Star Wars And Beyond: Here’s a classical concert like no other

SINGAPORE – Movies such as Star Wars, Jaws or Indiana Jones are memorable not only because they have an entertaining or gripping story or because their visual effects are out of this world – in Star Wars’ case, quite literally.

They also benefit from having a great score.

For instance, anyone can hum the opening notes from the Imperial March from the Star Wars series (ba ba ba, ba ba-ba, ba ba-baaa!) or the ominous two-note theme from Jaws, or the exuberant brassy theme from Indiana Jones (ba ba-ba baaa, ba ba-baaa...),

Music has always played a prominent role in music, but that these movies iconic scores resonate almost as much as the movie itself is all thanks to the genius of American composer John Williams, who is responsible for not only coming up with the scores from those three movies, but a whole lot more.

These include Fiddler On The Roof, Superman, ET The Extra-Terrestrial and Schindler’s List, to name but a few. With 50 Academy Award nominations to his name – and five wins – Williams is the most nominated individual in Oscar history after Walt Disney.

Today and tomorrow, fans of movie theme music are in for a treat. Playing three shows at the MasterCard Theatre at Marina Bay Sands is The Iconic Film Scores Of John Williams: Star Wars And Beyond, a unique classical concert experience that showcases the maestro’s filmic masterpieces with specifically programmed multi-coloured light and laser displays. There will also be a pyrotechnic finale.

British conductor Anthony Inglis, who flew in to conduct the 80-piece Singapore Metropolitan Festival Orchestra for the show, let us in on why Williams’ music works.

“Besides his rich lush orchestrations, John Williams cleverly uses a device called leitmotif, a snatch of tune or theme that is associated with a character of the film,” explained the 63-year-old who is currently the Music Director of London’s National Symphony Orchestra, as well as the musical supervisor and consultant for The Phantom Of The Opera at Her Majesty’s Theatre in England.

The five-note riff from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, of example, is always associated with the arrival of the aliens in the movie. As is the opening fanfare of the main theme in the Star Wars movies, which occur during the title crawl.

Even though Williams was recently nominated for an Oscar (for Star Wars: The Force Awakens), his most iconic works are mainly from the ‘70s and ‘80s. Still, Inglis believes that Star Wars And Beyond will appeal to music lovers of all ages.

“It’s not a traditional classical, ‘sit down and listen’ type of concert. It’s a show. Along with great music, there will be lights, lasers, pyrotechnics and humour,” he said. “As John Williams’ works are such great but complicated pieces, the audience will also get to see a symphony orchestra – and we have a real good one – in full flight in their technical ability.”

Of course, not every music piece will have lasers or pyrotechnics. “That would be too distracting especially when it comes to the difficult pieces,” said Inglis.

To that end, they have roped in Durham Marenghi, the lighting director who will also be handling the Rio 2016 Olympics opening and closing ceremonies. “We’ve worked often together and he knows exactly what we should do with an orchestra.”

There might even be surprises from the conductor himself. “I don’t want to reveal too much but there will be Jedi robes, a lightsaber and possibly an Indiana Jones hat and whip. I’ll have to see how the mood takes me and how the audience reacts,” he said with a grin.

Of all the scores he will be conducting in the musical extravaganza, Inglis has two favourites. One is the suite from Close Encounters Of The Third Kind, which he said has a musical style that starts off in a very atmospheric and contemporary way “with strange sounds from the orchestra, before developing into a most gorgeous lush harmonic tune”.

“That, to me, is eight minutes of sheer heaven!” he added.

The other is Duel Of The Fates from Star Wars Episode 1: The Phantom Menace. It is played during the lightsaber duel in Theed between Darth Maul, Qui-Gon Jinn and Obi-Wan Kenobi near the end of the movie.

“It’s fast, exciting and loud, and at the end you just feel a huge sense of achievement!” said Inglis of that composition.

Of course, the question is: Does one have to see any of the films that John Williams wrote for in order to get into the mood of this presentation? Not really, said Inglis. “The language is in the score. Everything the composer wants to say is in the score. Just come and enjoy the spectacular and great music.”

The Iconic Film Scores Of John Williams: Star Wars And Beyond is on March 11 and 12, 7.30pm (with 2pm matinee tomorrow), at MasterCard Theatres at Marina Bay Sands. Tickets from S$65 from SISTIC.