For four performances this past weekend, Harry Potter fans revelled in the first of the Harry Potter movies, “Harry Potter and the Sorceror’s Stone,” on the big screen but with the music played live by the Seattle Symphony on the Benaroya Hall stage. Thursday night was sold out—though there were an unexplainable number of empty boxes—and conductor Jeffrey Schindler whipped up the audience before, during and after to frenzies of roars for favorite characters and not least for the orchestra itself.
Prior to the movie itself, there were interviews and discussions about the music and more on the screen, but unfortunately the words were mostly inaudible with people coming in, finding seats, etc., and not yet ready to settle down. At the end, during the lengthy rolling of credits, the lights stayed down and there was the opportunity to really listen with full attention to the orchestra’s excellent performance of John Williams’ remarkable score.
Even for those not an HP fan, it would be impossible not to recognize the distinctive themes and music Williams wrote for this. What is called “Hedwig’s Theme” is really the hallmark theme for the whole movie, with the bell-like sounds of the celesta (for which Joseph Adam deserves mention) predominant there and prominent throughout the show. The music requires a very large orchestra with large numbers of percussion, brass and winds, and Williams uses all their individual timbres to color the moods, twists and turns of the plot.
When the movie was made, the original musicians probably did not have to play the score right through; in a performance like this, they do, though with one very necessary intermission. The first half is 76 minutes long, the second 80 minutes, that’s over an hour and a quarter of playing in each half, a lot for musicians holding up a violin, a bassoon, a trombone, or tuba, even with breaks for them in the music. It’s the same as for operas, which tend to be longer than symphony concerts.
It’s a major skill to conduct an orchestra and fit the music exactly with what is happening on screen and not drowning out words (thought sensibly there were subtitles all through). Schindler made it seem easy with the orchestra following his every choice of nuance and tempo.
The whole performance was great fun, and fans will be delighted to hear that the second movie comes to the Seattle Symphony and Benaroya in November.
