The Cleveland Orchestra presented a concert celebrating the iconic film scores of John Williams, conducted by his longtime friend and successor at the Boston Pops, Keith Lockhart. The program featured excerpts from beloved movies like Jaws, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, E.T., and Harry Potter, along with lesser-known works, showcasing Williams' versatility and storytelling ability. Lockhart shared amusing anecdotes about Williams' early career, highlighting his enduring impact on cinema music.
Published: Feb. 15, 2025, 9:05 a.m.Friday evening was an indulgence — a trip down movie lane and performances by an orchestra at its most vivid, thanks to Williams’ ingenious scoring and Lockhart’s energized conducting.
Once, in his early days when Williams played a sample of something he’d written for disaster film producer Irwin Allen, the older man told him flatly he didn’t like it. Turning to another more experienced composer for council, Williams was told, “Tell you what you do. Whenever Allen’s name comes on the screen, put in a cymbal crash.” Williams did and Allen, after hearing the revision, was amazed by the improvement. “What did you do?” he asked.
Williams writes so descriptively that images reanimated before our eyes — E.T.’s flying bicycle, Darth Vader’s menacing, Harrison Ford’s run in with a giant boulder. And heard in the concert hall, the music revealed itself more fully — Harry Potter never sounded so balletic, nor Star Wars so operatic.from “Memoirs of a Geisha” was revelatory, featuring a lovely performance by cellist Richard Weiss and showing Williams’ skill as a chameleon.
JOHN WILLIAMS FILM MUSIC KEITH LOCKHART CLEVELAND ORCHESTRA CONCERT REVIEW
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