Silent Film Concert "The Monster of Fate"
2025-11-29 20:00 - 21:30 UTC | Black Box, Schulstraße 4, Düsseldorf, NRW, 40213, Deutschland
Sa. 29.11.2025
8 pm
Black Box
About the Movie
General:
Germany 1920Directors: Paul Wegener, Carl BoeseScreenplay: Paul Wegener, Henrik GaleenProduction: Projektions-AG Union (Paul Davidson)Cinematography: Karl Freund
Short and Sweet:
The film is based on the cycle of legends surrounding the Prague Rabbi Judah Loew and tells the Jewish legend of the Golem:
The Prague Ghetto in the 16th century. When Rabbi Loew reads in the stars that misfortune threatens the Jewish community, he creates a powerful clay figure—the Golem—according to an old legend and brings it to life using magical powers.
Musical Score:
New musical score for cinema organ, percussion, and simultaneous piano by Wilfried Kaets.Norbert Krämer on large percussion and live electronics
More Informations about: “The Monster of Fate“

Silent Film Concert "GREED"
2026-03-28 20:00 - 22:30 | Rochuskirche, Rochusstraße 100, Köln, NRW, 50827, Deutschland
Sa. 28.03.26 8 pm
Rochuskirche
Cologne, Rochusstr. 100
General Info
General:
USA 1924
Directed by: Erich von Stroheim
Length: approx. 140 min.
Screenplay: June Mathis and E.v. Stroheim based on the novel McTeague by Frank Norris
Cast: Zasu Pitts – Trina; Gibson Gowland – McTeague; Jean Hersholt – Marcus; and others.
Contributors: Wilfried Kaets – Piano; Jona Kaets – Page Turner
About the Film:
Greed is a silent film classic from 1924 directed by Erich von Stroheim, exploring the theme of human greed. It tells the story of a woman whose obsession with money after winning the lottery destroys her marriage and causes her to lose her social circle.
Plot:
McTeague, a simple man, works in a mine. He meets Trina, the fiancée of his friend Marcus, falls in love, and marries her. When Trina wins a large sum of money in the lottery, Marcus is overtaken by intense jealousy and believes he is entitled to part of the money…
Music Version:
The music version for Greed is quite special: this time it is not newly composed but performed using the original historical piano scores by film composer Leo A. Kempinski from 1924. These scores were discovered years ago, almost by accident, at a flea market in New York and made their way to Wilfried Kaets… Kaets spent months of detailed work practicing 158 pages of handwritten sheet music and will perform them live on the piano.
The adaptation process was complex due to the differences in the available sheet music compared to the film’s current condition. In many places, cuts or jumps had to be made, some of which had been altered by the original pianist who performed live during film screenings in 1924 due to film breaks.
More Informations about: “Greed“

Silent Film Concert "Earth Spirit" (Organ and piano simultaneously)
2026-04-25 20:00 - 22:00 | Black Box, Schulstraße 4, Düsseldorf, NRW, 40213, Deutschland
25.04.26
Black Box im Filmmuseum Düsseldorf
Schulstr. 4
Info

Germany 1923
Director: Leopold Jessner
Duration: approx. 85 min
Screenplay: Carl Mayer (based on the tragedy of the same name by Frank Wedekind, 1895)
Cinematography: Axel Graatkjaer
Short and Sweet
The life of the young and free-spirited Lulu is marked by numerous relationships with men who, sooner or later, all fall under her spell.
At first, she is the companion of the much older and wealthy journalist Dr. Schön, who once rescued her from the clutches of a certain Schigolch and took her off the streets.
About the music
The musical version was created in remembrance of the film-music dramaturgy of the silent film era. It draws on structural concepts from that time (organizing scenes, defining characters, etc.) but is a new composition, thus creating a bond between “old images and new sounds.”

More Information about: Earth Spirit

Silent Film Concert "King of Kings"
2026-11-20 19:30 - 22:00 | Rochuskirche, Rochusstraße 100, Köln, NRW, 50827, Deutschland
Fr. 20.11.20267:30 PMRochus Church
General Information
General:USA 1927Director: Cecil B. DeMilleScreenplay: Jeanie MacphersonCinematography: John Peverell MarleyDuration: 135 min., black and white
About:The courtesan Mary Magdalene is angry when her lover Judas Iscariot does not come to her festival because he has become a follower of Jesus. She goes to Jesus herself, becomes a believer, and experiences the biblical story up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.
Music Version:New music for orchestra, soloists, and choir by Wilfried Kaets
Performers:
Orchestra
10 Percussionists
6 Soloists
Choir
Big Version with two projections (original American version and German translated Subtitles)
More Information about: “King of Kings“

Silent Film Concert "King of Kings"
2026-11-21 19:30 - 22:00 | Rochuskirche, Rochusstraße 100, Köln, NRW, 50827, Deutschland
Sat. 21.11.20267:30 PMRochus Church
General Information
General:USA 1927Director: Cecil B. DeMilleScreenplay: Jeanie MacphersonCinematography: John Peverell MarleyDuration: 135 min., black and white
About:The courtesan Mary Magdalene is angry when her lover Judas Iscariot does not come to her festival because he has become a follower of Jesus. She goes to Jesus herself, becomes a believer, and experiences the biblical story up to the crucifixion of Jesus Christ and his resurrection.
Music Version:New music for orchestra, soloists, and choir by Wilfried Kaets
Performers:
Orchestra
10 Percussionists
6 Soloists
Choir
Long version with two projections (original American version and German translated Subtitles)
More Information about: “King of Kings“

Silent Film Concert "Destiny" ( Organ and piano simultaneously)
2026-12-19 20:00 - 22:00 | Black Box, Schulstraße 4, Düsseldorf, NRW, 40213, Deutschland
Sa. 19.12.26
Black Box
Schulstr. 4
Info
General:Germany 1921Director: Fritz LangScreenplay: Fritz Lang, Thea von HarbouDuration: 93 min.
About:This film, resembling a novella in style, is filled with romantic mood and resignation. Death, weary of its duty, longs to be “defeated” by a young girl. Equally impressive is the main storyline: scenes set in a romantically winding German town with its sometimes quirky characters, and scenes in the majestically dark Hall of the Life Lights.
Music Version:New music score by Wilfried Kaets for organ and percussion
Performers:Wilfried Kaets – OrganNorbert Krämer – PercussionJoachim Steinigeweg – Silent film technology
Information:A valuable historic silent film copy with hand-calligraphed intertitles will be presented at reduced original speed on a large screen.
More Information about: Destiny
