Broken Blossoms

Concerto for Piano Trio From Broken Blossoms

"Broken Blossoms", the 1919 silent film class, was directed by D.W. Griffith, starring With Lillian Gish, Richard Barthelmess & Donald Crisp. If one can see the era as it was, where non-Asian actors regularly played Asian roles, the film projects a profoundly empathetic friendship between 2 outcasts: an abused daughter & a maligned "Oriental", who see over the walls to which others cling.

This book includes the complete score, as conducted by the composer at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theatre in 2008, featuring Ivan Docenko (piano), Gregory Docenko (Violin) & Bryan Eckenrode (Cello). Many thanks to Sayre Maxfield at Lincoln Center, and film curator Sandra Birnhak, for commissioning the new score, and Charlie Tabesh of Turner Classic Movies for making it a regular programming feature.



REVIEWS:Concert Music:

"His classical pieces are beautifully wrought, and include a lovely set of works for clarinet and orchestra (which he released as All The Luck, in 2008), several sets of piano works, and Having an Atonal Christmas, for string quartet and harp, as well as soundtrack music for silent films, including an inventive flute and guitar score for The Hunchback of Notre Dame and a piano concerto that doubled as a score for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde¸ and that the pianist Anthony DeMare has recorded. "

- Allan Kozinn: San Francisco Classical Voice (Former NY Times Classical Music Critic)

"Al kryszak's score for "Nosferatu" bathes the silent classic in desolate ambience: moody sounds, processed guitars, and cimbalom...."

- New York Magazine Magazine

"I've been having a devil of a time finding biographical information about composer Alan Kryszak, even including his date and place of birth. Maybe he was spawned instead of being born in the usual manner? That would accord with the proliferation of multiple talents and interests in a most remarkable figure who is pianist, guitarist and baritone and has done notable work with the REV alt-rock band. He has also won recognition for his film scores, particularly for silent films (Broken Blossoms, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) which have been released by TCM. And he¿s even a visual artist in the media of acrylic painting and woodburning."

- Phil's Reviews

P.S. Thanks, Phil.

Al Kryszak is a composer, filmmaker, pianist & guitarist based in Maine. Work includes Turner Classic Movies, The Film Society of Lincoln Center, The New England Film Orchestra, The American Festival of Microtonal Music, Mabou Mines, June-in-Buffalo, Symphony Space, LA Directors Guild, & KINO.

Silent film score premieres include Sven Gade's "Hamlet", starring Asta Nielsen as the first actress to play the moody lead role, "Limite" (NY Shakespeare Film Festival), "Intolerance" (Symphony Space), "Nosferatu: Guitar Solo Version" (LA Directors Guild at Cinematheque), "Broken Blossoms" & "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde" (Film Society of Lincoln Center/Turner Classics Silent Sunday's), "A Christmas Past" (Turner Classic Movies/KINO) & "The Fall of the House of Usher" (NY University/American Festival of Microtonal Music).

Kryszak is on the Creative Arts/Media Faculty at the University of Maine at Machias, Unity College & Southern New Hampshire University. Kryszak studied at SUNY Buffalo with