FARGO — At the Fargo-Moorhead Symphony Orchestra’s Masterworks concerts, musicians often play works by the likes of Beethoven, Brahms, Mozart, Tchaikovsky, Wagner and Mahler.
The music that first inspired the musicians, however, was more likely taken in through the movies.
“For so many modern musicians, our introduction to classical music was through film scores,” said Kenyon Williams, FMSO’s principal percussionist. “You just fall in love with a full-blown symphonic soundtrack. You hear sounds you don’t hear on a radio.”
Contributed / David Arntson
Williams and other members of the orchestra will perform notable tunes from films at the pops concert, “A Night at the Oscars”, Saturday at the Fargo Theatre.
The night, hosted by Jordan Schroeer, features memorable tunes from “Rocky,” “The Mask of Zorro,” a Disney medley and more. Jane Linde Capistran conducts and the concert features guest performances by singers Holly Janz and Curt Olds, former general director of the FM Opera.
For Williams and others in the FMSO, one of the first composers to make a mark was John Williams, who scored “Jaws,” “Star Wars” and “Raiders of the Lost Ark” and many more.
“Williams is very traditional, a nod to the golden age of Hollywood,” Kenyon Williams said. “The first time you hear that — wow, what a sound.”
“As a kid, ‘Star Wars’ hit me in all sorts of different ways,” said Nathaniel Dickey, principal trombonist with the FMSO. “I’ve played it more times than anything else.”
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Another monumental composer was Ennio Morricone, known mainly for his western scores like “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly,” “Once Upon a Time in the West” and most recently “The Hateful Eight.”
“I grew up loving spaghetti westerns and then I thought his score to ‘The Mission’ was incredibly beautiful,” said Tim Nelson, principal violist.
He’ll get a chance to play a little Morricone Saturday night with music from “Cinema Paradiso.”
Dickey said he’ll sometimes have a movie on at home and will turn away to do something only to have the music pull him back in.
“The importance of music in movies I sometimes take for granted,” he said. “Without soundtracks, it’s a different experience. The music can be as recognizable as the images in the film.”
“My favorite part of music in a movie is how it makes any scene or expression more vivid. A moment can be poignant or dramatic simply by how the composer sets a moment in the score, and that is incredibly powerful,” said Cassie Keogh, the principal clarinetist.
Sometimes that power comes not from how loud or active the music is, but rather the space between notes.
“The contrast between silence and music can be incredibly powerful too,” she said. “I’m reminded of the moments in ‘Interstellar’ where Hans Zimmer chooses to stop the music entirely and it’s just silence. In contrast, they are some of the most powerful moments in the film.”
Kenyon Williams points to another John Williams’ score as an example: “Schindler’s List.”
“It’s soft, powerful and transportive,” the percussionist said. “It’s so stark. I can’t listen to that for 5 seconds without tearing up.”
Kenyon Williams will be smiling more than crying on Saturday when he gets to play cheerier numbers.
“It sounds corny, but I love ‘Colonel Bogey March’ from ‘Bridge Over the River Kwai.’ It’s so catchy, so wonderful, so memorable. It’s a little gem,” he said of the tune whistled in the movie.
He’s also looking forward to a medley of Disney tunes.
“There are a lot of great modern animated musicals. It’s fun to see kids react to songs they know,” he said.
Contributed / Tim Kolehmainen
Dickey feels the same way.
“There are some fun parts for trombone,” he said.
Another longtime favorite being played Saturday night is the jazzy theme from “Pink Panther,” by Henry Mancini, a song he’s been playing his career.
He’s also looking forward to songs from Frederick Lowe and Alan Jay Lerner’s “My Fair Lady,” a soundtrack his father listened to while young Dickey was growing up.
He’s not the only one.
“My favorite from this program is ‘The Rain in Spain’ from ‘My Fair Lady,’” said Keogh. “My sister and I used to sing and act along with it and watch the film over and over, trying to imitate all of the accents, poorly.”
What: “A Night at the Oscars”
When: 7:30 p.m., Saturday
Where: Fargo Theatre
Info: Tickets are $35. fmsymphony.org
