Latest news with #SymphonyNo.9
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Jaws' and the two musical notes that changed Hollywood forever
'Da, duh.' Two simple notes – E and F – have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator. And they largely have 'Jaws' to thank. Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. As a scholar of media history and popular culture, I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes and learned about how they're influenced by 19th-century classical music, Mickey Mouse and Alfred Hitchcock. YouTube video not showing up for me In 1964, fisherman Frank Mundus killed a 4,500-pound great white shark off Long Island. After hearing the story, freelance journalist Peter Benchley began pitching a novel based on three men's attempt to capture a man-eating shark, basing the character of Quint off of Mundus. Doubleday commissioned Benchley to write the novel, and in 1973, Universal Studios producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown purchased the film rights to the novel before it was published. The 26-year-old Spielberg was signed on to be the director. Tapping into both mythical and real fears regarding great white sharks – including an infamous set of shark attacks along the Jersey Shore in 1916 – Benchley's 1974 novel became a bestseller. The book was a key part of Universal's marketing campaign, which began several months before the film's release. Starting in the fall of 1974, Zanuck, Brown and Benchley appeared on a number of radio and television programs to simultaneously promote the release of the paperback edition of the novel and the upcoming film. The marketing also included a national television advertising campaign that featured emerging composer Williams' two-note theme. The plan was for a summer release, which, at the time, was reserved for films with less than stellar reviews. Films at the time typically were released market by market, preceded by local reviews. However, Universal's decision to release the film in hundreds of theaters across the country on June 20, 1975, led to huge up-front profits, sparking a 14-week run as the No. 1 film in the U.S. Many consider 'Jaws' the first true summer blockbuster. It catapulted Spielberg to fame and kicked off the director's long collaboration with Williams, who would go on to earn the second-highest number of Academy Award nominations in history – 54 – behind only Walt Disney's 59. Though it's now considered one of the greatest scores in film history, when Williams proposed the two-note theme, Spielberg initially thought it was a joke. But Williams had been inspired by 19th and 20th century composers, including Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky and especially Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, 'From the New World.' In the 'Jaws' theme, you can hear echoes of the end of Dvorak's symphony, as well as the sounds of another character-driven musical piece, Sergei Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf.' 'Peter and the Wolf' and the score from 'Jaws' are both prime examples of leitmotifs, or a musical piece that represents a place or character. The varying pace of the ostinato – a musical motif that repeats itself – elicits intensifying degrees of emotion and fear. This became more integral as Spielberg and the technical team struggled with the malfunctioning pneumatic sharks that they'd nicknamed 'Bruce,' after Spielberg's lawyer. As a result, the shark does not appear until the 81-minute mark of the 124-minute film. But its presence is felt through Williams' theme, which some music scholars have theorized evoke the shark's heartbeat. Williams also has Disney to thank for revolutionizing character-driven music in film. The two don't just share a brimming trophy case. They also understood how music can heighten emotion and magnify action for audiences. Although his career started in the silent film era, Disney became a titan of film, and later media, by leveraging sound to establish one of the greatest stars in media history, Mickey Mouse. When Disney saw 'The Jazz Singer' in 1927, he knew that sound would be the future of film. On Nov. 18, 1928, 'Steamboat Willie' premiered at Universal's Colony Theater in New York City as Disney's first animated film to incorporate synchronized sound. Unlike previous attempts to bring sound to film by having record players concurrently play or deploying live musicians to perform in the theater, Disney used technology that recorded sound directly on the film reel. It wasn't the first animated film with synchronized sound, but it was a technical improvement to previous attempts at it, and 'Steamboat Willie' became an international hit, launching Mickey's – and Disney's – career. The use of music or sound to match the rhythm of the characters on screen became known as 'Mickey Mousing.' 'King Kong' in 1933 would deftly deploy Mickey Mousing in a live action film, with music mimicking the giant gorilla's movements. For example, in one scene, Kong carries away Ann Darrow, who's played by actress Fay Wray. Composer Max Steiner uses lighter tones to convey Kong's curiosity as he holds Ann, followed by ominous, faster, tones as Ann escapes and Kong chases after her. In doing so, Steiner encourages viewers to both fear and connect with the beast throughout the film, helping them suspend disbelief and enter a world of fantasy. Mickey Mousing declined in popularity after World War II. Many filmmakers saw it as juvenile and too simplistic for the evolving and advancing film industry. In spite of this criticism, the technique was still used to score some iconic scenes, like the playing of violins in the shower as Marion Crane is stabbed in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho.' Spielberg idolized Hitchcock. A young Spielberg was even kicked off the Universal lot after sneaking on to watch the production of Hitchcock's 1966 film 'Torn Curtain.' Although Hitchcock and Spielberg never met, 'Jaws' clearly exhibits the influence of Hitchcock, the 'Master of Suspense.' And maybe that's why Spielberg initially overcame his doubts about using something so simple to represent tension in the thriller. The use of the two-note motif helps overcome the production issues Spielberg faced directing the first feature length movie to be filmed on the ocean. The malfunctioning animatronic shark forced Spielberg to leverage Williams' minimalist theme to represent the shark's ominous presence in spite of the limited appearances by the eponymous predatory star. As Williams continued his legendary career, he would deploy a similar sonic motif for certain 'Star Wars' characters. Each time Darth Vader appeared, the 'Imperial March' was played to set the tone for the leader of the dark side. As movie budgets creep closer to a half-billion dollars, the 'Jaws' theme – and the way those two notes manipulate tension – is a reminder that in film, sometimes less can be more. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder Read more: How the sounds of 'Succession' shred the grandeur and respect the characters so desperately try to project 'Jaws' portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists From 'Jaws' to 'Schindler's List,' John Williams has infused movie scores with adventure and emotion Jared Bahir Browsh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Jaws' and the two musical notes that changed Hollywood forever
'Da, duh.' Two simple notes – E and F – have become synonymous with tension, fear and sharks, representing the primal dread of being stalked by a predator. And they largely have 'Jaws' to thank. Fifty years ago, Steven Spielberg's blockbuster film – along with its spooky score composed by John Williams – convinced generations of swimmers to think twice before going in the water. As a scholar of media history and popular culture, I decided to take a deeper dive into the staying power of these two notes and learned about how they're influenced by 19th-century classical music, Mickey Mouse and Alfred Hitchcock. YouTube video not showing up for me In 1964, fisherman Frank Mundus killed a 4,500-pound great white shark off Long Island. After hearing the story, freelance journalist Peter Benchley began pitching a novel based on three men's attempt to capture a man-eating shark, basing the character of Quint off of Mundus. Doubleday commissioned Benchley to write the novel, and in 1973, Universal Studios producers Richard D. Zanuck and David Brown purchased the film rights to the novel before it was published. The 26-year-old Spielberg was signed on to be the director. Tapping into both mythical and real fears regarding great white sharks – including an infamous set of shark attacks along the Jersey Shore in 1916 – Benchley's 1974 novel became a bestseller. The book was a key part of Universal's marketing campaign, which began several months before the film's release. Starting in the fall of 1974, Zanuck, Brown and Benchley appeared on a number of radio and television programs to simultaneously promote the release of the paperback edition of the novel and the upcoming film. The marketing also included a national television advertising campaign that featured emerging composer Williams' two-note theme. The plan was for a summer release, which, at the time, was reserved for films with less than stellar reviews. Films at the time typically were released market by market, preceded by local reviews. However, Universal's decision to release the film in hundreds of theaters across the country on June 20, 1975, led to huge up-front profits, sparking a 14-week run as the No. 1 film in the U.S. Many consider 'Jaws' the first true summer blockbuster. It catapulted Spielberg to fame and kicked off the director's long collaboration with Williams, who would go on to earn the second-highest number of Academy Award nominations in history – 54 – behind only Walt Disney's 59. Though it's now considered one of the greatest scores in film history, when Williams proposed the two-note theme, Spielberg initially thought it was a joke. But Williams had been inspired by 19th and 20th century composers, including Claude Debussy, Igor Stravinsky and especially Antonin Dvorak's Symphony No. 9, 'From the New World.' In the 'Jaws' theme, you can hear echoes of the end of Dvorak's symphony, as well as the sounds of another character-driven musical piece, Sergei Prokofiev's 'Peter and the Wolf.' 'Peter and the Wolf' and the score from 'Jaws' are both prime examples of leitmotifs, or a musical piece that represents a place or character. The varying pace of the ostinato – a musical motif that repeats itself – elicits intensifying degrees of emotion and fear. This became more integral as Spielberg and the technical team struggled with the malfunctioning pneumatic sharks that they'd nicknamed 'Bruce,' after Spielberg's lawyer. As a result, the shark does not appear until the 81-minute mark of the 124-minute film. But its presence is felt through Williams' theme, which some music scholars have theorized evoke the shark's heartbeat. Williams also has Disney to thank for revolutionizing character-driven music in film. The two don't just share a brimming trophy case. They also understood how music can heighten emotion and magnify action for audiences. Although his career started in the silent film era, Disney became a titan of film, and later media, by leveraging sound to establish one of the greatest stars in media history, Mickey Mouse. When Disney saw 'The Jazz Singer' in 1927, he knew that sound would be the future of film. On Nov. 18, 1928, 'Steamboat Willie' premiered at Universal's Colony Theater in New York City as Disney's first animated film to incorporate synchronized sound. Unlike previous attempts to bring sound to film by having record players concurrently play or deploying live musicians to perform in the theater, Disney used technology that recorded sound directly on the film reel. It wasn't the first animated film with synchronized sound, but it was a technical improvement to previous attempts at it, and 'Steamboat Willie' became an international hit, launching Mickey's – and Disney's – career. The use of music or sound to match the rhythm of the characters on screen became known as 'Mickey Mousing.' 'King Kong' in 1933 would deftly deploy Mickey Mousing in a live action film, with music mimicking the giant gorilla's movements. For example, in one scene, Kong carries away Ann Darrow, who's played by actress Fay Wray. Composer Max Steiner uses lighter tones to convey Kong's curiosity as he holds Ann, followed by ominous, faster, tones as Ann escapes and Kong chases after her. In doing so, Steiner encourages viewers to both fear and connect with the beast throughout the film, helping them suspend disbelief and enter a world of fantasy. Mickey Mousing declined in popularity after World War II. Many filmmakers saw it as juvenile and too simplistic for the evolving and advancing film industry. In spite of this criticism, the technique was still used to score some iconic scenes, like the playing of violins in the shower as Marion Crane is stabbed in Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho.' Spielberg idolized Hitchcock. A young Spielberg was even kicked off the Universal lot after sneaking on to watch the production of Hitchcock's 1966 film 'Torn Curtain.' Although Hitchcock and Spielberg never met, 'Jaws' clearly exhibits the influence of Hitchcock, the 'Master of Suspense.' And maybe that's why Spielberg initially overcame his doubts about using something so simple to represent tension in the thriller. The use of the two-note motif helps overcome the production issues Spielberg faced directing the first feature length movie to be filmed on the ocean. The malfunctioning animatronic shark forced Spielberg to leverage Williams' minimalist theme to represent the shark's ominous presence in spite of the limited appearances by the eponymous predatory star. As Williams continued his legendary career, he would deploy a similar sonic motif for certain 'Star Wars' characters. Each time Darth Vader appeared, the 'Imperial March' was played to set the tone for the leader of the dark side. As movie budgets creep closer to a half-billion dollars, the 'Jaws' theme – and the way those two notes manipulate tension – is a reminder that in film, sometimes less can be more. This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit, independent news organization bringing you facts and trustworthy analysis to help you make sense of our complex world. It was written by: Jared Bahir Browsh, University of Colorado Boulder Read more: How the sounds of 'Succession' shred the grandeur and respect the characters so desperately try to project 'Jaws' portrayed sharks as monsters 50 years ago, but it also inspired a generation of shark scientists From 'Jaws' to 'Schindler's List,' John Williams has infused movie scores with adventure and emotion Jared Bahir Browsh does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Yomiuri Shimbun
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yomiuri Shimbun
Tadaaki Otaka's Family Legacy Adds to a Fascinating Concert with YNSO; Venerable Conductor Performs Father's Composition and Bruckner Symphony
©Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra / Photographer: Takashi Fujimoto Tadaaki Otaka conducts the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra at Suntory Hall in Akasaka, Tokyo, on May 27. Tadaaki Otaka conducted the Yomiuri Nippon Symphony Orchestra (YNSO) at Suntory Hall in Akasaka, Tokyo, on May 27, in a subscription concert with an intriguing program featuring a rarely performed gem by his father, composer-conductor Hisatada Otaka (1911-51), as well as Anton Bruckner's magnificent Symphony No. 9. Otaka, now the honorary guest conductor of the YNSO, served as the orchestra's principal conductor from 1992 to 1998. The internationally famous 77-year-old maestro is particularly loved in Britain, where he was the principal conductor of the BBC National Orchestra of Wales from 1987 to 1995; he is now its conductor laureate. He kicked off the concert by conducting, for the first time, his father's composition 'Eine symphonische Phantasie 'Steppe'' ('the steppe: a symphonic fantasy'). The elder Otaka studied music in Vienna and became one of the most sought-after composer-conductors in Japan in the 1930s. He completed 'Steppe' in June 1943, and it was first performed for the radio in May 1944, followed by a performance at Hibiya Kokaido hall in Tokyo three days later. The word 'Steppe' in the title refers to the vast grassland of Mongolia. The elder Otaka tried to mix East Asian sounds with Western music by using pentatonic melodies and subtly nuanced harmonies somewhat reminiscent of Impressionist music. Indeed, it is a fascinating little piece full of lyricism and orchestral magic. According to the concert's program, he made notes on the music at the beginning of the original copy of the score, which can be summarized as follows: The great wilderness sings the song of eternity in serenity even though the times change, then a huge cloud of dust paints the sky a yellow brown, a reminder of nomadic people making great migrations before becoming a major military force. Before long, they disappear in the distance, and the grassland regains its eternal serenity. The symphonic poem develops more or less in accordance with this text. The music solemnly starts with the cellos playing a low C. The strings gently portray the grassland at peace, before being joined by the woodwinds, then the brass section, adding motion. After several transitions into more lively sections, including a march-like movement, the music repeats the first section and ends in tranquility. The orchestration of the piece, which features solo parts by many instruments, is proof that the composer was a gifted colorist of orchestral sounds. The fact that it was composed at a time when World War II was raging, and that Mongolia was the scene of some of the fighting, spurs the listener to imagine the composer's fascination with the impressive landscape of this distant, exotic, independent grassland. The elder Otaka conducted Bruckner's Symphony No. 9 two months before his premature death at the age of 39, when Tadaaki, his second son, was only 3 years old. Thus there is a family connection between the two works in the program, which with Otaka Jr.'s conducting made for an artistically rewarding concert. From several different versions of the symphony, Otaka Jr. chose the Cohrs edition, by German conductor-musicologist Benjamin Gunner Cohrs, published in 2000. This time, Otaka opted not to conduct the fourth movement, which was left unfinished when Bruckner died in 1896. The YNSO responded well to the slightly built conductor's direction. He elicited from them sounds that were powerful but carefully controlled to keep them from becoming bombastic. The first movement was full of dynamism and a fine balance of orchestral sounds. The oboe solo in the middle section was beautiful. The rapid and rhythmical second movement scherzo was particularly exciting. And the third movement adagio, which is Bruckner's musical statement of faith in God and music, was sensibly handled by Otaka. The audience loved the performance and refused to stop applauding, even though Otaka let the musicians leave the stage after just one encore. The humble and popular conductor finally returned to stage, all smiles, and took a deep bow.
Los Angeles Times
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Los Angeles Times
Carl St.Clair selects Verdi's ‘Requiem' for his Pacific Symphony finale
Carl has had cause for celebration, seemingly experiencing every emotion as his 35th and final season as music director of the Pacific Symphony comes to a close. Gratitude and loyalty came up several times in a conversation on Tuesday, when the Laguna Beach resident shared his thoughts on a long career with the Costa Mesa-based orchestra. Pacific Symphony will perform Giuseppe Verdi's 'Requiem' to cap the current season, with shows Thursday through Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Renée and Henry Segerstrom Concert Hall. A Sunday matinee performance is scheduled for 3 p.m. The celebrated conductor plans to continue leading some musical performances when he transitions to music director laureate, but he is handing over the reins of the music director position to Alexander Shelley. The proper moment to pass the baton had lived in subconscious for some time. Leading into rehearsal just two days before the concert, had a recollection of some of the pieces he considered for this finale — Ludwig van Beethoven's 'Symphony No. 9' and Gustav Mahler's 'Resurrection,' to name a couple. thought that Verdi could 'give people a chance to be thankful, to be humble, to be communally in the same space with hopefully very deep feelings.' Then he invoked 'libera me,' words that appear at the end of 'Requiem' that in Latin mean 'deliver me.' 'When I thought about that, I thought about it in a much more communal, collective way,' said. 'Not just 'deliver me,' although I'm praying this all the time. But also deliver Pacific Symphony into its next chapter, into the next journey that it takes with Alexander. 'I just really thought that's very poignant. … There's a C major chord. It's just hopeful. It says that after all this hard work is hope for a beautiful future as we move into the 50th anniversary and into the next chapter of the orchestra's life because my goal all along with this transition, which I announced already three years ago, is really so that there would not be one stutter step, one skipped beat in the growth, the progression and the development of Pacific Symphony.' It was important for to share this season with those who have been major contributors throughout the journey. He said this week's concerts would mark the 166th time that he has worked with Pacific Chorale. Raquel Gonzalez (soprano), Daryl Freedman (mezzo-soprano), Won Whi Choi (tenor) and Zaikuan Song (bass) will also lend their voices as soloists. 'The one thing that's really kept us moving forward is the loyalty,' said. 'The loyalty of our audience, the loyalty of our board, the loyalty of our musicians — their talents, but also their loyalty,' he reiterated. said he always believed the Pacific Symphony should be a 'locally-acclaimed' production. 'We need to be loved and respected and kept close to the vest and in the hearts of Orange County,' said. 'We are Orange County's orchestra, and I want to be the beacon of artistic achievement for Orange County.' A local resident since 1994, met his wife, Susan, the first week he moved to the Table Rock neighborhood in South Laguna. Their children, Cade and Siena, graduated from Laguna Beach High, although the family lived bi-continentally in Germany and the United States as the kids were growing up. 'If I didn't have to, I wouldn't leave the city limits,' said. 'I really wouldn't. It's just everything that I ever wanted. I met my wife there, our children were born there, brought up there, St. Catherine's of Siena, that's our parish, that's where we were baptized. … It just has everything that someone of my spirit needs in order to remain nurtured.' Laguna Beach's arts scene includes an array of musical programming. said he has had the opportunity to conduct the Laguna Beach Community Concert Band on a couple of occasions, adding he knows most of its members. 'It's such a live area when it comes to not only the visual arts, but all the arts,' said of his hometown. 'The theater is great. Pageant of the Masters, Art-A-Fair and Sawdust. For a town of a little bit less than 25,000 people, it's pretty amazing.' Outside of music, said the family has worked for many years at the Friendship Emergency Shelter on Laguna Canyon Road. 'We do this as part of a dedicated team of fellow parishioners from St. Catherine [of Siena Parish],' said. 'Every time we serve there, we are the ones being nourished.'
Western Telegraph
02-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Western Telegraph
St Davids Cathedral Music Festival's 2025 programme
The annual St Davids Cathedral Music Festival, now in its 44th year, will take place during the May half-term from May 23 to 29. The festival will begin with a launch concert featuring 120 schoolchildren from across the county, led by conductor Suzzie Vango. A highlight of the festival programme is the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, performing on Saturday, May 24. This year, the orchestra will be conducted by Kristian Sallinen from Finland. Their 2025 programme will include Dvorak's Symphony No. 9 'From the New World', Grace Williams' Fantasia on Welsh Nursery Tunes, and Edward Elgar's Sea Pictures, sung by BBC Cardiff Singer of the World finalist Claire Barnett-Jones. Pembrokeshire-born pianist and conductor Jocelyn Freeman will be the Artist in Residence, performing in three concerts. On Sunday evening, she will join the Alkyona String Quartet for a performance of Schubert's 'Trout' Quintet and Ravel's String Quartet. On Bank Holiday Monday, she will join Vox Angelica and the Vicars Choral as a guest soloist for an evening of choral music and madrigals. The same day, tuba player Aled Meredith-Barrett will perform with his brass quintet Connaught Brass, in a programme featuring music from West Side Story and the UK premiere of a new work by American composer Carlos Simon. On Tuesday, Jocelyn Freeman will perform with tenor James Gilchrist and his students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama in a concert entitled 'A Poet's Love'. The concert will celebrate the work of Dylan Thomas with settings of his poetry by William Mathias, Rhian Samuel, and Meirion Williams. To close the festival, vocal sextet the Queen's Six will present their programme 'Mapping the Stars', featuring music by Monteverdi and Taverner, alongside arrangements of contemporary hits such as Coldplay's 'Viva la Vida' and Starship's 'We Built This City on Rock and Roll.' Tickets for the 2025 festival are on sale now. For more information, visit the cathedral website.
