Klarinet Archive - Posting 000408.txt from 2004/08

From: "Dee D. Flint" <deeflint01@-----.net>
Subj: Re: [kl] Colorizing (was K. 581 performance practice)
Date: Fri, 13 Aug 2004 20:06:47 -0400


----- Original Message -----
From: "Bill Hausmann" <bhausmann1@-----.net>
To: <klarinet@-----.org>
Sent: Friday, August 13, 2004 6:36 PM
Subject: RE: [kl] Colorizing (was K. 581 performance practice)

> At 11:32 AM 8/13/2004 -0700, Andy Raibeck wrote:
> >- I consider the colorization of black & white movies to be a form of
> >vandalism, ...
>
> I must disagree. While colorized versions of certain classic movies can
> add a little spice, the novelty generally wears off. Still, no HARM is
> done, and in fact much GOOD, since the first step in the process is
> restoring the original black and white version to get the best print
> possible before starting the coloring process. As long as the original is
> not subsequently destroyed and supplanted by the colorized version, no
> problem. And if you don't like the color, turn the color intensity on
your
> TV down to zero and it will be gone!
>
> This does not apply to ALL movies, of course. Many movies in the 1930's
to
> 1950's were filmed in black and white not so much as an artistic choice,
> but purely because of economics. Color was more expensive to shoot, and
> only certain pictures were budgeted for it. Those movies are fair game
> (Astaire-Rogers musicals, etc.). Where black and white was used for
EFFECT
> ("Young Frankenstein" comes to mind, along with the entire film noir
> genre), colorizing would be a huge mistake. I guess I see it like early
> keyboard music. Any form of klavier was acceptable for performance since
> the notes and harmonies, not so much the tonal colors, were being
exploited
> by those composers. In later music, where tone colors and orchestrations
> become significant factors in the music, changing instrumentation alters
> the intended effect, and is done at great peril. Or, another way of
> looking at it, is a new, heavily edited print version of a piece so hard
to
> swallow if it is packaged with a facsimile of the newly RESTORED urtext?
>

Lighting and filming techniques are different to get effective black and
white versus effective color. So even if economics was the reason for
choosing B&W, this resulting difference in technique does make colorizing a
poor choice. The balance is all off and detracts from the film.

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