STAR WARS - Live To Projection Concerts

[ciarlese 272]

4 hours ago, aj_vader said:

I agree, it's far too loud (dialogue, sound effects). The best mix was when I saw A New Hope by the LSO in 2018 (Royal Albert Hall) [Saturday Evening showing], however it was still too loud for my liking. 

 

The worst one was Empire Strikes Back in the Albert Hall (Dirk Brossè and London Philharmonia). I was sat in the stalls right behind the engineers/producers and someone went down and collared one of them, essentially asking them to turn the sound and dialogue down as the music in places was barely audible. I couldn't hear everything said as it was the interval, but it seemed to be a little heated. The engineer ultimately said something along the lines of, "it's standardised and we can't change it". The London Philharmonia are obviously a great orchestra, but they don't have the same 'clout' as the London Symphony Orchestra, so the Empire concert was easily the weakest of the original trilogy presentations there at The Royal Albert Hall. 

 

I saw E.T. at The Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and thats a much better venue for this (I think), the balance was excellent throughout. 

 

I watched ROTJ at the Bridgewater Hall and the music was covered by voice and sound effects for pretty much the whole concert. I send then an email to complain about it (after all I had paid nearly £100 for a "live music concert"...)  and they replied they are not responsible for the mixing as it's something set in advance and they have no control on.

Went to watch it at the RAH later on and it was much better, similar to all the previous live movie concerts I had attended there.

[aj_vader 573]

1 hour ago, ciarlese said:

 

I watched ROTJ at the Bridgewater Hall and the music was covered by voice and sound effects for pretty much the whole concert. I send then an email to complain about it (after all I had paid nearly £100 for a "live music concert"...)  and they replied they are not responsible for the mixing as it's something set in advance and they have no control on.

Went to watch it at the RAH later on and it was much better, similar to all the previous live movie concerts I had attended there.

I know why the E.T. one was so much better, because the Halle Orchestra put the event on and Disney Concerts weren't producing it. Disney Concerts are the producers of every Star Wars Live To Picture unfortunately. 

[Tom 5,406]

8 hours ago, aj_vader said:

I know why the E.T. one was so much better, because the Halle Orchestra put the event on and Disney Concerts weren't producing it. Disney Concerts are the producers of every Star Wars Live To Picture unfortunately. 

One would think that they could not be this clueless about why a person would go to one of these.  

[Corellian2019 446]

18 hours ago, aj_vader said:

Yes, they all include subtitles. E.T did as well. I would assume they all do. 

 

Interesting. When I saw the Close Encounters concert in Lincoln Center, it didn't have subtitles. I guess it's an outlier

[aj_vader 573]

7 hours ago, Tom said:

One would think that they could not be this clueless about why a person would go to one of these.  

[Tom Guernsey 3,052]

6 hours ago, aj_vader said:

"Anakin always pulled that face when hitting the lowest notes when portraying Siegfried in Götterdämmerung".

[Tallguy 5,230]

15 hours ago, Corellian2019 said:

 

Interesting. When I saw the Close Encounters concert in Lincoln Center, it didn't have subtitles. I guess it's an outlier

 

I don't recall subtitles when I saw Empire. That was, what, 2019 I think?

[Meredith McKay 7,489]

I heard all the music when I saw the trilogy live....

[SyncMan 374]

New USA booking for TLJ:

St. Louis Symphony Orchestra. Norman Huynh, conductor

Saturday, April 13, 2024; and Sunday, April 14, 2024

Stifel Theatre. St. Louis, MO

 

https://shop.slso.org/7916

 

I'm glad that some USA orchestras are taking a chance at doing a Star Wars LTP concert from unpopular trilogy.

[Quppa 222]

Keitaro Harada is conducting the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra performing A New Hope in September: https://www.promax.co.jp/archives/event/202311272

 

The Osaka performance is on 2023-09-24 at 16:00. There will be 2 performances in Tokyo on 2023-09-30 at 14:00 and 18:30.

 

In fact, there are quite a lot of Star Wars LTP concerts scheduled for the next year: https://www.moviesinconcert.nl/index.php?page=concertlist

 

Currently:

A New Hope: 31

The Empire Strikes Back: 15

Return of the Jedi: 36

The Force Awakens: 25

The Last Jedi: 7

[SyncMan 374]

3 hours ago, Quppa said:

Keitaro Harada is conducting the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra and Osaka Philharmonic Orchestra performing A New Hope in September: https://www.promax.co.jp/archives/event/202311272

 

The Osaka performance is on 2023-09-24 at 16:00. There will be 2 performances in Tokyo on 2023-09-30 at 14:00 and 18:30.

Unfortunately, this news suggests that the LTP concert of SW:TROS doesn't exist.

 

You'll remember that this said orchestra was the one that did the world premiere of the SW:TLJ LTP-concert in October 2019. 

https://video.twimg.com/ext_tw_video/1175955877150568449/pu/vid/608x1080/a-sP4V7BAGVbPVfd.mp4?tag=10

If the LTP concert of TROS was created, then that orchestra would have booked it for this September instead of ANH.

[Quppa 222]

On 31/01/2023 at 11:31 PM, Quppa said:

 

The MSO is following this up with 4 performances of the Empire Strikes Back in October this year.

 

These 4 performances sold out, so they've added 3 more for 7 in total - crazy!

[Jay 41,617]

Wow!

[igger6 983]

Couldn't find a thread for this specific topic, so here goes:

 

Just got back from seeing TFA LTP at the Chicago Symphony last night.  Man, what a score to hear live!  My brother and I assumed our usual CSO practice of loitering on the main floor, enjoying the atmosphere and legroom, until the real buyers of our seats arrived—but this time, they never came!  So we enjoyed the whole movie from the fourth row!

 

This was one of my last live Holy Grails among the available scores (Superman is still out there), and it was a delight.  The opening chord blew the socks off the version on the sequel trilogy OSTs, Rey's Theme finally managed to overpower the sound of her speeder, and I was actually able to perceive Scherzo for X-Wings during the bombing run.  The brass was fantastic as always, but Williams' action music for strings shone particularly brightly live (maybe because violins and cellos are about all you see from the main floor—but boy, do you see them!  We managed to recognize and compliment a cellist on his way out of an alley after the show.)  "Follow Me" and "The Falcon" were electric, and the live performance had a way of dragging this orchestrational novice into appreciating the athletic string figures that underpin the melody.

 

Best of all, the unbelievable "Jedi Steps and Finale" (which nearly the entire house stayed to enjoy) ended with the revised—and apparently now, definitive—ending that's on John Morris Russell's "Voyage" recording, that bombastic and celebratory interpolation of Luke's theme into the usual fanfare that ends the finale in "A New Hope."  It's my favorite Williams revision of all time!

 

If you ever have the opportunity to see TFA live, don't miss it.  This cemented that score as my favorite Williams work of the past 20 years. 

 

Now do Phantom Menace with live choir, cowards!

[mrbellamy 7,154]

Going tonight! This is John Williams week, baby. 

[igger6 983]

Also geriatric Harrison Ford week!

[Ricard 2,282]

 

Quote

On September 1 and 2, the LA Phil presents the climactic sixth episode of the Star Wars saga, Return of the Jedi, with David Newman and the Los Angeles Philharmonic performing John Williams’ legendary score live to picture.

 

Use code UNDERTHESTARS for 20% off on Friday, September 1

 

https://www.hollywoodbowl.com/events/performances/2348/2023-09-01/star-wars-return-of-the-jedi-in-concert

 

[Space Pineapple Prod. 185]

Color me excited for next saturday!

[Toillion 344]

My son has shown a lot of interest in music and when I ask him what he wants to listen to he often picks Star Wars. For his 4th birthday I was able to take him to see the film in concert. 

[Bespin Copilot 9,369]

Great impersonation of Han in carbonite!

[Tallguy 5,230]

That's so awesome. I had front row seats to see Johnny Cash when I turned 4. I'm pretty sure he'll remember this.

[SyncMan 374]

This may seem like nothing special but the New York Philharmonic has just announced their 2024/25 Season schedule and one of the LTP concerts they booked is ESB for June 2025--they have done all the SW films during the months of September and October of 2017, except for TLJ.  Members of this forum will recall that it was the New York Philharmonic that handled the world premiere of the franchaise's LTP concerts.

 

Last month the Toronto Symphony Orchestra announced their 2024/25 Season schedule and they have booked ESB for May 2025 after doing all of the SW films,--especially the TLJ, which they did last May.

 

Why are both orchestras choosing, out of all the SW films, ESB in their new season and not ANH?  Does this concert contain a new cut of the film?  Will there be any new musical arrangements for this concert that are different from the ones that were used over the years?

 

Perhaps,  @BSOinsider look into this for us and see if, at the least, these booking are just a coincidence.

[Tom 5,406]

ESB is widely regarded as the best SW (if not best as such) soundtrack of all time.  I would assume that is the reason (or just a coincidence).  

 

Either that or they have changed Vader's dialogue to "I am not your father, but I am the father of a new character to be introduced in Episode X."  

[BSOinsider 45]

4 hours ago, SyncMan said:

Perhaps,  @BSOinsider look into this for us and see if, at the least, these booking are just a coincidence.

 I have zero involvement with that kind of artistic planning unfortunately, so I can't give any special insights.

 

Personally I agree with what Tom said:

 

3 hours ago, Tom said:

ESB is widely regarded as the best SW (if not best as such) soundtrack of all time.  I would assume that is the reason (or just a coincidence).  

 

[Tallguy 5,230]

It's being performed to the original 1980 cut of ESB! It won't even have the insert of the medical frigate at the end!!!

[Smeltington 1,720]

Two performances of The Force Awakens this September at Symphony Hall in Boston!

 

https://www.bso.org/events/star-wars-the-force-awakens?performance=2024-09-05-19:30

[Jay 41,617]

Holy crap!!

[Quppa 222]

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced 3 dates for The Force Awakens in May next year. They previously performed the Australian premiere back in 2017.

I hope this means The Last Jedi might happen later in the year - to my knowledge it hasn't been performed in Australia. Even better (for the novelty) would be The Rise of Skywalker.

[Pat_S 73]

On 06/06/2024 at 10:00 PM, Quppa said:

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has announced 3 dates for The Force Awakens in May next year. They previously performed the Australian premiere back in 2017.

I hope this means The Last Jedi might happen later in the year - to my knowledge it hasn't been performed in Australia. Even better (for the novelty) would be The Rise of Skywalker.

Seems strange to me that Nicholas Buc isn't conducting this one.. I can't be sure but hasn't he done all the MSO Star Wars concerts so far?

[Quppa 222]

On 09/06/2024 at 1:10 PM, Pat_S said:

Seems strange to me that Nicholas Buc isn't conducting this one.. I can't be sure but hasn't he done all the MSO Star Wars concerts so far?

 

Maybe Buc is booked elsewhere - he seems to go all around the world conducting these concerts. Northey previously conducted the 2018/2019 MSO performances of ANH and ROTJ.

[Brando 2,367]

Has it already been shared that ANH is being performed in Jacksonville in January? I might be able to go, and if so, it’ll be my first!

 

https://my.jaxsymphony.org/star-wars-new-hope-2025/3657

[ThePenitentMan1 1,175]

My first was ANH, too!  Do it, you won't regret it!

[crocodile 8,964]

The original film is brilliant with live score. The 2018 performance at Royal Albert Hall with LSO playing it was one of my very favourite concert experiences ever. 😀

 

Karol

[aj_vader 573]

14 hours ago, crocodile said:

The original film is brilliant with live score. The 2018 performance at Royal Albert Hall with LSO playing it was one of my very favourite concert experiences ever. 😀

 

Karol

Same, it was spectacular. That was my first LTP experience as well. 

[Jay 41,617]

I'm seeing The Force Awakens Live To Projection tonight, at Symphony Hall in Boston.

 

Can't wait!

[Jay 41,617]

Boston has fun

 

[Jay 41,617]

 

When I checked in when I got here, FoirSquare told me that I hadn't been here since November 2021. Has it really been that long since Williams has conducted here? I feel like my late 20s and 30s were full of seeing him consistently here, every spring!

[SyncMan 374]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

 

 

I would phone the orchestra administrators that sell apparrel like that for these Star Wars LTP concerts and ask if Disney sells them online and they would say, 'no'.

 

So, what happens to these clothes if the vendors can't sell them all? 

[Brando 2,367]

Those prices are ridiculous 

[Matt S. 618]

1 hour ago, Jay said:

 

When I checked in when I got here, FoirSquare told me that I hadn't been here since November 2021. Has it really been that long since Williams has conducted her? I feel like my late 20s and 30s were full of seeing him consistently here, every spring!

September/October 2021 was when he conducted the BSO for the Boston premiere and recording of Violin Concerto No. 2; I’m surprised it was that long ago too, feels like it was a year ago tops!  I’ve been to a number of concerts since then, but I’ve always seen Keith Lockhart conduct…

[ThePenitentMan1 1,175]

19 hours ago, SyncMan said:

I would phone the orchestra administrators that sell apparrel like that for these Star Wars LTP concerts and ask if Disney sells them online and they would say, 'no'.

 

So, what happens to these clothes if the vendors can't sell them all? 

 

If it's anything like where I work, the surplus is offered at clearance prices to the employees.

 

Or else maybe they're just destroyed.

 

A bit of a shame if it's the latter.  As least with the former, someone would be enjoying the shirt.

[Jay 41,617]

So, the concert Thursday night was really good!

 

I bought myself a balcony ticket right near the stage, meaning I could see every single musician really well.  It also meant the screen showing the movie was at a bad angle, but luckily for me, I don't like this movie but do LOVE this score, so it was extremely easy for me to ignore the screen the entire night.  The only time I watched it was during the parts of the movie where the orchestra didn't do anything, which wasn't many.

 

This meant the entire time I was basically watching the musicians play, and I feel like I learned so much!  I've never been great at identifying which instrument is playing sometimes, so being able to see what was a flute solo or an oboe passage or which part of the brass section was playing which parts was really cool.

 

Also, the BSO played really well the whole time!  The music can be challenging at times, especially since the final cut featured the music editor chopping up recorded cues and moving them around and changing the pitch and such, and all of that had to be re-created on the page for fresh performances.  And luckily by playing the music anew it sounds much better than the edited versions.  And what really stood out was the part of "Binary Sunset" that's tracked into the actual movie works so much better when its played by the same orchestra doing the rest of the music - and in fact, it sounded like there was some extra accents in there that you don't hear in the original recording (don't quote me on that).

 

Highlights were the delicate flute passages that lead Rey's early scenes on Jakku, Follow Me & The Falcon, The Map Scene & Green Planet, the music for Rey's vision when she touches the saber, Ice Landing, To Lightspeed, The Bombing Run, A Light In The Snow & Fly Home, and The Complete Map.  There were many times when I wanted to applaude the musicians after a particularly strong performance, but I would have been the only one doing so; The rest of the audience was only applauding when a OT character showed up for the first time in the movie.

 

The intermission point is a little awkward, but perhaps has to be where it is because of the rules about how long the musicians can be on stage with out a break, I'm not sure.  It's probably already explained somewhere in this thread better, but happens shortly after Rey has her vision; She runs outside and the screen goes black and the orchestra goes from the music in the movie right into a reprise of some of the opening battle music to kind of end the first half with a bang.  Then when the second half starts, the lights stay on so you can watch the musicians play most of Rey's Theme, before the lights dim as the film resumes with a shot of Starkiller base.

 

Additionally, when the end credits begin, the lights come on so you can watch them play through the whole end credits, which is great because its a great suite that has all the film's major themes.  And interesting, at the very end, they change the ending to be the grand ending from the usual Star Wars Main Theme concert version.

 

Everyone in the orchestra really played SO well ALL night, when the end credits finished we gave everyone a huge standing ovation that went on for a long time.  Keith Lockhart left the stage and came back twice, and the first time he came back, he made sure to highlight several of the players who had solos for extra applause.

 

It really was a great night, and it was great to be back at Symphony Hall again!

[SyncMan 374]

@Quppa, @Pat_S, @crumbs: Listen-up

TLJ-In Concert booking in Australia.

July 18 (one show), and 19 (2 shows), 2025

West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Jessica Gethin, conductor
Riverside Theatre, Perth

 

https://www.waso.com.au/concerts-tickets/whats-on/concert/last-jedi

[crumbs 15,344]

5 minutes ago, SyncMan said:

@Quppa, @Pat_S, @crumbs: Listen-up

TLJ-In Concert booking in Australia.

July 18 (one show), and 19 (2 shows), 2025

West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Jessica Gethin, conductor
Riverside Theatre, Perth

 

https://www.waso.com.au/concerts-tickets/whats-on/concert/last-jedi

 

Thanks for the heads up! Australian premiere of The Last Jedi... the MSO have really missed a trick not bothering with TLJ and TROS LTPs, especially when they could've had world premieres for the latter.

 

Tempting to make the trip to Perth for this, I've never been!

[Pat_S 73]

On 08/12/2024 at 11:11 PM, SyncMan said:

@Quppa, @Pat_S, @crumbs: Listen-up

TLJ-In Concert booking in Australia.

July 18 (one show), and 19 (2 shows), 2025

West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Jessica Gethin, conductor
Riverside Theatre, Perth

 

https://www.waso.com.au/concerts-tickets/whats-on/concert/last-jedi

Do I fly to Perth to see it or do I hold out hope that the MSO will do it sometime soon.... 

I've never been to WA before either so it probably would be a great excuse to go. Thanks for posting!

[Quppa 222]

The MSO is performing TFA (again) in May next year, so I think there's a chance they'll do TLJ next. The WASO did TFA this past April.

[SyncMan 374]

7 hours ago, Pat_S said:

Do I fly to Perth to see it or do I hold out hope that the MSO will do it sometime soon.... 

I've never been to WA before either so it probably would be a great excuse to go. Thanks for posting!

Being that...

1. TLJ is a divided movie amongs the Star Wars fans
2. The concert is 2 hours and 45 minutes (20-minute intermission included in the running time)--which means union musicians get 15 minutes of overtime-pay because they are on stage performing for over 2 hours and 30 minutes (I'm speaking only in USA union rules, or course).

...I would consider it.

 

Again, speaking from America, I had to travel over 3,000 miles to San Francisco to attend the 'The Matrix' LTP concert in July 2022 because I knew that this concert, believe it or not, hasn't had any USA bookings in the 9 years since it last played in a USA concert-hall.  I'm glad that I made the trip.

 

Perhaps the WA orchestra-staffer that book this concert knew this concert's limited performance history and the demand among the concert-goers decided to take advantage of it, so yeah @crumbs , the MSO missed-out on the opportunity to be the first in booking this.  Maybe, the MSO is playing it smart and monitoring how well the WASO does with this before they book it.

 

 

[Brando 2,367]

Had to drive 2 hours to Jacksonville but it was awesome!! For most of the cues the music was actually pretty loud, some dialogue was kinda hard to hear, there were a few that started off quiet and then got louder once the orchestra got going. I had a blast!

[SyncMan 374]

SW:TLJ

New Jersey Symphony Orchestra.  Constantine Kitsopoulos, conductor

May 29, 30, and 31, 2026

https://www.njsymphony.org/events/detail/star-wars-the-last-jedi-in-concert-2026