Utah's Symphony Transforms Film Watching with Live Movie Scores

Frequently, the most cherished films are not just about visuals and storytelling but also encompass memorable musical scores that capture the essence of each scene. Despite their significance, music in movies is often an unsung hero as viewers get immersed in the narratives. Utah Symphony’s Films in Concert series revolutionizes how we experience cinema by allowing the music score to shine.

Live Orchestra Meets the Silver Screen

As part of an innovative concert series, the Utah Symphony performs film scores live, synchronized with the film’s showing on a massive screen. Audiences have the pleasure of experiencing a range of genres, from romantic comedies like Love Actually to action-packed adventures like Star Wars: The Force Awakens. The series recently featured the 1942 classic Casablanca, providing an immersive journey into the film's aural landscape.

The Process Behind the Music

The symphony’s approach to these concerts involves meticulous preparation. Scores are carefully extracted from the films to allow the live orchestra to fill the auditory space. A special version of the film, stripped of its original orchestrated tracks, is matched with a detailed score, complete with timestamps for synchronization purposes.

The Conductor's Role

The conductor’s role is pivotal, requiring precision to lead the orchestra in keeping time with the film. With the aid of a metronome, a screen with visual cues, and a clock displaying the score time, conductors ensure the music meshes flawlessly with the on-screen action.

Preparation and Musicianship

To prepare for such an event entails numerous personal practice hours and collective rehearsals. The musicians, described as world-class, exhibit a high degree of skill and dedication to master the scores and deliver a seamless performance, enriching the cinematic experience for attendees.

Looking to the Future

While the full upcoming schedule has not yet been announced, there’s excitement over future possibilities including performances to films such as Home Alone, Ghostbusters, and Jurassic Park. One of the more special past performances included Black Panther, featuring Massamba Diop, the original drummer for the film score.

In the realm of audience desires, the Lord of the Rings films are highly requested, posing both a challenge and an exciting opportunity for the symphony, which aims to fulfill these wishes in future seasons. Until then, concert-goers can look forward to How to Train Your Dragon this year, promising to be yet another unforgettable film with live score experience.

cinema, music, symphony