About the Project
Little Sparta present a spellbinding live soundtrack to The Adventures of Prince Achmed (1926), Lotte Reiniger’s pioneering silhouette animation and the oldest surviving animated feature film. Originally performed in 2007, Little Sparta’s score blends atmospheric soundscapes, subtle motifs, and dynamic crescendos to create a contemporary reimagining of Reiniger’s fantastical tale.

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Performed live to screen, the music draws audiences into Reiniger’s world of magic, demons, and wonder enhancing the timeless visuals without overpowering them.

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Background
Since its premiere in 2007, Little Sparta’s score has been performed at festivals, art galleries, and cinemas across the UK, including Latitude Festival, the Edinburgh Festival, Jacksons Lane Theatre (London) and the iconic Little Angel Theatre (London). The band’s unique approach brings an immersive, emotional depth to the film, making it both accessible to new audiences and resonant with silent film aficionados.

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Critical Acclaim

“Live soundtracks to silent movies have become all the rage over the past few years. This year Edinburgh has already seen former Siouxsie and The Banshees guitarist Steven Severin playing a quartet of laptop generated scores to The Cabinet of Dr Caligari, while a trio of Edinburgh bands hosted an evening at which they played along to some found footage from the Scottish Screen Archive. As part of The Grey Gallery's programme at upmarket bar Hawke and Hunter, where Bob and Roberta Smith are exhibiting, Little Sparta's live accompaniment to The Adventures of Prince Ahmed (*****) is the most cosily sublime offering of all of these.....”

Glasgow Herald August 2009

 

“... a perfect marriage of music and film. Rather than trying to distract the crowd with complicated, changing music Little Sparta instead worked with simple motifs, building up these threads into a rising crescendo during key scenes in the film. The effect was a little like watching the tide rise and fall, a slow, subtle feeling that held the audience’s attention.” Latitude Festival Reviews 2007

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Listen
Original score available: littlesparta.bandcamp.com

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Booking Info
Little Sparta are now booking performances of The Adventures of Prince Achmed with live score for cinemas, galleries, festivals, and special events.

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Contact us via the form below.