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There will be “no wiggle room” when the Modesto Symphony Orchestra presents its concert this weekend.
That’s according to Principal Pops Conductor Ryan Murray, who will lead the “Jurassic Park in Concert” program at the Gallo Center for the Arts.
The blockbuster film will play on a big screen while the symphony members perform the score live on stage — and they have to be perfectly in sync with the action.
The presentations will be offered at 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 29, and at 2 p.m. Saturday, May 30. While seats have been going fast, tickets remained Tuesday from $28 to $106 on the downtown venue’s website.
The “no wiggle room” comment came while Murray was discussing the challenges that come with the special concerts.
The films arrive with their soundtracks stripped, leaving just the dialogue and special effects. “Every note of the soundtrack is performed by the orchestra,” he said.
“Essentially what happens is that the technician that’s there pushes play (for the movie) at the beginning and it’s up to me and the orchestra to play in exactly the same time and speeds and flexibility as the original soundtrack,” Murray said. “So we have to match the film moment-for-moment across the entire 2-hour and 15-minute movie.”
The biggest challenge is that, with no soundtrack, the orchestra doesn’t have music to line up with, he said. The musicians must do so from a series of visual cues that are in front of the conductor.
“So ... the movie plays on the big screen, but right in front of me is a much smaller screen, like a computer monitor, that has additional information on it. It has a counter, punches and streamers, which are these white circles that flash on the screen at certain times and these white, green and red bars that go across the screen at different times. And those are things that I use to stay in sync with the movie.”
As usual, the orchestra takes its cues from Murray.
A lot of stamina is needed, as well – more than a typical classical concert – Murray said.
‘Jedi’ demanded 57 minutes of music without pause
“For example when we did “Return of the Jedi” a couple of years ago, there’s a place in the second half where we play for 57 minutes without pause,” he said.
Murray said the high-caliber talent of the MSO’s musicians allow them to execute the challenging programs.
“I would say in any John Williams score (such as in “Jurassic Park”) in particular, there’s a lot of virtuosic (music).”
Musicians work ahead of time, on their own. That’s because the orchestra rehearses together for only about five hours in one day for the shows.
“When they recorded the original “Star Wars,” they did it over eight days, so lots of small pieces,” Murray said. “When we do these movies in concert, we have rehearsals the day before the concerts ... and then we have to play the whole score. It’s very demanding.”
He said it speaks to the high level of musicians in the MSO “that everybody comes in so well-prepared that we can put it together very, very quickly.”
They haven’t had any noticeable mishaps during the performances, according to Murray.
Audience members have told him after that they ‘completely forgot there was even an orchestra there’ because the music was so perfectly lined up with what they saw on screen.
“It’s really an amazing thing what the orchestra does,” he said.
Nearly a decade of movies in concert
MSO began presenting the shows in 2017 with “The Nightmare Before Christmas.” While Murray did not conduct that concert, he’s done all since – sometimes two a year.
Among other films have been several in the “Star Wars” series, “Fantasia” and its sequel “Fantasia 2000,” “Pirates of the Caribbean” and a “Pixar in Concert” show featuring clips from films such as “Ratatouille,” “Finding Nemo” and “Monsters, Inc.”
“We tend to do a sort of blockbuster-type movie in late May, early June and then sometimes we’ll add another one midseason, as well.”
Murray said the performances come with enjoyment.
“I think that for a lot of us, some of these movies are very nostalgic because they (contain) music that we heard growing up,” he said. “Also, the energy that comes from the audience in these concerts is really exciting. They tend to sell very well ... and audiences are really enthusiastic both about the orchestra and film, so that is really fun for us on stage.”
He’s particularly excited about the upcoming production.
“I’ve never (conducted) ‘Jurassic Park’ before. It was one of my favorite movies growing up, so I’m really looking forward to doing this one.”
Audiences often become involved in the shows, with some arriving dressed in costumes from the films, he said. “People clap and cheer when different things happen in the movie.”
Murray said an audience member after a “Star Wars” concert a few years ago told him, ‘‘That was the greatest experience of my life.”
It was “very touching ... the films hold a certain place in everybody’s memories and there aren’t so many opportunities today where we can go in and experience something happening in real time all together, so that’s one part of (why the shows are special).
“The second part of it, there’s really nothing like the sound of a full symphony orchestra playing live,” he continued. “It elevates every element of these movies in an unbelievable way.”
For more on the concert and to purchase remaining tickets, see www.galloarts.org.
