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Crescendo Joan Landry |
Movie music joins pop
hits by Bacharach
We're all in for a rare treat as the Honolulu Symphony Pops features the music of two American legends: John Williams and Burt Bacharach. To begin this concert, I'll have the pleasure of conducting the music of John Williams. Then, the celebrated songwriter-performer Burt Bacharach will conduct the Pops in many of his most popular songs.
Burt BacharachAnd the Honolulu Symphony PopsIn concert: 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday Place: Blaisdell Concert Hall Tickets: $30 to $75 each, with discounts for seniors, students and military Order: Call 792-2000 or Ticketmaster at 877-750-4400, or go online at www.ticketmaster.com
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This weekend, the Honolulu Symphony Pops will present three works by Williams. We'll kick off the night with "Olympic Fanfare," which he wrote for the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. It's a favorite of audiences, thanks to the brilliance of the brass section, and should recall some triumphant memories for Olympics fans.
Our second number features music from "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial." Williams once wrote: "The music was designed to accompany the bicycle chase near the end of the film as the young cyclists reach escape velocity, E.T.'s theme is heard as they fly 'over the moon.' The more sentimental music that follows accompanies the dialogue as E.T. bids farewell to his earthling friends. This is followed by timpani and brass fanfares as the orchestra brings the film to a close."
Undoubtedly, this concert will allow us to relive some of the greatest moments of movie music as we travel back in time with E.T.
For our last number, we'll perform one of Williams' newest compositions, "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets." I have to admit to being one of the last to see the Potter films, but I've become a fan. This exciting music is from the second film in the series and introduces us to Fawkes the Phoenix, as well as Dobby, the magical elf.
My first experience with Williams' music didn't come from the movies, but real life. I attended college in Boston, home of the Boston Pops. Williams was the Pops' music director from 1980 to 1993, and during that time I had the opportunity to see him conduct his own film scores and music.
Williams might write popular music for blockbuster movies, but he's also a serious artist who understands orchestras. That means knowing how to get the best sounds from each musician, which instruments to call upon in certain combinations and how to make the deepest emotional impact using orchestral sounds. That's what John Williams has been doing best for more than 30 years.
WE'LL RETURN for the concert's second half with Bacharach. No matter what your age, you're likely to be familiar with many of his songs: "Walk on By," "I Say a Little Prayer," "Close to You" and "Do You Know the Way to San Jose?" to mention a few.
Teens of the '80s might remember 1986 as a huge year for Bacharach. His song "That's What Friends Are For" hit No. 1 on the charts, and another, "On My Own," recorded by Patti LaBelle and Michael McDonald, also topped the charts. I certainly remember when Bacharach showed his generosity by donating all the proceeds -- more than $1.5 million -- from "That's What Friends Are For" to the American Foundation for AIDS Research.
One of Bacharach's first major gigs was as an accompanist to the singer-actress Marlene Dietrich on a post-WWII tour of Europe. This was one of his many successful collaborations over the years. You could argue that the most creative was with lyricist Hal David. He and David worked with Dionne Warwick, producing an amazing 39 chart records within 10 years.
If you're too young to appreciate Bacharach's work from the '70s an '80s, I have only one thing to say: "Austin Powers." Can you imagine an artist versatile enough to work with Marlene Dietrich, Dionne Warwick and Mike Myers?
What's behind his success? It could be his ability to communicate feelings through music, which is also a characteristic of John Williams. The composers' pieces might sound very different, but both have a knack for touching our hearts. We invite you to experience the magic this weekend.