Review: The grand old sound of "A New Hope"

This article originally appeared at 88.1 KDHX, where Chuck Lavazzi is the senior performing arts critic.

L-R: Mark Hamill, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford

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A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away, an Imperial battle cruiser swooped down across the screen to the strains of a full symphony orchestra. Movies and movie music have never been quite the same since.

This past weekend (January 25-27), Gemma New and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra reminded me of that magic moment as they performed John Williams's score for "Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope" (or, as it was known back in 1977, plain old "Star Wars") while the film played on the big screen above them. And as thrilling as it was to hear that big, old-fashioned sound in a theatre back in the day, nothing quite compares with the visceral impact of hearing it performed live by an 80-piece orchestra.

That's especially when it's the exemplary members of our own SLSO. When we attended on Saturday night, the horns and brass were in excellent form, the percussion section was impeccably precise, and the orchestra in general performed at a very high level. On the podium, Ms. New did her usual flawless job conducting in synch with the film--a skill that has apparently become increasingly important for younger conductors in recent years.

Gemma New

Williams sprinkled his score with lots of fun orchestral details that aren't always noticeable in a movie house, but which emerge with great clarity live. That includes the reference to Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring" for C-3PO's trek across the Tatooine desert, the menacing low brass passages for the Empire and its minions, and the grand triumphal march at the end, which has always reminded me of the patriotic declarations of Elgar and Walton. Yes, the film remains a Certified Rouser, but hearing the score live gave me an opportunity to appreciate Williams's consummate skill as a composer once again.

Fans of the "Star Wars" series probably noted that the version of the film screened this weekend was not the original 1977 release, but rather the digitally remastered 1997 re-release, in which many of the original special effects shots were enhanced and a few new scenes using computer animation were added--most notably a meeting between Han Solo and Jabba the Hut. It looked wonderful on Powell Hall's big screen, and the dialog tracks were crystal clear. The hard-of-hearing members of our party also appreciated the captioning, which seems to now be a standard practice for these events.

Big movie events like this one have become very popular with symphony orchestras for obvious financial reasons. Certainly "Star Wars: A New Hope" attracted a huge, enthusiastic crowd that filled nearly every seat in Powell Hall and gave the orchestra a happy standing ovation at the end. How many of them will return to see the orchestra without a movie screen over their heads is another question, but as far as I'm concerned anything that exposes folks to the splendid playing of the SLSO is a good thing.

Next at Powell Hall: Matthias Pintscher conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra and pianist Kirill Gerstein Friday and Saturday at 8 pm, February 1 and 2. The concerts will consist of Rachmaninoff's "The Isle of the Dead," Scriabin's Piano Concerto, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No. 3 ("Scottish"). The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center.

Symphony Preview, December 11-13, 2015: Dear John

John Williams receiving the
2009 National Medal of Arts

This weekend the St. Louis Symphony is repeating what is starting to look like a holiday tradition with a celebration of the film music of John Williams, conducted by maestro David Robertson. If it's anything like previous programs of Williams' music, it will certainly make a joyful noise — and isn't that largely what the season is all about?

John Williams, who will turn 84 in February, is probably the best known and most frequently recorded film music composer of the last 100 years. He's certainly one of the most honored, with five Oscars, four Golden Globes, 22 Grammys, seven BAFTA awards, and, for all I know, a partridge in a pear tree. With 49 Oscar nominations, he is the second most-nominated individual in that award's history. His most visible work has been for blockbusters like "Jurassic Park", the first Harry Potter film, the "Indiana Jones" films, and the "Star Wars" series, but Mr. Williams's involvement with the film music business extends all the way back to his days as a jazz keyboardist and film and TV studio pianist. Remember piano riff for "Peter Gunn"? That's him.

When you go, expect an evening of Williams's Monster Hits, including music from "Jurassic Park," "Superman," and "Home Alone". And if a program this close to Christmas doesn't include the popular "Christmas Memory" song from that last movie, I'll eat my mistletoe.

There will be new music as well. The SLSO web site promises selections from the score of the latest "Star Wars" installment "The Force Awakens". Judging from past programs, you can probably also expect music from "Empire of the Sun," "Saving Private Ryan," "Amistad," and "Close Encounters of the Third Kind". That last one has a wonderful microtonal opening that has to be heard live to be fully appreciated.

I'm promising nothing, though. Unlike other SLSO concerts, this one does not have any downloadable program notes, so the program itself will be a bit of a surprise.

The SLSO has had quite a public affair for some time now with movies and movie music. Previous seasons have included showings of classic silent films such as "Phantom of the Opera" and "City Lights" with the scores performed live, as well as more recent blockbusters like "Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring" and "The Matrix." This season we've already had a screening of "Back to the Future" with the Alan Silvestri score played live. In January we'll have the charming animated comedy "Ratatouille" with Michael Giacchino conducting his own score and in April the music of John Williams returns as the SLSO presents a screening of "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial".

Granted, it's a match born out of financial necessity more than love, as these programs nearly always sell out and are probably quite profitable. But if they attract audiences who have never experienced the heady cocktail of a live orchestral performance then I, for one, am all for it.

The Essentials: David Robertson conducts the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in The Music of John Williams on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m., December 11-13. The concerts take place at Powell Symphony Hall, 718 North Grand in Grand Center. For more information: stlsymphony.org.