When John Williams’ scary shark music from the movie Jaws fills a concert hall, Australian conductor Nicholas Buc can hear people gasp because they know what is coming.
Conducting orchestras playing film music – particularly the music of the prolific American composer John Williams – is Buc’s thing, and it’s mostly done with the film showing. Jaws has a few moments like that, despite everyone knowing what is coming.
“When I conduct the orchestra live for Jaws, there’s a scene where Richard Dreyfus is diving that usually makes the audience gasp,” Buc says.
That’s because, as you may recall, Dreyfus’ marine biologist Matt Hooper comes face to face with human remains, care of the Great White. It frightens the hell out of everyone.
So, will the music be as scary without the visuals? Possibly not, but people will no doubt be recalling scenes from that and many other films when Buc conducts the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for The Music of John Williams in the Concert Hall at QPAC on February 27 and 28.
Few composers have shaped the sound of modern cinema like John Williams. With soaring melodies, unforgettable motifs and pure orchestral imagination, his music has become as iconic as the films themselves.
Under the baton of Nicholas Buc, the QSO brings Williams’ greatest scores to life – from the swells of adventure to the hush of mystery and wonder. You’ll hear music from Star Wars, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and many others, in a concert that celebrates the drama, joy and emotion of the silver screen.
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Whether you’re reliving your favourite film moments or discovering this music for the first time, this is a night for the imagination to take flight.
February starts with two concerts curated by QSO audiences, followed by a new Portraits series, an Up-Close Studio Session and, to end, that homage to the cinematic mastery of John Williams.
QSO director of artistic planning Matthew Wood says February’s program was designed to be a warm and welcoming start to the season for audiences and musicians alike.
“We’re welcoming everyone back with familiar repertoire and cracking tunes that showcase the talent of our incredible local musicians,” Wood says
“John Williams is the second most-nominated individual in Oscars history, behind Walt Disney, and his work is so iconic that I daresay there won’t be a single piece within our two-hour presentation that the audience doesn’t instantly recognise. It’s always a huge privilege to perform an evening of his work and it’s a testament to his craft and popularity that his scores are as beloved by our musicians as they are by the audiences.”
For Melbourne-based Buc, these concerts will be a bit more relaxed than when the orchestra is playing the score live to the film. That takes concentration on everyone’s part.
“I guess the main expertise involved is to do with timing and synchronisation,” Buc says. “It’s not just conducting as usual, as there are many points of synchronisation.”
Buc conducts live film scores all over the world, accompanied by his wife Melanie, who happens to also be his manager. Last year they visited Canada, the US, France, England, Japan and Hong Kong, among other destinations.
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“I recently conducted Raiders of the Lost Ark in Kansas City in the US,” he says. “We did four concerts of this film, which is now 45 years old. It’s a modern classic. I love these movies, which is why it is a great fit for my career to do these concerts. It’s like watching them for the first time.”
Buc says he was lucky enough to meet John Williams.
“That was at the Hollywood Bowl in 2018,” he says. “I had just done his Star Wars Trilogy in Japan and he said, ‘you must be exhausted’. He was lovely. He’s sort of like Yoda, wise and generous. Spielberg was there too and I also got to meet him.”
As we chat, Buc explains that he is looking at a poster on his wall of Jurassic Park, signed by Spielberg and Williams. Nice.
He has conducted the music of other film composers too, including all the Bond theme songs.
This time around there will be no film playing, but he is okay with that.
“There won’t be the stress of keeping the film in time,” he says. “We are there to play and enjoy the music and I will function as a bit of a host and chat about the music and give it some context.”
As well as the more famous music, the orchestra will also play some lesser-known passages.
“I guess the most obscure would be from the film Angela’s Ashes,” he says. “We will also be playing some music from Schindler’s List. To me, cinema is like modern-day opera, telling stories.”
Some of those stories are thrilling and some are downright scary. Even without the film on the big screen there is sure to be the appropriate audience reaction when the Jaws shark music starts up. Nicholas Buc is counting on it.
Queensland Symphony Orchestra – The Music of John Williams, Concert Hall, QPAC, February 27-28.
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