Canberra Symphony Orchestra will bring the music of “the” film composer to life in The Art of the Score: The Music of John Williams. Photo: Martin Ollman.
The lights dim, the baton lifts and with a single, soaring note, you’re no longer in a concert hall – you’re in a galaxy far, far away, fleeing a hungry T-Rex, or watching a boy wizard take flight.
Few sounds are as instantly recognisable, or as deeply woven into our collective imagination, as the music of John Williams.
From Star Wars to Jurassic Park, Harry Potter to Jaws, Indiana Jones to Home Alone, E.T. to Superman and so many more, if a tune has ever helped define a movie for you, chances are Williams is behind it. His scores have shaped some of cinema’s most unforgettable moments.
Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) audiences can experience that magic live, as The Art of the Score: The Music of John Williams comes to the capital for two spellbinding nights in July.
CSO’s Kurt Overzet says many major pop culture franchises have been made by the scores of John Williams.
“Think of the Jurassic Park or the Indiana Jones theme songs as iconic as the characters themselves,” he said.
To this day Williams has more Academy Award nominations than any other living person. His genius is such that, though made for orchestras, his music is universally loved.
“It’s the perfect introduction to classical music for people who’ve never been to an orchestral performance. They’ll sit alongside die-hard classical music lovers. This is a concert for everyone,” Kurt says.
“We’re leaning into the fun of it all, so it’s great for kids and we’ll be encouraging people to dress up as their favourite character from a John Williams film.”
The Art of the Score is not your standard symphony orchestral event. It’s part behind-the-scenes tour, where podcasters Andrew Pogson, Dan Golding and conductor Jessica Gethin take audiences on an odyssey exploring Williams’ iconic compositional style and celebrating some of his most cherished film scores.
This allows audiences a deep dive into his artistic vision.
“Unlike traditional classical music scores, film scores are created with an artistic vision in mind from the actual film itself. It has to stretch across the different mediums of storytelling and is a critical component for setting the scene and creating the emotional connections we form to the story and characters,” Kurt says.
“While made for a symphony orchestra, hearing the music performed live is a completely different experience – it’s transcendent.”
While The Art of the Score is expected to sell out, those who miss out might be interested in Cottis conducts the planets from Wednesday 5 to Thursday 6 November, which features the music that inspired Star Wars.
In The Planets, Gustav Holst personifies the celestial spheres. In the shadow of the Great War, he composed Mars and Venus – war and peace – then Mercury through Neptune and to the icy edges of the solar system. The Planets ends – by Holst’s design – when “the sound is lost in the distance”.
“It inspired The Imperial March in Star Wars, one of Williams’ most iconic works,” Kurt says. “The Planets will be a great follow on from The Art of the Score.”
Art of the Score: The Music of John Williams takes place on Thursday 24 and Friday 25 July, at Canberra’s Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music. Tickets range from $74 to $129 for adults, $69 to $114 for concessions and $69 for under 35s — book via CSO Direct.
