Orchestras Performing Live Soundtracks

[mkaroly]

Had no idea where to put this, so I started a thread to post it. The Columbus Symphony is doing Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 this year.

[AndyDursin]

Thanks for posting Michael, my Mom saw this and mentioned it to me.

It's interesting that a genre once frowned upon by academics is now being utilized as a savior to get audiences back into the concert hall. I remember my high school music theory teacher going "that's John Williams, hmmmmmmmmpf! He cobbles together all kinds of other compositions!" when I brought in SUPERMAN for "listening day."

That attitude was typical for its time, but Williams' embrace by labels like DG has totally turned things around. And now they NEED "concert movies", badly, to appeal to younger demographics.

[mkaroly]

To be honest, I was thinking the movies they would be doing this with would be modern film (a la Hans Zimmer), for the most part. I have seen movie music performed (Shore conducting LOTR suites, The Danny Elfman/Tim Burton collaboration concert that toured a while ago, John Williams and Jerry Goldsmith conducting their own music), but I have never sat and watched a film while an orchestra performed the music. Glad the "oldies" are getting their due in the concert hall in this way. I would love to see Jaws live with a live orchestra...going to pass on Harry Potter and the Deathly Harrows Part 2 locally.

[Monterey Jack]

To be honest, I was thinking the movies they would be doing this with would be modern film (a la Hans Zimmer), for the most part.

Yeah, two hours of --

[Paul MacLean]

Thanks for posting!

It’s great to see an increased appreciation for John Williams — not just as a composer of standalone film music but as a dramatist as well.

I love the idea of these concerts. That said, they must invariably center on popular movies to sell tickets, and not every popular movie has a great score.

But I have no interest in seeing Elf (with or without a live orchestra). I honestly don’t think the score for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is interesting enough to warrant a live orchestra screening either. And it’s ludicrous to screen The Princess Bride with a live orchestra — that movie’s score was originally electronic!

So I'm expecting more emphasis on MCU flicks, post-Williams Harry Potter scores or or Hans Zimmer as opposed to Ben-Hur, Patton, Dances With Wolves, or other more-deserving (and more historically-important) scores.

Deborah Borda’s comment “We have a responsibility to the canon of music” also sticks in my craw a bit. While I agree the New York Philharmonic oughtn’t devote a lot of time to Mark Knopfler scores, I detect another “film music isn’t real music” attitude.

[mkaroly]

Deborah Borda’s comment “We have a responsibility to the canon of music” also sticks in my craw a bit. While I agree the New York Philharmonic oughtn’t devote a lot of time to Mark Knopfler scores, I detect another “film music isn’t real music” attitude.

Agreed...her comment came across as arrogant to me. However, the interviewer's suggestions of doing 10 concerts a year because it was so popular also rubbed me the wrong way...don't oversaturate a special event by milking it for all it's worth. The film and TV streaming industry have done enough of that. These performances seem to me to be special...let them be just that.

[BobaMike]

I took the family to see the North American premiere of the LTP concert of Wallace & Grommit: The Wrong Trousers. It was great fun, although due to it being performed by the Northern VA Brass Band, there were no strings. So the music was adapted a bit, but still sounded pretty close to the real thing. My son plays the baritone in his school band, so he was excited to see it used quite a bit. This was the first time I've been to the new Capitol One Hall, which is a very nice concert venue in Tysons Corner, VA. As nice as Kennedy Center!



Julian Nott's score is fantastic (as are all of his W&G scores). Too bad the early and best ones are all unreleased (save for his promo cd (and a bootleg).

[Paul MacLean]

I took the family to see the North American premiere of the LTP concert of Wallace & Grommit: The Wrong Trousers. It was great fun, although due to it being performed by the Northern VA Brass Band, there were no strings.

Sorry for the delayed response!

Nice to see that score performed live. Nott's music is almost wall-to-wall, making The Wrong Trousers is a terrific choice for such a performance. Plus the movie is short and kid-friendly, and thus a good vehicle for attuning kids (and ADD adults!) to the art of film music.

[BobaMike]

Not a live to picture concert, but last night the National Symphony Orchestra did a "Classic Film Scores" concert at the Kennedy Center. It was one of the best film music concerts I've never been to. (and I've seen John Williams many times)

They played scores from the 1930s to the 1980s, showing the evolution of the classic symphonic sound. Not sure who chose the selections, but it was great. Many of the pieces were the suites from the old Gerhardt LPs.

King Kong (Main theme/ Jungle Dance in a suite/ arrangement that was new to me)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (16 minute suite)
Ben Hur (overture and parade of the charioteers)
Wuthering Heights
Sunset Boulevard
Now Voyager
Vertigo
Lawrence of Arabia (overture)
Once Upon a Time in America
Taxi Driver
ET (the adventures on earth suite).

I had great seats, and I've never heard an orchestra play so loud. King Kong and Ben Hur about blew me out of my seats, and the NSO played beautifully (Vertigo sounded amazing!). Not a flubbed note that I could hear. The concert was only about half full, sadly, and I overheard a couple behind me say that every piece sounded the same. Insane!

Tim Greiving wrote the wonderful program notes.

[mkaroly]

Wow - that is a heck of a set list. I am jealous!