The future of the city in 1927.
The future of the city in 1927. Still from Metropolis

Tonight, the Degenerate Art Ensemble performs what will mostly likely be a brilliant original score for Fritz Lang’s sci-fi classic Metropolis. Degenerate Art Ensemble actually composed much of this score for the silent movie back in 1997, when it was the Young Composers Collective—DAE came into existence in 1999. This earlier performance happened at Gas Works Park and drew something like 10,000 people. During the 17 or so years between that show by the lake and today, lost pieces of Metropolis have been found around the world and added to the puzzle of a picture. DAE, as a consequence, has considerably expanded its initial score, which was composed by five musicians and involved 17 players. I will be shocked if the update, which is part of Trader Joe's Silent Movie Mondays series, is less than something grand. As for the movie itself, I have never actually liked it for one simple reason: I don't like silent films. Without sound, there is no cinema for me. I do, however, appreciate the size and density of the city in Metropolis. That city has yet to happen.