by Warren M. Sherk
Reporting from London, October 25, 2011
The London Symphony Orchestra, in preparation for Thursday night’s concert, “Symphonic Hollywood: The Music of Dimitri Tiomkin,” rehearsed at the Barbican Hall this morning.
As the orchestra and conductor Richard Kaufman launched into the lilting “Overture” from The Four Poster, one couldn’t help but wonder what Dimitri Tiomkin would have thought at this moment. Tiomkin loved to record in London and today one of the finest orchestras in the world had just started rehearsing for a concert devoted solely to the composer’s film music. Tiomkin would never have heard most of the music on this morning’s rehearsal in a concert setting. One of the great benefits of the forthcoming concert will be the opportunity for audiences to hear music that they seldom get to hear live. Add to that the chance to hear a select portion of a single composer’s oeuvre in one sitting makes this doubly enticing.
Next up, the “Overture” to Cyrano de Bergerac. When this piece appeared on the Silva Screen recording produced by James Fitzpatrick, it became apparent that the smaller string contingent on the film’s original soundtrack gave the work a more intimate chamber music feel. With a full orchestral string section the regal and stately music produced by the strings can match and balance with the brass fanfares.
The Old Man and the Sea has never sounded better. The lush “Theme” captures the swelling ocean waves of the film with sweeping upper strings and double harp glissandi. The “Cubana” and “Finale” complete the suite.
Orchestrator Patrick Russ took the best bits from two films directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Dial M for Murder and Strangers on a Train to create the “Hitchcock Suite.” Even though the music from the two films is wholly unrelated the conjoined music works, probably because they both contain wonderful solos. The stinging start to Dial M is followed almost immediately by growling low brass and then the wonderful theme. Tiomkin mentioned this theme in an interview which I will comment on in my pre-film talk on Sunday. The theme contains some nice lyric horn writing and romantic solos by violin and trumpet. An attacca leads into the main title theme from Strangers on a Train which includes a lengthy passage for string orchestra. Tiomkin’s original waltz for the film closes out the suite.
The orchestral forces are large and include 6 percussion and 2 harps. To make room for the London Voices, who will be on risers behind the orchestra, the stage has been extended a good 10 feet into the hall. Thursday night’s concert will be recorded and released by LSO Live.
TOMORROW: LSO rehearsal 2, with the London Voices