By Jason Hagey and Alisha Hagey
The Utah Symphony presented A Symphonic Night at the Movies: High Noon on Saturday, February 17 as part of an ongoing Film in Concert Series. The production style is known as “symphonic cinema.” Pioneered by John Goberman (producer), the blend of film and orchestra is nothing short of magical. I wasn’t sure what to expect when given the opportunity to see High Noon in Concert. Before arriving, I understood the principle idea – a film would be shown with subtitles while the symphony played the score. In reality, it was much more.
High Noon is a Paramount Pictures 1952 American western starring Gary Cooper and Grace Kelly, directed by Fred Zinnemann, with an orchestral score by Dimitri Tiomkin. The plot centers on a retiring town marshal single-handedly taking on a gang that has come back for revenge. The story is told almost in real-time; the title referring to the hour when a train would arrive with the major antagonist ready to join his posse. Before the foe arrives, the marshal confronts many of the townspeople, pleading for help, only to be shunned at every turn. The townspeople refuse to help the marshal believing that if they stay out of the fight, the fight will never happen. They turn their back on him but, undeterred in being honorable in fighting against criminals, the marshal stays in town to see to the deaths of each man or his own demise.
In contemporary society it feels as if the music of the people has become the soundtracks to our films. This isn’t to say that there aren’t brilliant contemporary orchestral composers, but that this music isn’t as readily accessible to the public. Performances like this one bridge the gap between our love of film and the need for symphonies in our life. Mixing this with great cinema classics like High Noon, that have enduring soundtracks composed by legends such as Timokin, seem like a brilliant way in which to introduce a younger audience to both orchestral music and to classic cinema.
When attending the symphony in the traditional sense you listen for a range and variation of sound. You want tone to blend the emotions of the music with the color of each instrument. Great orchestral music is more than just volume but rather a lush and vibrant experience that can often feel to be more than just an experience for the ears and eyes. I worried, foolishly, that when attending the symphony to hear them play a movie score, that somehow I would miss out on the range and color. Gratefully I was wrong. Instead, watching a favorite film with incredible artistry lent an ebullient quality to the experience.
Conducting, Conner Gray Covington was as delightful to watch as the film behind him. Even being a guest conductor, he had a wonderful energy and seemed to connect with the orchestra.
You felt a joy, the kind of pleasure in the artistry that emanated from the musicians. As the film ran, there were moments when the performers could rest. Seeing so many of them watching the film, and enjoying it as much as the audience, gave that extra pleasure to the music that often we do not get when hearing a classical piece played.
Not only did the music come alive, but the music brought the film to life in a way I have never experienced before. I have seen live performances of orchestras for silent films, a medium that was created with music in mind to demonstrate feeling and express genre. This performance expanded on that kind of experience. The seamless blend of spoken word and accentuated film score causes the character of the music to be both aid to the drama and the drama itself. Without a doubt, I would like to see every film this way.
There is nothing like merging a night at the symphony and a night at the movies. Go see Utah Symphony’s Films in Concert Series to see performance of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on June 27-28. Also, they announced that they will be expanding these performances next year with Ghostbusters, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, Casablanca, Star Wars: A New Hope, and ending with http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0330373/. I look forward to seeing these performances next year.
Utah Symphony presents High Noon in Concert
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Abravanel Hall, 123 W South Temple, Salt Lake City, UT 84101
February 17, 2018 7:00 PM
Tickets: $15-$72
This performance is Family Night eligible: $30 for two adults + 2 children.
Additional children/ $5 each, up to 6 per pass.
Discount available for youth ages 5 – 18
Contact: 801-533-6683
Utah Symphony Facebook Page
High Noon in Concert Utah Symphony Website
Utah Symphony Films In Concert Series
Utah Museum of Fine Arts (UMFA)
This world premiere performance is in collaboration with Go West! Art of the American Frontier from the Buffalo Bill Center of the West
December 3, 2017– March 11, 2018
Utah Museum of Fine Arts Website
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