Gottfried Huppertz

Gottfried Huppertz (1887 -1937) was a musician and film composer who played a major role in German cinema of the 1920s. Huppertz was the logical choice to provide the music accompaniment to Metropolis. Huppertz’s music for this movie was composed while it was being shot, rather than at the conclusion of the production, and with the additional time at his disposal, the composer achieved a level of quality that was extraordinary. His music for Metropolis incorporated both Romantic-era and modernist stylistic elements to accompany different sections of the movie, even as he also worked in quotes from familiar musical touchstones such as “La Marseillaise” in the scene where the workers rebel. Some of its highlights were released on a 78 rpm album, a rare honor for a film score of the silent era. —Kino International