And the Oscar goes to…
Brisbane-based state company Queensland Symphony Orchestra reminds us why music is a crucial component to the motion picture experience in their annual orchestral extravaganza Cinematic: The Oscars.
Have you ever seen a professional orchestra perform live on stage? Perhaps you’ve been to a musical, ballet or opera which features one? If you’ve never experienced any of the above, here’s why you should consider giving it a go.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s performance of Cinematic: The Oscars was a joyous romp from start to finish, filled with timeless movie classics that prove you don’t need a physical stimulus to be engaged with the music set before you.
Entering QPAC’s Concert Hall, the audience was met with an impressive display, where the Orchestra was dressed to the nines in their Sunday best, paying homage to the glitz and glamour of Oscars prestige. Book-ending the stage were two large Oscar trophy statues, giving a prelude of what was to come.
Conductor Benjamin Northey brought a suave, charismatic energy to his performance. The audience knew they were in for a treat when Northey came bounding from the front row of the audience to accept his ‘Oscar for best conductor’ before the performance commenced. Enjoyment of the performance was seen as something to be encouraged, with audience interaction sprinkled throughout – like whistling along to the theme of The Great Escape.
One of the most pleasantly surprising scores performed was John Williams’ “Shark Theme” from Suite from Jaws. It comes as no surprise however, that just two notes from this piece are perhaps the most famous for their menacing association with Sharks. As the music built to a peak, the entire orchestra bellowed a loud scream, like the victim of the dreaded Jaws attack, seeing the audience rupture in laughter. Northey recommended the audience perhaps rethink going for a night swim after hearing this piece, and these are certainly wise words to live by.
Providing a brief introduction to each score added an educational element to the performance, where the audience was given deeper insight into the significance of each piece presented and its composer, making it a welcoming atmosphere for both adults and young people – who are perhaps less familiar with attending performances of this nature.
Enter Rachel Portman‘s original score for the 1996 film adaptation of Jane Austen’s Emma, the first Oscar win for a woman in the original score category. As the Orchestra began to play the first few notes of Portman’s end credits score, suddenly I was transported back to childhood. I’m 7 years old again, sat on the living room floor of my family home, watching in wonder, reveling in the giddiness of girlhood and the kicking of feet at happily ever after. All it takes is a concert filled with multi-genre movie scores to remind you of the power held in music memory.
It would be somewhat remiss of me not to mention the exquisite soloist performance of soprano Nina Korbe, who recently featured in Opera Queensland’s stunning season of La boheme. Korbe brought a sweet melodic sound to Richard Rodger‘s “Edelweiss” from The Sound of Music and bubbly energy to Leonard Bernstein‘s “I Feel Pretty” from West Side Story , a true standout performance of the evening.
Finally, audiences were treated to encore performances of “The Avengers (Main Theme)” by Alan Silvestri and “The Imperial March (Darth Vader’s Theme)” by John Williams from the Star Wars film franchise. Overall, an iconic conclusion to an iconic evening of epic film scores.
