The Music of John Williams
Royal Scottish National Orchestra
Saturday 14th March 2015
Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
Miranda Heggie
Four Stars
When seasoned film conductor Richard Kaufman declares to the audience that 'no other orchestra can play film music as well as the RSNO' he is surely not wrong! Though playing a phenomenally integral part to the stories of the silver screen, the music written for films can often be neglected, yet who can imagine Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Indiana Jones or Jaw without even a few bars of John music playing through their minds? Saturday's concert saw the Royal Scottish National Orchestra quite rightly giving Williams' exceptionally vivid music centre stage. To hear these themes which we all know so well played by such an accomplished group of musicians can remind us of the skilled artistry and creative insight involved in creating these scores which underpin the storytelling of some of the world's most celebrated movies.
The orchestra maintained a polished, lucid sound as they made their way through Hollywood favourites. The theme from the 1995 remake of Sabrina had sultry, mellow hues and measured sense of push and pull, with pianist Lynda Cochrane adding an impressionistic quality to the blurry, dreamlike melodies on the piano. 'Devil's Dance' from the Witches of Eastwick' had a frenzied determination, wonderfully evoking the machiavellian nature of the central character. The music from the Harry Potter films was given celestial shades, laden with intrigue, while 'Flight to Neverland' from Hook, Steven Spielberg's take J. M. Barrie's tale was lively and animated, conjuring up images of Peter Pan, Captain Hook and the Lost Boys.
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