-covered bread and dealing with the unfriendly Cora.
The Plaintive is also suggested when Letty has returned to the house with Sourdough, not being able to keep up with the Lige and the other cattlemen. The sad music continues until a visitor comes and tells them that there has been an incident. “Someone’s hurt!” announces Sourdough to Letty. She immediately jumps to the conclusion that it is Lige and the Hurry accompanies her distress. As the unknown person is carried into the house, the Plaintive returns and continues through Lige’s return and attention to the injured person, who we now know is Roddy.
Once Roddy has recovered from his injury, he and Letty are alone in the cabin. As the storm begins to rage outdoors, Luz suggests the Hurry from the Dramatic Set No. 20 to accompany Letty’s increasing discomfort with the howling wind and Roddy’s advances. When Lige returns, however, Luz recommends the slow and somber Plaintive to accompany Lige’s stoicism and Letty’s pleas for him to stay. The music conveys their emotions and underscores the unhappy circumstance that Lige must venture into the storm to capture wild horses to sell so that he can pay for Letty to return to Virginia, which he does not want to do. This music also foreshadows the final scene in the film where Letty kills Roddy accompanied by the same Dramatic Set. (See my blog post of January 16.)
The final movement of the Dramatic Set No. 20, “Polka Intermezzo,” is a rather lively work and is only recommended once during The Wind, in the scene when Letty is seen sweeping the floor, during her unending quest to keep the cabin clean, immediately after the wedding night scene. Luz recommended the Hurry for when Lige sadly leaves the bedroom and then segues into the Polka, which is divided into four parts that may be repeated as needed, including several tempo changes. Luz’s note that the performer may alter the tempo “ad lib” provided the accompanist with flexibility to allow the final section to be interpreted to fit the drama. There are few upbeat scenes in this film, so it is not surprising that this work is not heard often. In this instance, it may be considered musical contrast or perhaps just neutral music to accompany Letty’s monotonous existence.
Certainly, any pianist who would use Luz’s Dramatic Set No. 20 to accompany The Wind would vary the performance based on the dramatic action. My short examples are necessarily all the same recording so it doesn’t do the music or the film justice. All the same, it is interesting to imagine what a live performance of this film would have possibly sounded like in 1928.