ARTISTIC ACHIEVEMENTS

For 28 years, the Prima Vista Quartet has become a leader in the rarified world of film concerts (silent film musical accompaniment, called cine-concerts in French). The quartet has explored silent cinema genres as diverse as slapstick, expressionism, social realism, historical melodrama, swashbuckler, war movie, cartoon and documentary, as expressed in French, American, German, Russian and Chinese film productions.

Because music in film is the result of a meticulous and magical alliance with image, Prima Vista invites you to discover the full range of emotions of a string quartet at the service of the masterpieces of silent cinema. Each score is an invitation to indulge in a different and unique musical and cinematic world, in keeping with the diversity and uniqueness of each cinematographic work, in order to ensure consistency and compliance with the artistic intentions of the filmmakers.

The Prima Vista Quartet eschews modern technology (click tracks over earphones or monitors on stage with timings and cues) in favor of the live experience of pure hand-eye co-ordination and acoustic musicianship. The quartet sits to the side of the stage and violist/composer Baudime Jam keeps cinematic images and the quartet’s music in expressive synchronization. Their music scores are composed and performed in the spirit of the era of the movie, to the point that audiences experience movie and music as one.

PERFORMANCES

Since their creation in 1997, the Prima Vista Quartet has been performing in France, Spain, Italy, Germany, England, Poland, Russia, Netherlands, Cyprus, the United States, China and Africa.

Their film concerts have been hosted by many prestigious venues among which the Balzac in Paris, the Barbican in London, the Odeon in Firenze, the Muziekgebouw of Amsterdam, the Florence Gould Hall in New York, the Maison Française of Washington, the Music Box in Chicago, the Beijing Concert Hall, the Poly Theater of Shanghai, the Stone Towns Theater of Zanzibar, and also in many festivals such as the Film-concert Spring Festival of Bordeaux, Film Fair of Marcigny, Silent Film Festival of Toulon, Anères Festival, Cannes Film Festival, Festival Jean Carmet, My First Festival, International Short Film Festival Clermont-Ferrand, International Festival Cine-Jeune, Film Festival of Amiens, Chinese Film Festival of Paris, International Film Festival of Gijon, International Festival of Cartagena, Como Autumn Music Festival, UK French Film Festival, Festival dei Popoli, EnLive Festival of the Pharos Foundation, International Film Festival of Minneapolis, International Film Festival of Zanzibar, Festival Croisements in China, etc.

MEDIA ACCLAIMS

« An unquestionable highlight of this year's festival was the Film Concert of silent shorts from the 1920s accompanied by original scores performed by the Prima Vista string quartet. The musicians, led by viola player and composer Baudime Jam, play exquisitely and make the most of the contrast between their black tie demeanor and the artfully calibrated havoc on screen. This is perhaps the best silent film accompaniment I've heard. Festival programmers in search of a sure-fire crowd pleaser that melds high art with pop art should definitely take note, as it were. » Lisa Nesselson (Variety)

« Baudime Jam is an expert and passionate musician. His wonderful music for The Goddess is faithful to the original work which he has restored the alliance of lyricism and realism. Perfect integration of music in film. » Yang Jianhua (Confucius Institute of Poznan)

“A fabulous and sensational evening. The Prima Vista Quartet is of the highest quality. The outpouring of praise following this magical evening is testament to their success and exceptional talent.” Marie-Monique Steckel, President of the French Institute Alliance Française (FIAF) of New York