by Gil Benbrook
Most Star Wars fans consider The Empire Strikes Back to not only be the best movie in the original film trilogy but also the best in the series.
This was the film that provided millions of fans the first opportunity to see the further exploits of the characters, worlds and situations that George Lucas created so successfully in 1977's Star Wars. It also introduced such beloved characters as Yoda and Lando Calrissian while the romance between Han Solo and Princess Leia kicked into high gear. It had the Empire and the Rebel Alliance come face-to-face in several battle sequences, and the film also featured the first time that Luke Skywalker faced Darth Vader in person while Luke also discovered some facts about his past.
The film's non-stop John Williams score is superb from start to finish and this movie was the first time we'd hear “The Imperial March,”which is now just as closely identified to the Star Wars saga as the main “Star Wars” fanfare. In addition to "The Imperial March," Williams also introduced “Yoda’s Theme” in The Empire Strikes Back, a composition full of emotion and jaunty notes.
This past weekend, with the 1980 film playing overhead, Constantine Kitsopoulos expertly led the Phoenix Symphony Orchestra through Williams’ Oscar-nominated score for four performances. I've reviewed numerous Phoenix Symphony concerts in the past and whether it's classical or pop music, supporting a well-known Broadway performer or, like they did last weekend, playing the entire score to a popular film while the entire movie unspools above, they are always exceptional.
When Williams began work on composing the score for the first film in the franchise, Lucas told him that the music should provide the "emotional anchor" to the film. Williams used that information to compose specific themes for the main characters and to ensure that the emotional moments were underscored with musical compositions that brought added importance to those scenes while also featuring fast-paced musical sequences that heightened the tension in the many action sequences in the films.
With enthusiastic playing, the Phoenix Symphony didn't miss a beat under Kitsopoulos' concise direction. Williams' score for the 127 minute film is virtually non-stop, with just a few brief moments when no music is heard (ironically the scene where Darth Vader utters the line "I am your father" has no musical underscore, perhaps as a way to let the weight of that line truly resonate?)
Williams' compositions for The Empire Strikes Back are just as good as his Oscar winning Star Wars score and with so much varied, well orchestrated music it also allows for every instrument in the orchestra to have several featured moments. The Phoenix Symphony's roubust yet refined playing allowed us to hear the brass section blare out, with perfect notes, the well-known soaring themes while the strings section delivered stirring and lush motifs that allowed for the high flying action sequences to soar. The percussion section got a work out as well. Every musician delivered notes full of both gusto and majesty which instantly commanded your attention. There are many haunting melodies in the film's score as well as compositions that build in their intensity. The Phoenix Symphony didn't miss a beat with every note building momentum and driving the energy throughout the film score until the last note rings out and rings out clear and strong.
Kitsopoulos and the Symphony received huge, and well deserved, rounds of applause from the virtually sold out crowd at both the intermission and after the final credits ended.
The only slight misstep was that the sound levels were a bit off with the score occasionally overshadowing the film dialogue. I don't remember that being an issue last season when the Phoenix Symphony provided live accompaniment to Star Wars: A New Hope.
Other similar concerts in their 2019 / 2020 season include the films The Nightmare Before Christmas, Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, Home Alone, Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince and City Lights all featured with the Phoenix Symphony playing the entire scores for those films while the feature film plays overhead.
After attending both concerts of the first two films in the trilogy, I can only hope that their 2020 / 2021 season will include the third film in the original Star Wars trilogy, The Return of the Jedi.
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