65°
"Star Wars," "E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial," "Jaws," "Munich," "Superman," "Jurassic Park," "Schindler's List," and "Indiana Jones," are all blockbuster films with music by John Williams. Though his music molds perfectly to each film, not surprisingly, it's also thrilling on its own. And on Saturday, April 17 at 8 p.m. and Sunday, April 18 at 3 p.m., conductor Eckart Preu proves this when he leads the Stamford Symphony in "Themes, Screams and John Williams' celluloid dreams," a concert tribute to John Williams' movie music. Preu is a great admirer of Williams' movie magic. "In Jaws he turned the shark into a menacing villain with just two low notes: BAAAH dum.\," he said. "In the Star Wars epic, Williams works on a grander, almost Wagnerian scale, creating 'leitmotifs' to introduce the central characters in the saga."
Unlike many big name composers, Williams is known for his modesty. When invited by Stephen Spielberg to create a score for "Schindler's List," his film on the Holocaust, Williams responded, "You need a better composer than I am." Won over, Williams created memorable and heartbreaking violin solos for the film. In Preu's concert with the Stamford Symphony, violinist Cenovia Cummins acts as concertmaster and peforms this stirring music. Ms. Cummins also performed violin solos for the film "Julie & Julia" with Meryl Streep.
Come early to the Palace Theater for free guided, pre-concert listening experiences. For adults, "Behind the Baton" features Maestro Preu sharing the music's history and structure an hour before the concert. On Sunday at 1:45 p.m. children 6-12 can join a free MusiKids program led by a Symphony musician. At 2:30 a costume contest for both children and adults offers fun and prizes for the audience. Concert tickets are $22 - $65, young adults (to age 35) are only $19 and on Sunday, Kids Come Free! Purchase tickets at Stamford Symphony's website or call (203) 325-4466.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Norwalk and receive free news updates.
