The atmosphere was charged within the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall as fans of the genre, kitted out in cosplay costumes and t-shirts revelled in the percolating atmosphere. The Sydney Symphony Orchestra filled the stage as we waited for the entry of conductor Benjamin Northey.
The orchestra opened with an amuse bouche by playing the 20th Century Fox theme that hinted at the robustness of these esteemed musicians. The conductor stood still holding his wand, which to the audiences delight, lit-up into a light sabre. The movie opens and as the prelude text scrolls upwards (“It is a period of civil war…..”) and disappears, to the well-known score of John Williams’s Grammy-winning score, its main title music modulating from brassy swagger to swirling string arpeggios and the camera settles on the kilometre-long Imperial Starship destroyer almost singing our eyebrows with its massive afterburners.
And so the battle for the galaxy intensifies after the destruction of the Death Star with Darth Vader persuing Luke Skywalker, who is studying the ways of the Force with Jedi Master Yoda as we enter the Star Wars universe, thrilled by the iconic score live to the film. The movie score, believe it or not, has post-Wagnerian leitmotifs that are so deeply ingrained with the evolving action on screen and the fabulous musicality of the orchestra was such a fluid fusion that the live and pre-recorded elements of the experience merged effortlessly into a single stream. It worked perfectly as a spectacle for this mature-aged lover of the genre and the cross section of the audience ranging from youngsters to hipsters.
It is a public ritual like no other. George Lucas’s genius is showcased every time i watch re-runs of the movie with its exotic settings, space-age opera gadgetry, the cominess of Carrie Fisher’s hair buns, or the severe limits of Mark Hamill’s thespian talents. Star Wars is a vehicle of myth through self-creation through struggle. On stage the Sydney Symphony Orchestra played on tremendously and flawlessly with strings and brass nailing everything especially the percussion. I have to confess it is difficult to simultaneously take in both the optics on screen and investigate the live orchestra’s merging. The score is that good, raising the enjoyment threshold to the max. Interestingly the younger fans cheered most excitedly when Darth Vader appeared, mouthing in unison, “ I Am Your Father”.
The atmosphere inside is pure serendipity, the audience swept up in the action on stage and on screen, many kitted out in cosplay costumes and many wearing t-shirts bearing images of Princess Leia, Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kanobi. There are sacred moments of-course, that resonate strongly with certain audience members where one forgets watching and give your ears a treat, thats not possible at home or at the cinema.
As the film ends, the credits were rolling upwards, the orchestra performed the full rendition of John Williams’s famous Star Wars theme before the audience awarded them a standing ovation with thunderous applause.
