7/21/2019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/meet-the-music-at-the-movies-john-williams 1/29 Mee he Music Thursdy 27 Februry 2014 Kleidoscope Fridy 28 Februry 2014 Surdy 1 Mrch 2014 ROBERTSON CONDUCTS JOHN WILLIAMS
A complete which documents musical characteristics of John Willams' major musical scores. Excellent for use as a classroom resource
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7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
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The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
John Willi983137ms is credi983156ed wi983156h res983156oring symphonic sound 983156o
983156he movies in 983156he 1970s ndash pu983156983156ing 983156he orches983156r983137 b983137ck in983156o 983156he
cinem983137 So i983156 seems righ983156 983156o re983156urn 983156he complimen983156 983156onigh983156 by
bringing his film music in983156o 983156he concer983156 h983137ll
Willi983137ms spe983137rhe983137ded 983156he symphonic reviv983137l wi983156h his score
for The Poseidon Adven983156ure in 1972 I983156s big Korngold-inspired
sound m983137de w983137ves 983137f983156er 983137 dec983137de in which sound983156r983137cks h983137d983156ended 983156ow983137rds j983137zz pop 983137nd elec983156ronics 983137nd in which every
movie simply h983137d 983156o h983137ve 983137 hi983156 song (983156hink Moon River ) His
983137w983137rd-winning score for J983137ws followed in 1975 Then 983156wo
ye983137rs l983137983156er he wro983156e 983156he film score 983156h983137983156 re983137lly m983137de his n983137me
In S983156983137r W983137rs no983156 only were 983137udiences given 983137 lush orches983156r983137l
score 983156h983137983156 score w983137s 983137ccomp983137nying science fic983156ion John
983137983156 he983137r983156 983137 work of rom983137n983156ic s983156ory983156elling I983156 is 983137f983156er 983137ll lsquo A long983156ime 983137go in 983137 g983137l983137xy f983137r f983137r 983137w983137yrsquo
Since 983156hen John Willi983137ms h983137s given 983137udiences 983156he scores
for Close Encoun983156ers of 983156he Third Kind Superm983137n (1978)
more S983156983137r W983137rs films 983156he Indi983137n983137 Jones movies beginning
wi983156h R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark in 1981 ET 983156he Ex983156r983137-Terres983156ri983137l
The Wi983156ches of E983137s983156wick Empire of 983156he Sun 983156he more in983156im983137983156e
sound worlds of The Acciden983156983137l Touris983156 983137nd Home Alone
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
From Jaws to Jurassic ParkhellipJohn Williams and his Style
The s983156983137983156is983156ics 983137lone 983137re giddying five Ac983137demy Aw983137rds (Fiddler
on 983156he Roof J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs ET 983137nd Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 ) 983137lmos983156
50 Osc983137r nomin983137983156ions 983137nd 983137 score which in 2005 983156opped 983156he
Americ983137n Film Ins983156i983156u983156ersquos lis983156 of 983156he 25 gre983137983156es983156 film scores of
983156he cen983156ury (S983156983137r W983137rs) Bu983156 perh983137ps more indic983137983156ive of 983156he
con983156ribu983156ion 983156h983137983156 John Willi983137ms h983137s m983137de 983156o film is 983156h983137983156 his
n983137me is f983137mili983137r 983156o such 983137 l983137rge sec983156ion of 983156he cinem983137-going
public No o983156her film composer living or de983137d h983137s been 983156he
recipien983156 of 983137 comp983137r983137ble level of popul983137r 983137ccl983137im 983137nd
recogni983156ion So s983156rongly do his fellow Americ983137ns iden983156ify wi983156h
983156he v983137lues inspired by his music he h983137s been invi983156ed 983156o
compose for m983137ny occ983137sions of n983137983156ion983137l signific983137nce
including four Olympic G983137mes 983137nd ceremonies
commemor983137983156ing 983156he cen983156en983137ry of 983156he S983156983137983156ue of Liber983156y 983156he
500983156h 983137nnivers983137ry of 983156he 983137rriv983137l of Chris983156opher Columbus in
Americ983137 983137nd 983156he in983137ugur983137983156ion of Presiden983156 B983137r983137ck Ob983137m983137
Willi983137ms is jus983156ly f983137mous for his sweeping richly scored983156hemes bu983156 983156he bre983137d983156h of his screen ou983156pu983156 mus983156 983137lso 983137rouse
lsquoWhen you enter a movie
theatre you become
aware of sound in adifferent way the
lights go down and
you give yourself to the
complete experience
that awaits you John
Williams understands
this and finds just the
right combination ofsounds and timbres to
communicate with us
on a very deep
emotional levelrsquo
DAVID ROBERTSON
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
rigours of profession983137l music983137l life from 983137n e983137rly 983137ge Willi983137ms
spen983156 hours w983137983156ching his f983137983156her work 983137nd credi983156s 983156his wi983156h
fos983156ering 983137 f983137scin983137983156ion wi983156h orches983156r983137l 983156ex983156ures 983137s he would
pick ou983156 983156he lines pl983137yed by 983156he v983137rious ins983156rumen983156s Form983137l
music s983156udies in C983137liforni983137 were followed by 983137 s983156in983156 in 983156he US Air
Force where he composed 983137nd 983137rr983137nged for mili983156983137ry b983137nds On
being disch983137rged he moved 983156o New York where he s983156udied pi983137no983137983156 Juilli983137rd 983137nd picked up work 983137s 983137 j983137zz pi983137nis983156 983137nd 983137rr983137nger
Willi983137ms subsequen983156ly re983156urned 983156o Los Angeles where his
sigh983156-re983137ding 983137bili983156ies e983137rned him 983137 job 983137s 983137 pi983137nis983156 wi983156h
Columbi983137 S983156udios He h983137d no p983137r983156icul983137r in983156eres983156 in film music
983137983156 983156his poin983156 bu983156 983137 ch983137nce oppor983156uni983156y resul983156ed in 983137rr983137nging
work which he e983137gerly 983137ccep983156ed I983156 w983137s during his nex983156 job
however working 983137983156 Univers983137l under Alfred Newm983137n 983137nd
Bern983137rd Herrm983137nn 983156h983137983156 Willi983137ms re983137lly served his
983137ppren983156iceship 983137nd developed 983156he kind of musici983137nship 983137ndwork e983156hic 983156h983137983156 would m983137ke him one of Hollywoodrsquos mos983156
prolific 983137nd vers983137983156ile film composers
Under 983156he 983156erms of his seven-ye983137r con983156r983137c983156 he h983137d 983156o wri983156e
983156he music for 39ndash40 one-hour 983156elevision shows per ye983137r ndash on
983137ver983137ge one every week For 983156his he h983137d 983156o hop be983156ween genres ndash
one week 983137 comedy 983156he nex983156 983137 Wes983156ern 983156he following 983137 sp983137ce
oper983137 lsquoI w983137s no983156 selec983156iversquo he s983137ys lsquoI would do wh983137983156ever I w983137s
John Williamsrsquo
lsquorange is without bounds
his inspiration seems
unending and his
power to unlock our
emotions is
breathtakingrsquo
DR
L U C A S F I L M
2 0 T H C
E N T U R Y
F O X T
H E
K O B A L C O L L E C T I O N
M983137rk H983137mill C983137rrie Fisher 983137nd
H983137rrison Ford in 983156he origin983137l
S983156983137r W983137rs
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137nd be983137ring Willi983137ms w983137s impressed by his en983156husi983137sm 983137nd
knowledge of 983156he film music c983137non 983137nd 983137greed Thus beg983137n 983137n
983137r983156is983156ic p983137r983156nership 983156h983137983156 h983137s endured for 40 ye983137rs (Willi983137ms
h983137s scored 983137ll bu983156 one of Spielbergrsquos direc983156ori983137l films) 983137nd
r983137ised 983156he symbio983156ic rel983137983156ionship of cinem983137983156ic sound 983137nd
vision 983156o dizzying new heigh983156s His coll983137bor983137983156ions wi983156h
Spielberg 983137nd George Luc983137s h983137ve resul983156ed in his mos983156 popul983137r
983137nd successful scores 983137nd h983137ve led 983156o his being credi983156ed wi983156hres983156oring 983156he symphonic componen983156 983156o 983156he modern film score
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
perh983137ps consis983156ing of 983137 mere few no983156es wi983156h which he is 983137ble
983156o ex983156r983137c983156 983156he full dr983137m983137983156ic essence of 983137 s983156ory or ch983137r983137c983156er
Moreover he is 983137ble 983156o convey 983156his essence 983156o 983156he viewer usingmusic983137l l983137ngu983137ge 983156h983137983156 reson983137983156es ins983156983137n983156983137neously
Willi983137ms w983137s well 983137w983137re of Spielbergrsquos 983137nd Luc983137srsquos desire 983156o
rec983137p983156ure 983156he rom983137n983156icism 983137nd exci983156emen983156 of 983156he bl983137ck-983137nd-
whi983156e movies 983137nd 983137c983156ion seri983137ls of 983156heir childhood 983137nd so he
mined his by now ex983156ensive film composerrsquos 983137rsen983137l 983156o cre983137983156e
983137 fi983156983156ing music983137l 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 T983137king 983156he m983137in 983156heme of
S983156983137r W983137rs 983137s 983137n ex983137mple 983156he re983137son i983156 is so firmly embedded
in our subconscious is no983156 jus983156 bec983137use of i983156s simple di983137983156oniccons983156ruc983156ion (i983156 consis983156s of 983156he firs983156 five no983156es of 983156he m983137jor
sc983137le) bu983156 983137lso bec983137use i983156 rec983137lls some very f983137mili983137r music983137l
rhe983156oric you c983137n he983137r reminiscences of Erich Wolfg983137ng
Korngoldrsquos her983137ldic br983137ss in 983156he Errol Flynn sw983137shbucklers 983137nd
of Hols983156i983137n 983156riple983156s 983137nd 983156he dis983156inc983156ive c983137dence 983137983156 983156he end of
983156he firs983156 phr983137se is 983156ypic983137l of 983156h983137983156 used in 983156he epic wes983156erns of
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
983137s i983156 depic983156s 983156he doomed love of An983137kin Skyw983137lker 983137nd P983137dmeacute
Amid983137l983137 So unerring 983137re his dr983137m983137983156ic ins983156inc983156s 983156h983137983156 Spielberg
credi983156s Willi983137ms 983137s m983137king him 983137 lsquobe983156983156er direc983156or 983156h983137n I couldever h983137ve been wi983156hou983156 himrsquo
John Willi983137ms h983137s 983137dmi983156983156ed 983156h983137983156 wi983156h movie fr983137nchises
his job is m983137de e983137sier by vir983156ue of h983137ving exis983156ing 983156hem983137983156ic
m983137983156eri983137l 983156o work wi983156h In 983137ddi983156ion 983156o s983137ving l983137bour 983156his offers
983137 con983156inui983156y 983137nd cohesion 983156h983137983156 film music being essen983156i983137lly 983137
sl983137ve 983156o 983156he n983137rr983137983156ive migh983156 o983156herwise l983137ck Willi983137ms does 983156his
ex983156ensively in 983137ll his scores 983156hemes re983137ppe983137r in differen983156
guises of983156en foresh983137dowing even983156s in 983156he s983156ory (for ex983137mple
An983137kinrsquos Theme from The Ph983137n983156om Men983137ce reve983137ls 983156r983137ces of
D983137r983156h V983137derrsquos 983156heme 983156he Imperi983137l M983137rch hin983156ing 983137983156 983156he young
boyrsquos des983156iny) In 983156his respec983156 Willi983137ms h983137s exp983137nded 983156he film
score form 983156o incorpor983137983156e some of 983156he s983156ruc983156ur983137l in983156egri983156y of
983137bsolu983156e music 983137nd 983156he concer983156 sui983156es 983156h983137983156 he h983137s ex983156r983137c983156ed
from his scores 983156983137ke 983156his 983137 s983156ep fur983156her
From 983156he concer983156 h983137ll 983156o 983156he cinem983137 983137nd b983137ck 983137g983137inSuch is John Willi983137msrsquo repu983156983137983156ion 983156h983137983156 he c983137n 983137983156983156r983137c983156 some of
983156he mos983156 respec983156ed n983137mes in cl983137ssic983137l music 983156o conduc983156 his
music 983137nd perform on his film sound983156r983137cks including Reneacutee
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
composer w983137s looked down upon by 983156he music es983156983137blishmen983156
He no983156es 983156h983137983156 where983137s 983156he references of 983156he origin983137l film
composers of Hollywoodrsquos e983137rly ye983137rs s983156emmed from
Europe983137n 983137r983156 music 983156he si983156u983137983156ion h983137s now been 983156urned on i983156s
he983137d wi983156h m983137ny presen983156-d983137y cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s
John Ad983137ms dr983137wing inspir983137983156ion from medi983137 or commerci983137l
music (Inciden983156983137lly 983156he 983137r983156is983156ic snobbery Willi983137ms refers 983156odidnrsquo983156 seem 983156o exis983156 elsewhere in Bri983156983137in 983156he ou983156pu983156 of
es983156eemed composers such 983137s Ar983156hur Bliss R983137lph V983137ugh983137n
Willi983137ms 983137nd Willi983137m W983137l983156on included film 983137nd 983137 simil983137r
si983156u983137983156ion exis983156ed elsewhere in Europe)
Despi983156e his conduc983156ing commi983156men983156s 983137nd concer983156 works
983137mong which he coun983156s 983156wo symphonies 983137nd some 15
concer983156os Willi983137ms h983137s no in983156en983156ion of 983156urning his b983137ck on
films 983137nd h983137s confirmed 983156h983137983156 he will compose 983156he score for
Episode VII in 983156he S983156983137r W983137rs series scheduled for rele983137se in
December 2015 If 983156here were 983156o be 983137no983156her ins983156983137lmen983156 in 983156he
Indi983137n983137 Jones fr983137nchise wi983156h S983156even Spielberg 983137s direc983156or you
c983137n be983156 Willi983137ms would be 983137983156 983156he podium
The es983156eem in which Spielberg holds 983156he composer is bes983156
summed up by 983137n 983137necdo983156e rel983137983156ed by Willi983137ms himself who
983156ells of being so moved by 983156he ini983156i983137l screening of Schindlerrsquos
Lis983156 983156h983137983156 he h983137d 983156o s983156ep ou983156side 983156o compose himself When he
expressed 983156he concern 983156h983137983156 he didnrsquo983156 983156hink he could do i983156 983137nd983156h983137983156 perh983137ps Spielberg should find 983137no983156her composer 983156he
l983137983156983156er replied lsquoI know bu983156 983156heyrsquore 983137ll de983137drsquo Among filmrsquos
gre983137983156es983156 composers for S983156even Spielberg 983137983156 le983137s983156 John
Willi983137ms is 983156he l983137s983156 m983137n s983156983137nding
LORRAINE NEILSON
SYMPHONY SERVICES INTERNATIONAL copy 2014
U N I V E R S A L T H E
K O B A L C O L L
E C T I O N
J A M E S
D A V I D
Li983137m Neeson 983137nd Ben Kingsley in
Schindlerrsquos Lis983156 (1993) Violinis983156
I983156zh983137k Perlm983137n w983137s fe983137983156ured in
983156he sound983156r983137ck
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
When John Willi983137ms wri983156es one of his sign983137983156ure lsquoheroicrsquo 983156hemes
hersquos 983156983137pping in983156o 983156he 983137udiencersquos collec983156ive ndash 983137nd possiblyunconscious ndash memories of movies p983137s983156 The films which
m983137de him f983137mous (J983137ws S983156983137r W983137rs R983137iders of 983156he Los983156 Ark
Jur983137ssic P983137rk ET) drew from such diverse genres 983137s 983137c983156ion-
983137dven983156ure mons983156er movies sci-fi 983137nd even 983156he Wes983156ern
These were big-budge983156 blockbus983156ers 983156h983137983156 h983137rked b983137ck 983156o 983137
previous perh983137ps more innocen983156 er983137 in filmm983137king ndash 983137n er983137
when 983156he 983137c983156ion on screen w983137s underscored by 983156he full forces
of 983137 symphony orches983156r983137 H983137ving 983137lre983137dy cre983137983156ed symphonic
scores for The Poseidon Adven983156ure 983137nd The Towering Inferno
Wh983137983156 we 983156hink of 983156od983137y 983137s 983156he cl983137ssic983137l Hollywood score w983137s
pioneered by 983137 selec983156 b983137nd of highly gif983156ed composers m983137ny
of 983156hem eacutemigreacutes from Europe who codified 983156he form in 983156he
music dep983137r983156men983156s of m983137jor film s983156udios during 983156he so-c983137lled
Golden Age of Hollywood of 983156he 1930s 40s 983137nd 50s Al983156hough
sound h983137d figured in pic983156ures since 1927 983156he music fe983137983156uredin e983137rly 983156983137lkies w983137s rudimen983156983137ry 983137nd 983156ended 983156o consis983156 of
discre983156e song 983137nd d983137nce numbers I983156 w983137snrsquo983156 un983156il 983156he e983137rly
1930s 983156h983137983156 983156he pr983137c983156ice of dr983137m983137983156ic underscoring c983137me in983156o
being 983137s 983137 fully fledged componen983156 of 983156he filmm983137king process
The pr983137c983156ice ndash 983137l983156hough 983156hese d983137ys i983156rsquos righ983156fully considered
983137n 983137r983156 ndash re983137lly c983137me in983156o i983156s own wi983156h 983156he 983137rriv983137l of such
composers 983137s M983137x S983156einer Erich Wolfg983137ng Korngold Fr983137nz
983156o 983156urn 983156heir h983137nds 983156o 983137ny 983156ype of music c983137lled for by 983156he job in
ques983156ion The highly dis983156inc983156ive s983156yle 983156hey forged c983137me 983156o be
ch983137r983137c983156erised by 983156hrough-composed music983137l commen983156983137ry
clo983156hed in ex983156r983137v983137g983137n983156 orches983156r983137983156ions wi983156hin 983137n expressive
l983137983156e-Rom983137n983156ic idiom
How 983156his s983156yle c983137me 983137bou983156 is open 983156o deb983137983156e 983137nd could
be 983156he resul983156 of v983137rious f983137c983156ors The Aus983156ro-Germ983137n music983137lheri983156983137ge of 983156he composers migh983156 983137ccoun983156 for 983156he obvious
influence of cl983137ssic983137l composers such 983137s Rich983137rd S983156r983137uss
983137nd W983137gner Ano983156her f983137c983156or however could be wh983137983156 John
Willi983137ms refers 983156o when he uses 983156he 983156erm lsquounivers983137lismsrsquo
one of 983156he prim983137ry func983156ions of film music is 983156o communic983137983156e
emo983156ions or lsquo983137ffec983156srsquo 983156o 983156he 983137udience especi983137lly in 983156he 983137bsence
of explici983156 visu983137l cues or di983137logue To be 983137ble 983156o do 983156his i983156 mus983156
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
sen983156imen983156s In 983137ddi983156ion Hollywood w983137s 983156he purveyor of
dre983137ms 983156he 983156eller of 983156983137les of hero 983137g983137ins983156 vill983137in boy mee983156s
girl good versus evil ndash subjec983156 m983137983156983156er 983156h983137983156 w983137s mos983156
effec983156ively underscored by 983137 lush chrom983137983156ic bu983156 l983137rgely 983156on983137l
sound983156r983137ck
In 983156erms of music983137l gr983137mm983137r sever983137l 983156echniques exploi983156ed
by 983156he Golden Age composers 983137re s983156ill used ex983156ensively by
983156heir presen983156-d983137y coun983156erp983137r983156s One is 983156he use of mo983156ifs or
983156hemes represen983156ing specific ch983137r983137c983156ers pl983137ces ide983137s or
emo983156ions 983137 983156echnique used prolific983137lly by W983137gner in his epicRing cycle of oper983137s M983137x S983156einer 983137cknowledged 983156his deb983156
when he commen983156ed 983156h983137983156 if W983137gner h983137d been 983137live during 983156he
Hollywood er983137 he would h983137ve been lsquo983156he Number One film
composerrsquo The mo983156if 983137c983156s 983137s 983137 signifier for 983156he 983137udience 983137nd
c983137n be highly effec983156ive even when i983156 consis983156s of only 983137 few
no983156es such 983137s Willi983137msrsquo f983137mous mo983156if for 983156he sh983137rk in J983137ws
Ano983156her is 983156he 983156echnique of lsquomickey-mousingrsquo where
composers or orches983156r983137983156ors synchronise 983156he music precisely
wi983156h poin983156s of 983137c983156ion on 983156he screen S983156einer used 983156his b983137ck in
1933 in his groundbre983137king score for King Kong 983156o invoke bo983156h
fe983137r (synchronising 983156he foo983156s983156eps of 983156he 983156rib983137l chief wi983156h 983156he
983156ickles his 983156iny c983137p983156ive 983156o 983156he 983137ccomp983137nimen983156 of 983156rills)
Synchronising 983156he music wi983156h 983156he 983137c983156ion poses 983137s m983137ny
ch983137llenges 983156od983137y 983137s i983156 no doub983156 did 983156hen Willi983137ms h983137s spoken
of his difficul983156y in hi983156983156ing 983156he 50 or so synch poin983156s when
recording 983156he music for 983156he fin983137l bike ch983137se scene in ET Af983156er coun983156less 983156983137kes Spielberg 983156old him 983156o record 983156he music
wi983156hou983156 reference 983156o 983156he film 983137nd 983156o perform i983156 in 983137 n983137983156ur983137l
w983137y wi983156h 983137ny rub983137983156i (n983137983156ur983137l v983137ri983137983156ions in 983156empo) 983156h983137983156 he fel983156
983137ppropri983137983156e Such is 983156he respec983156 983156h983137983156 Spielberg feels for
Willi983137ms he 983156hen re-edi983156ed 983156he film 983156o fi983156 983156he music
Al983156hough 983137 l983137983156er gener983137983156ion of composers such 983137s Alex
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
and second horns together inthe tonic or lsquohomersquo keythird and fourth together in arelated key First and third aretraditionally considered lsquohighrsquowhile second and fourth arelsquolowrsquo
Recently appointed to theposition of section horn Rachelis discovering that playing inthe SSO requires a degree offlexibility lsquoIrsquom definitely mostcomfortable playing second orfourth but sometimes Irsquoll berequired to bump the firsthornrsquo (lsquoBumpingrsquo meanssharing the first horn partbetween two players) lsquoThe
bumper wonrsquot play any of thebig solos but we do some ofthe grunt work to give the firsthorn a breakrsquo That mightmean taking over some of thereally loud notes or occasionallyhelping out in the middle of aphrase to disguise the need totake a breath lsquoItrsquos satisfyingwhen you can assist your firsthorn and help make them feelcomfortablersquo
P h o t o K e i t h
S a u n d e r s
lsquoWhen my niece asks what I dofor a job I blow a raspberry andtell her ldquoSomeone pays me todo that all dayrdquorsquo French hornplayer Rachel Silver has hertongue firmly in cheek ofcourse Itrsquos a whole lot more
complicated than that lsquoActuallybrass playing is a very physicalthing It involves the wholebody ndash using big muscles to takein a lot of air and blow it outwith the vibration of your lipsto produce the sound Smallermovements with little musclesaround the embouchure helpmake sure we hit the right notersquo
As with many instrumentsplaying the horn for a long time
can result in physical changesto a musicianrsquos body lsquoIf you usea finger hook [to support theweight of the instrument] youcan end up with a bent littlefingerrsquo Or too much pressureon the mouthpiece for instance
and a pair of small crescentmoon-shaped indentations mayappear on the lips Check twicenext time yoursquore talking to abrass player
The internal structure of anorchestral horn section datesback to a time when crooks(sections of tubing) were usedto change the key in which theinstrument was playing Thehorns would play in pairs ndash first
GRUNT WORKRachel Silver recently appointed to the
SSO horn section finds herself doing someof the heavy lifting
ORCHESTRA NEWS | JANUARYndashFEBRUARY 2014
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Alexander NevskyThis year wersquove planned fourconcerts with an overt filmconnection but therersquos a fifthconcert with a hidden connection
Russian Daydreams in MarchIn 1938 Prokofiev ndash newlyreturned to Russia from a visitto Hollywood ndash was invited byfilm director Sergei Eisensteinto write the music for Alexander
Nevsky The result has becomea cult classic among film buffsand is still regarded as one of thegreatest collaborations betweencomposer and director in the
history of cinema (So closely didthey work Eisenstein would oftencut his shots to the music ratherthan vice versa)
Thanks to the machinationsof history Prokofievrsquos music hasalso survived in the concert hallNot long after the December1938 premiere the Nazi-Sovietpact of 1939 was signed and thefilm ndash which told the story of
the Russiansrsquo victory over theTeutonic knights in 1242 ndash waswithdrawn But Prokofievsalvaged the most powerfulmoments of his score to createa seven-movement cantata formezzo-soprano chorus andorchestra
Eisenstein declared Prokofievlsquoa perfect composer for thescreenrsquo saying that his music
was never merely illustrativebut embodied the emotion ofthe events on screen And evenwithout the striking imageryof the film the cantata conveysthe dramatic range of the storyfrom the tragedy of Russia underoppression to the Battle on the Iceand the triumph of victory
Russian Daydreams
Master Series12 14 15 March | 8pm
Artistic Focus
in concertrsquo presentations (West
Side Story is the other) chiefconductor David Robertson willset the tone in February when heconducts and compegraveres a concerthall program dedicated to themusic of John Williams
John Williamsrsquo film scores
include Jaws ET Superman and Schindlerrsquos List to name justa few and David is in awe of hisskill as a composer lsquoHis range iswithout bounds his inspirationseems unending and his powerto unlock our emotions isbreathtakingrsquo He says Williamsunderstands that when we enter amovie theatre we become awareof sound in a different way and
open ourselves to the completeexperience of a film Williamslsquofinds just the right combinationof sounds and timbres tocommunicate with us on a verydeep emotional level Thosemoments in cinema when peoplesay ldquoI couldnrsquot help but cryrdquo areoften brought on by his music orframed by itrsquo
28 Feb 1 MarRobertson conducts JohnWilliams Music from the Movies
2 3 MayStrictly Luhrmann Music fromthe Movies
26 27 SepThe Matrix Live Film in Concert
7 8 NovWest Side Story On Stage andScreen
More info bitlySSOfilmmusic
lsquoNever send a human to do amachinersquos jobrsquo So says AgentSmith in a chilling monotone inThe Matrix With this advice hewould surely find himself at oddswith conductor Frank Strobelwho joins us in September toconduct the film in concert
Itrsquos true that a live orchestraaccompanying a big screenpicture requires a machine-likesynchronicity between orchestraand film but Frank argues therersquosstill plenty of room for spontaneitylsquoSimilar to an operatic performanceI need to be able to shape andstructure a work and to uphold itstension without having the feelingof being at the moviersquos mercy
And it is especially important tome that a performance takes placewithout any additional technicalaids such as a click track in myear or a visible time code on themonitor ndash for musicalityrsquos sakersquo
So without the usualmechanical or electronicassistance how is the necessaryprecision achieved to playin time with the picturelsquoSynchronicity can be achievedwith a precise knowledge ofthe film plentiful (often morethan a thousand) synchronicitypointers in the score exacttempo specifications (preferablymetronomic indications) andthe aforementioned feeling formovement and mounting in thepicture Spontaneity does notneed to suffer because of thisrsquo
In a year featuring two lsquofilm
SSO GOES TO THE MOVIES
David Robertson will present highlights from John Williamsrsquo film scores in his first visit to
Sydney as chief conductor (Pictured Alex Mitchell and Emma Jezek)
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner
HIGH TEA
On 9 December we thanked our
wonderful and dedicated volunteers
with a special Christmas high tea
backstage at the Sydney Opera
House Volunteers are special
members of the SSO family whose
support is invaluable
CODA
7212019 Meet the Music - At the Movies John Williams
Mr John Symond AM [Chair]Mr Wayne Blair Ms Catherine Brenner The Hon Helen Coonan
Ms Brenna Hobson Mr Chris Knoblanche Mr Peter Mason AM
Ms Jillian Segal AM Mr Robert Wannan Mr Phillip Wolanski AM
EXECUTIVE MANAGEMENT
Chief Executive Officer Louise Herron AM
Chief Operating Officer Claire Spencer
Director Programming Jonathan Bielski
Director Theatre and Events David Claringbold
Director Building Development and Maintenance Greg McTaggart
Director External Affairs Brook Turner
Director Commercial David Watson
SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE
Clocktower Square
Argyle Street
The Rocks NSW 2000
GPO Box 4972
Sydney NSW 2001
Telephone (02) 8215 4644
Box Office (02) 8215 4600
Facsimile (02) 8215 4646
wwwsydneysymphonycom
All rights reserved no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in
any form or by any means electronic or mechanical including photocopy recordingor any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing
The opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the beliefs
of the editor publisher or any distributor of the programs While every effort has
been made to ensure accuracy of statements in this publication we cannot accept
responsibility for any errors or omissions or for matters arising from clerical or
printersrsquo errors Every effort has been made to secure permission for copyright
material prior to printing
Please address all correspondence to the Publications Editor
Email programeditorsydneysymphonycom
PAPER PARTNER
All enquiries for advertising space in this publication should be directed to the above company and address
Entire concept copyright Reproduction without permission in whole or in part of any material contained herein is
prohibited Title lsquoPlaybillrsquo is the registered title of Playbill Proprietary Limited Title lsquoShowbillrsquo is the registered title
of Showbill Proprietary Limited
By arrangement with the Sydney Symphony this publication is offered free of charge to its patrons subject to the
condition that it shall not by way of trade or otherwise be sold hired out or otherwise circulated without the
publisherrsquos consent in writing It is a further condition that this publication shall not be circulated in any form of
binding or cover than that in which it was published or distributed at any other event than specified on the title page
of this publication 17260 mdash 1270214 mdash 06MMK S1113
Head Office Suite A Level 1 Building 16Fox Studios Australia Park Road North Moore Park NSW 2021PO Box 410 Paddington NSW 2021Telephone +61 2 9921 5353 Fax +61 2 9449 6053E-mail adminplaybillcomau Website wwwplaybillcomau
Chairman Brian Nebenzahl OAM RFD
Managing Director Michael NebenzahlEditorial Director Jocelyn NebenzahlManagermdashProductionmdashClassical Music Alan Ziegler
Operating in Sydney Melbourne Canberra Brisbane Adelaide Perth Hobart amp Darwin
ll l l
l l
l l ll l l ll l ll l
ll
l
ll l l
l I l ll l
l l
l
EDITORGenevieve Lang Huppert sydneysymphonycombravo
NEWBIES
We welcome Rachel Silver (horn)
and Amanda Verner (viola) to
the permanent ranks of the SSO
following successful completion of
their trials
FAREWELLS
In December 2013 we farewelled
three of the orchestrarsquos longest-
serving musicians ndash Julie Batty
(first violin) Robyn Brookfield
(viola) and Colin Piper (percussion)
Combined they have given the
orchestra almost 100 years of
service We thank them for their
dedication inspiration andwonderful collegiality over all these
years and wish them the very best
for their future retirement projects
And at the end of this month we will
bid a fond farewell to our director
of artistic planning Peter Czornyj
who is returning with his family to
the United States to take up the
same role at the Dallas Symphony
Orchestra
TURNING JAPANESE
Rosamund Plummer (SSO Principal
Piccolo) has been selected as the
very first Global Winds Artist in
Residence at the Tokyo Academy
of Instrumental Heritage Music
Rose will travel to Japan and
America for three months to
study the ryuteki a traditionalJapanese transverse bamboo
flute This award is an initiative
of the department of mediaeligval
Japanese music at Columbia
University which hopes to seed
high profile Western orchestras with
musicians who can play traditional
Japanese instruments and thus
perform specialised music Rose
is currently learning as much
Japanese language as possible toget the most out of daily lessons
with her ryuteki mentor in Tokyo
がんばってローズ
MOVINrsquo ON UP
We can report exciting times for
our most recent crop of Fellowship
alumni with multiple successes
following their time with SSO
The string Fellows have all been
accepted into a winter residency
at The Banff Centre in Canada
Som Howie (clarinet) has won a
position in the Southbank Sinfonia
in London for 2014 and Laura van
Rijn (flute) is taking up a contract
position as Associate Principal Flute
with the Auckland Philharmonia
Bravi tutti
PARK amp DINE
Did you knowhellip If yoursquore an SSO
subscriber you can take advantage
of InterContinental Sydneyrsquos
exclusive park and dine package
Enjoy valet parking when combined
with a meal at Cafe Opera just a
short stroll from the Sydney Opera
House Call (02) 9240 1396 to find
out more about this deal from ouraccommodation partner