The Great Dictator (1940)

by Charles Chaplin.
Music by Charles Chaplin, in association with Meredith Willson.
Score restored for live performance by Timothy Brock in 2023.
NB: Timothy Brock has conducting exclusivity for this title.

Synopsis:

During World War I, an anonymous private (Chaplin) fighting in the army of Tomainia, effects the valiant rescue of an officer named Schultz (Reginald Gardiner), but suffers loss of memory when the plane in which they are flying crashes into a tree. The little soldier is sent to a hospital where he remains for the next 20 years, unaware of the changes that are taking place around him. He does not know, for instance, that Hynkel (also played by Chaplin) has become Dictator of Tomainia, and is ruthlessly persecuting Jews with the help of his two ministers, Garbitsch and Herring.

Technical Specifications:

Screening time: 125 min.
DCP (Spanish, French, Portuguese, German subtitles) and digital formats available 24 fps.
Aspect ratio 1,33
A 2K projector (eg Christie, Nek, Barco, Sony) is required
Dialogue and sound effects

Instrumentation of THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940)

3(ii, iii dbl. picc),2,3(ii dbl e-flat,iii dbl b-clt),2 - 4,3,3,1
Timpani, 3 percussion, Piano/celesta/synthesizer ad-lib, harp, Mandolin/guitar
String minimum: 12,10,8,8,6

List of percussion:

2 snare drums (deep and low tuning)
Concert Bass Drum (Grancassa)
Piatti
Suspended cymbal
Tam-tam
Finger cymbals
Tambourine
Triangle
Chimes
Glockenspiel
Xylophone

Note on the ad-lib. synthesizer: Timothy Brock has a digital sample-library of a 1936 Novachord synthesizer which is what Chaplin wrote it for. If the orchestra has a small keyboard and a way to play it that would be THE BEST. Otherwise Timothy Brock has cued it for other instruments.

The Great Dictator (1940)

Synopsis:

Technical Specifications:

Instrumentation of THE GREAT DICTATOR (1940)

Trailer of The Great Dictator

Listen to the Music

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