The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (Robert Wiene, 1920) is a landmark of German Expressionist cinema and one of the most influential films in the history of the medium. Through its distorted visual language and psychological narrative, the film explores themes of duality, manipulation and the fragile boundary between reality and hallucination, anticipating many of the narrative and visual strategies that would later shape psychological thrillers and horror cinema.

Conceived and performed live by Alessandro Baris, Beppe Scardino and Gabriele Evangelista, this original soundtrack reinterprets Wiene’s masterpiece through a dialogue between contemporary jazz improvisation and dark electronic textures. A continuous interplay of tension and release, crescendos and silences, mirrors the film’s shifting perception of reality, moving between moments of unease, dreamlike suspension and psychological intensity.

Rather than simply accompanying the images, the score seeks to inhabit the film’s expressionist universe, amplifying its emotional and symbolic dimensions while creating a new relationship between sound and image.

Conceived as a live cinema experience, the score combines improvised and composed elements, acoustic and electronic sound worlds, transforming each screening into a unique dialogue between image, space and performance. The tension between jazz improvisation and minimal electronic structures reflects the film’s oscillation between reason and madness, reality and illusion, offering a contemporary sonic interpretation of one of cinema’s most enduring masterpieces.

Alessandro Baris — drums, electronics
Beppe Scardino — baritone saxophone, electronics
Gabriele Evangelista — double bass