Charlie Chaplin

Silent films were never truly silent. Since the beginnings of the art form of film, they have been accompanied by various musical scores. Only in rare cases was music specifically composed for a particular film; instead, pre-existing music was used for a wide range of films and different performance venues. The films of Charlie Chaplin (1889–1977) are largely well-preserved. Therefore, it is fitting to present the various music compilations from around the world that have been preserved for Chaplin's films. Through these compilations, the book illustrates how the diverse relationships between image and sound have changed over the decades and how they have been shaped by the individual musical cultures of the respective performance venues.