Michele Catania: La Guerra E Il Sogno Di Momi, Contemporary Music For Segundo De Chomón’s silent movies – Fabio Sodano

“La Guerra e il Sogno di Momi” (1917) is a real gem of the silent cinema. Made by Segundo De Chomón (1861-1929), it is the first example of animated cinema produced in Italy, with the entire second part made with mechanical effects and the technique of stop motion. Composer Michele Catania created a music capable of giving back the psychological depth suggested by the director. He used a silent film such as this in the fashion of an opera libretto: after a careful analysis of the cinematographic work, he decided on the compositional structure following the direction’s final decisions. He also adapted techniques and different ways of creating music based on the object of the description and on the destination of the finished work.