US1286383A - Method of exhibiting the movements of orchestra conductors. - Google Patents

Description

0L MESSTER. METHOD 0F EXHIBITING THE MOVEMENTS 0F ORCHESTRA CONDUCTORS.

APPLICATION FILED MAH. 25, I9I4.

Patented Dec. 3, HITS.

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, face. The musicians also OSAR MESSTER, OF BERLIN, GERMANY.

METHOD 0F EXHIBITING THE MOVEMENTS OF ORCHESTRA CONDUCTORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1918.

Application filed March 25, 1914. Serial N o. 827,023.

To lallez/'hom it may concern:

Bel it known that I, OsKAR MEssTER, a German subject, residing in Berlin, No. 32

Blcherstrass'e, Germany, have invented new and useful Improvements in Methods of Exhibiting the Movements of Orchestra Conductors, of which the following is a specification.

The subject of my invention is a method of conducting an orchestra without a conductor being present in person.

y invention consists, broadly, in replacing the person of the conductor by cinematographic representation so that the musicians as well as thehearers-will see the so represented conductor as he would appear when personally present, that is the cinemat ographic representations shall be such that the representedconductor will have his back to the audience and his face to the orchestra,

ythereby rendering the exhibition more realistic.

This is, necessary in order that the same effect be-obtained as the conductor in person produces in concert rooms. The invention 1s important for the reproduction of the art of conducting possessed by famous conductors, such art thus being enabled to be communicated to the remotestposterityn In a concert room my new method will insure a perfectly esthetic impression on the audience, as the conductor will be represented at the usual place and in the usual manner, that is, with his back to them so that they will not be inuenced by the expression of his will see him at the usual place and recognize at the picture the tempoindicated by the conductor and the signals given by him for striking-in, intonation, &c.

An artistic moment will particularly be produced by the picture showing the expression of the conductors facey in the same manner as if' he were personally present, a suggestive infiuence on the musicians being thus brought about'to affect their playing.

f The members ofthe orchestra can, therefore,

`om the accompanying drawing in which- Figure l is a diagrammatic plan of an arrangement adapted for producing the films synchronously.

- through, the

provided with the pictures of an orchestra conductor; Figs. 2, 3, and 4 are diagrammatic views of a film thus produced and shown in different stages of completion; Fig. sla represents the film ready for use; Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation of an arrangement for projecting the films thus obtained.

As shown in Fig. l, the conductor, indicated at a, is cinematographically taken in front and back views simultaneousl by means of two cinematographs b, b1 fii'iven Both cinematographs are to loe-covered by screens c, 01, in order that they do not appear in the pictures produced. Their objectives, however, must remain uncovered for obvious reasons.

A film is used for each cinematograph and is passed in a horizontal direction therepictures produced on it taking up half the width thereof, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3. Two rows of pictures, A and B, will thus be obtained, which are then `so copied, by means of a well-known process,

that a film having two adjacent rows of pictures A1, B1 will result, as shown in Fig. 4. One of such rows of pictures comprises the back representations of the conductor, the other row the -front representations, the individual pictures, produced synchronously as stated, being so disposed on the film shown in Fig.,{4 that beside each back picture there is the appertaining front picture of the conductor. In Fig. 4, the film is portrayed as being ready for use, B designatmg the body of the film and C designating the l diiierentrpositions of the conductor. In order to show the pictures to the audience. and musicians in the correct positions,

one of the cinematographic productions must be made by means of a reflector or the like.

On reproduction the two rows of pictures are, by means of a cinematograph Z dlsposed in the orchestra room, so projected on a projection wall D, one of them lymg below the other, that on the lower portion f of this wallthe pictures of that row will appear which comprises the front representatlons of the conductor, and the conductor will apparently appear as usual to the members of theorchestra arranged in a suitable or convenient manner below the screen g. To this end the film illustrated at Fig. 4 is passed in a horizontal direction through the apparatus. The portion f of Athat portion of the projection wall D is not transparent,

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sicians and cannot disturb them therefore..

The front and back representations of the conductor can also be produced immediately beside each other on the same film, by the use of particular reiectors and of only one cinematograph; then a positive film may be obtained by copying and be exhibited in the manner described. Two separate apparatus could alsoy be used to exhibit each a row of pictures. In such case one of the cineinatographs is behind the audience and is employed to reproduce the back representations of the conductor, While the other cinematograph, again placed in the orchestra room, is merely used to show his front representations. In such case, of course, both cinematographs must be moved synchronously, and the portion f1 of the Wall D is not translucent. For such a. projection the pictures produced may take up the Whole Width of each film. In order to observe exactly the tempo indicated by the conductor itwill be necessary that the apparatus used for taking the pictures and those employed for the reproduction thereof bev fitted With a device-Which Will insure a perfectly. equal motion of these apparatus.

\Recording tachometers may preferably be used to such end, or the apparatus may be connected to a needle instrument which is to continuously correspond to the motion of the seconds hand of a clock during the said production and reproduction. The taking of the pictures is of course to be repeated if such indicating devices show differences as regards velocity. l

It 1s to be understood that my invention is in no Wise restricted to the embodiments illustrated or referred to, but that modications may be made within the scope indicated by the appended claims, without departing from the spirit or sacricing any of the advantages of this invention.

What I claim is l. The method ofexhibiting the movements of an orchestra conductor, which consists in first producing front and back cinematographic representations of the conductor, and then simultaneously exhibiting the front representations to the orchestra and the back representations to the audience.

2. The method ofA exhibiting the movements of an orchestra conductor, whichv consists in first simultaneously producing front and back cinematographic representations of the conductor, and then simultaneously exhibiting the front representations to the orchestra and the back representations to the. audience.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name this twenty-sixth day of February, 1914, in the presence of two subscrlbing Witnesses.

OSKAR MESSTER. Witnesses:

HENRY HASPER, WOLDE'MAR HAUPT.

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