Matthias Hirth studierte Klavier (Jazz / Rock / Pop) und Komposition/Arrangement und Musikpädagogik an der Hochschule “Carl Maria von Weber“ in Dresden.

Während seiner Studienzeit an der Musikhochschule in Dresden begann er 2002 Stummfilme zu begleiten. Seither spielte er regelmäßig zu zahlreichen Stummfilmen im Museumskino der Technischen Sammlungen Dresden, auf verschiedenen anderen Bühnen und international gastierte er u.a. beim Festival de Cine Alemán in Madrid.

Aus der jahrelangen Zusammenarbeit mit den Technischen Sammlungen Dresden entstand im Jahr 2016 das Stummfilmfestival „Dresdner Stummfilmtage“, welches er als künstlerischer Leiter betreut.

Neben seiner Stummfilmarbeit ist Matthias Hirth, als Musikpädagoge und musikalisch vielseitig als Pianist/Keyboarder, Komponist/Arrangeur, Musikproduzent in verschiedenen Projekten tätig. Sein Spektrum reicht von Jazz über elektronische Musik, Neoklassik bis Salsa und Latin.

Matthias Hirth studied at the “Carl Maria von Weber” Music College in Dresden, specializing in piano (Jazz/Rock/Pop), composition and arrangement, and music teaching.

During his university education at the Carl Maria von Weber Music College in Dresden he began to accompany silent films. Since then he has played regulary in the museum cinema of the Museum for Technology and Industry in Dresden and at many other events and locations, international among others by the Festival de Cine Alemán in Madrid.

2016 saw the first Dresden Silent Film Festival [Dresdner Stummfilmtage], developed in partnership with the Museum for Technology and Industry, and led by Matthias Hirth as the artistic director.

In addition to his work for silent films Matthias Hirth is active as a music teacher and is a versatile musician – working as a pianist/keyboarder, composer/arranger and music producer. His spectrum ranges from Jazz to electronic music, and Neoclassical to Salsa and Latin.

Silent film music for piano is, above all, influenced by the Classical and Romantic as well as Jazz traditions, which can be further enriched by including aspects of other styles – such as Impressionism, Avant-Garde, Minimalism, Folk, etc. – as required by the style of the film.

Composed main themes are often used as a framework to be combined with, and further developed through, improvisation. Thanks to this improvisational approach, each film screening is truly a unique experience both for the audience and the performer.

In addition to solo accompaniment Matthias Hirth also performs with saxophonist Tomasz Skulski. A similar approach is also taken in which a main theme is used as a framework for improvisation on both piano and saxophone.

In recent years Matthias Hirth’s has increasingly explored scoring silent films with electronic music, above all the films A trip to Mars (1918), Spies (1928)  and Woman in the Moon (1929).

One of the great attractions of electronic scoring is that it offers the opportunity to give the masterpieces of the silent film era a new, contemporary sound, bringing the medium of silent film closer to a younger audience, as well as offering a whole new sonic experience for those used to traditional accompaniment.

There will often be up to a hundred years between the production of the film and the new scoring. The use of contemporary electronic music encourages the audience to consider the ways in which film and music can function symbiotically.

A complete soundtrack is composed from samples, synthesized sound, beats, effects and acoustic instruments. Elements from various musical genres are used, yet the basic character of the composition remains clearly marked by an electronic idiom.

A key musical and dramaturgical tool for this approach to silent film composition is the almost infinite number of parameters by which sound can be electronically manipulated. Each performance uses pre-produced electronic musical elements that are adapted and edited live, along with additional sections of free improvisation with instruments.

solo piano

Algol. Eine Tragödie der Macht | Algol. Tragedy of Power • Das Cabinet des Dr. Caligari | The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari • Der galante König | The Gallant King • Der große Eisenbahnraub | The Great Train Robbery • Der letzte Mann | The Last Man • Der Mann mit der Kamera | Man With a Movie Camera • Der müde Tod | Destiny • Der Reigen | The Dance • Der Student von Prag | The Student of Prag • Die Augen der Mumie | The Eyes of the Mummy • Die Bergkatze | The Wildcat • Die Büchse der Pandora | Pandora´s Box • Die Frau, nach der man sich sehnt | The Woman One Longs For • Die freudlose Gasse | The Joyless Street • Leichte Straße | Easy Street • Dumme Frauen | Foolish Wives • Madame Dubarry • Nosferatu • Romeo und Julia im Schnee | Romeo and Juliet in the Snow • Schuhpalast Pinkus | Shoe Palace Pinkus • Sonnenaufgang | Sunrise • Tagebuch einer Verlorenen | Diary of a Lost Girl • Tartüff  • Der Abenteurer | The Adventurer • Der General | The General • Der Immigrant | The Immigrant • Der Mieter | The Lodger • Der Vagabund | The Vagabound | and more …

duo piano & sax

Bergkatze | The Wildcat

electronic soundtrack & piano | electronic soundtrack & piano, sax

Spione | Spies • Himmelskibet | A Trip to Mars

Seit 2016 finden die Dresdner Stummfilmtage im Museumskino der Technischen Sammlungen Dresden statt.

Der Festivalfokus liegt neben einer Auswahl an nationalen und internationalen stummen Meisterwerken auf erstklassigen vielseitigen Musikbegleitungen: Am Eröffnungsabend wird stets eine musikalische Uraufführung von Matthias Hirth mit verschiedenen Musikern dargeboten. Darüber hinaus sind von der klassischen Begleitung mit Klavier, über verschiedene Duo- und Triobesetzungen auch zeitgenössische Varianten zu erleben.

Since 2016, the Dresden Silent Film Festival takes place in the museum cinema of the Museum for Technology and Industry [Technische Sammlungen Dresden].

The focus of the festival is on a selection of national and international masterpieces of silent film alongside first-class versatile musical accompaniments: At the opening evening, a musical premiere from Matthias Hirth is always presented with various musicians. Audiences are able to experience musical accompaniment that ranges in style from classical to contemporary, and offers a mixture of solo performances, as well as duets and trios.