Twin Cities classical concerts feature scores to your favorite movies

A few of the movie scores to receive orchestral treatment include "Star Wars," "Hocus Pocus" and "Back to the Future."

By Rob Hubbard Star Tribune

September 14, 2024 — 1:39pm

Conductor Sarah Hicks has called it "a demented video game."

While audiences at Minneapolis' Orchestra Hall are enjoying the marriage of music and film when the Minnesota Orchestra performs a film score — with the movie shown on screen above — Hicks has about a half-dozen different prompts coming at her simultaneously via a video screen. They combine to make certain that the orchestra's 85 to 100 musicians are staying in perfect sync with the film.

And there have been no train wrecks, yet. In fact, audiences have been so appreciative of the orchestra's cinematic offerings that they almost invariably sell well — despite costing ticket buyers considerably more than a trip to the movie theater.

This fall, the Minnesota Orchestra will devote four concert programs to film music, starting with four screenings of the original 1977 "Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope," Hicks leading the orchestra in John Williams' score (Oct. 1-6).

"We usually do five or six a season," said Grant Meachum, director for "Live at Orchestra Hall." "We've found that one in the summer works very well, like 'An American in Paris' recently. There will always be a film at Halloween — 'Hocus Pocus' this year — and one at Thanksgiving, this year being 'Back to the Future.'"

Hicks also will conduct a program of John Williams' movie music. It's all part of a big fall for film music in the Twin Cities, with a visit from one of Hollywood's most successful composers, Hans Zimmer, and an evening of collaborations between composers and filmmakers with live orchestra.

"Overwhelmingly, we've found success in the film presentations," Meachum said. "And not just for the big titles like 'Harry Potter' or 'Star Wars.' We've found the audience is willing to come with us on titles that might not be as commercially viable, such as 'The Princess Bride.'

"The very first time we did 'Star Wars,' there was a crackling of energy in the hall, and you could feel it onstage, too," Meachum said. "Something was about to happen. The orchestra played the 20th Century Fox fanfare and people cheered. Those opening bars of 'Star Wars,' you could tell the musicians were fired up to be playing that and hear that reaction coming back."

"The Music of John Williams" will feature preconcert talks with Lynne Warfel, host of Minnesota Public Radio's Saturday morning film music show, "Saturday Cinema." We asked her to name her favorites among this fall's movie and music combinations. She quickly cited "Star Wars."

"If you were lucky enough to see the original trilogy in its first run, Williams' music was a big reason everybody was cheering and clapping as the credits rolled," Warfel said. "And Alan Silvestri's music for 'Back to the Future' remains one of the outstanding sci-fi-fantasy film scores ever written."

Here are some other performances where you can celebrate that magical combination of film and music:

Hans Zimmer Live

You could call Zimmer the successor to Williams as the king of cinematic music. Known for creating a scintillating synthesis of orchestral and electronic music, rock and classical elements, Zimmer's regarded as one of the geniuses of the art form.

Zimmer also periodically puts together a rock band, orchestra and choir and hits the road, performing suites from some of his most popular scores. He'll bring his expansive entourage to Target Center as part of a 20-city North American tour.

Expect new arrangements of suites from his Oscar-winning scores for "The Lion King" and "Dune," as well as music from "Gladiator," "Pirates of the Caribbean," "The Dark Knight," "Interstellar" and "The Last Samurai." (8 p.m. Sept. 21, Target Center, 600 First Av. N., Mpls., $59.50-$164.50, targetcenter.com)

Warfel says: "'Pirates of the Caribbean' achieves what all great film music aspires to, recreating the images on screen, literally telling the story through the score. And 'Dune' is where he really shines as an innovator and inventor of instruments. It's creepy, otherworldly and wonderful."

'Sun Dogs'

Twin Cities-based uber-impresario Kate Nordstrum's Liquid Music brought together four composers and four filmmakers to create three short films that will be offered at Northrop Auditorium with acclaimed and adventurous Brooklyn-based chamber orchestra Alarm Will Sound.

The composers are all creating a buzz in the business, including Grammy best new artist nominee Arooj Aftab, Devonté Hynes, Daniel Wohl and Rafiq Bhatia. The films are by Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Josephine Decker, Mati Diop and Manon Lutanie.

"In conversations with composers, I learned that several had a desire to collaborate more deeply with filmmakers than is possible in a traditional scoring relationship," Nordstrum said. "I started thinking about an alternative vehicle for composers and filmmakers to create together from the outset, to mutually determine the story they wanted to tell through music and film." (7 p.m. Nov. 21, Northrop Auditorium, 84 Church St. SE., Mpls., $30-$50, 612-624-2345 or northrop.umn.edu)

Warfel says: "If you want to see and hear the newest in the art of filmmaking, whether you call it avant-garde or experimental, it's an audacious film series that shouldn't be missed."