In a relationship spanning 50 years, director Steven Spielberg and composer John Williams have collaborated on 29 films, with the 30th, Disclosure Day, set for release in June of this year. To celebrate this amazing partnership between two legendary talents, Symphonically Spielberg: The Music of John Williams rolled into Toronto for four performances at the famed Roy Thomson Hall in April, giving the audience a front-row seat to the talents of these two men and to what they have meant to the film and music industry for so many years.
To simply call it a powerful performance would be the height of understatement. The Toronto Symphony Orchestra, led by renowned Pops conductor Steve Reineke, was more than up to the task, performing fifteen songs from Spielberg’s films, spanning 1975 to 2012. In fact, the evening’s second selection, the main theme from 1974’s Sugarland Express (Spielberg’s first feature film), was a story in itself. As conductor Steve Reineke explained, the score for that film was very difficult to find, so after contacting the composer himself, Williams graciously lent his copy so it could be performed during the Toronto shows.
It was fascinating to hear Reineke tell tales before each song, and as an audience member, it was also intriguing to see and hear which songs were actually chosen to be performed. With almost 30 films to choose from, and so many moments from each, that must have been a challenge in itself. No one in the audience had any complaints, though, as all were here simply to enjoy the master composer’s work while at the same time reliving, in each person’s own memory, what those films and moments meant to them.
From the opening sinister strings of the Jaws theme to the haunting melodies of the Schindler’s List theme, it was a truly mesmerizing evening. Conductor Steven Reineke, who made his TSO conducting debut in March 1997, is always a treat at these events. A non-apologetic fanboy of John Williams, he brought his enthusiasm for Williams’s stories and his energy to the podium, feeding both the orchestra and the audience. He talked about his love for the score to 1977’s Close Encounters of the Third Kind and led the Toronto Symphony Orchestra through selections from that astounding Spielberg sci-fi film.
John Williams’ love for big brass, epic moments, and thundering string sections weaving in and out of the songs was on full display in this lineup of selections. The incredibly powerful theme from 1993’s Jurassic Park brought a rousing ovation from the audience, as did a piece from 1989’s Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade.
When the show was over, and Reineke had taken a couple of bows with the orchestra, they surprised everyone with a song not on the program, the always exciting theme from the original Raiders of the Lost Ark. It was a wonderful and energetic way to end an already incredible evening of music.
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The orchestra, no stranger to these events, was definitely up to the task of taking on such a diverse mix of music. In discussions with conductors over the years, it has been noted that the musicians love performing these as much as the audience loves hearing them. They are fans themselves, not just of John Williams, but of the movies themselves, and in this instance, films that span many years and many different genres. It truly becomes a celebration for all, and the energy generated by that hangs in the air over everyone.
It is really hard to put into words what Spielberg and Williams have meant to the world of film over the years, and it is almost impossible to believe what they have accomplished together. However, Syphonically Spielberg: The Music of John Williams was a great reminder not only of the incredible talents of these two men but also of the impact they have had on so many, and why they continue to be amazed and to celebrate some truly epic moments in music and film.
